I just finished up five days visiting Croatia, giving me a chance to observe some more European fashion.
While Croatia may not seem like a fashion capital of the world, a lot of the visitors there are from Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.  That means that’s there’s a heavy fashion influence throughout the country.
Here are a few fashion observations from a day touring around the Old City of Dubrovnik:

Shorts are seen more here than in many spots around Europe.
White athletic shoes are typically only seen on American tourists.
Flat sandals are a big choice for both men and women.  (This …read more

I’m traveling in Italy right now.  Internet access to-date hasn’t been quite as good as I had planned for, so I’ve been exploring and observing one of the great fashion and cultural countries of the world.
I don’t know how to explain it precisely, but looking around a group of travelers here, it’s pretty easy to spot Americans.  Generally speaking, we seem to be a little more casually dressed.  More likely to be wearing t-shirts and clothing with sayings written all over it.  And, we tend to wear white athletic shoes – all the time.
So far in my travels, I’ve …read more

Leggings had a practical fashion start, going back to the 14th century when they were worn by both men and women for warmth and protection.  Today, however, they have a more dubious reputation, the style having been tortured and abused through many bad fashion statements.
But if you have any doubt about the staying power of leggings, take a look around the fashionable streets of Europe.  There they are worn by women of all ages and shapes.  I think they’re here to stay. . . at least for a little while.
Basically, leggings are tight, form-fitting trousers (not tights!) that generally go …read more