Global Street Fashion

I went shopping in Sungei Wang today, my favourite place to be in all of KL, and I was trying on stuff in this tiny little boutique- all bright red walls and cutesy Japanese soft toys and sparkly faux-chandeliers. The sales assistant would point to each thing I tried on and go... "Yes, that's handmade, Thai designer. Yes, that one, Japanese designer. That one, from Hong Kong". I'm going..."ahhhhh so that explains the price tag".
But it got me thinking how different trends can be in different parts of the world. While I was overseas, either subconsciously or consciously, I dressed differently when I was in different cities... some tops were just incontrovertibly 'English' and never made it out of my wardrobe (my backpack!) once I left London, and I spent most of my time in Paris attempting to wear my collection of scarves with the grace and sheer confidence of a true Parisienne.

I loved people-watching while I was on holiday. The outfits people wore told me a little bit about the suburb, the neighbourhood, and its vibe. Back home, for example, people on Brunswick St and people on Chapel St, people on Acland or people on Collins. All drastically different, no?
I wanted to take photos of heaps of people I saw- mostly boys with eyeliner, or punk-boys, or goth-boys, or boys with manbags... or just boys. But I never quite know how to ask. I wish I had a camera in my head that would click when I looked at something I liked. Someone on a flickrforum came up with a similar question, and people have had varying and encouraging responses. Maybe the next time I'll just go up to someone with my camera in hand, and go..how YOU doin'?

Here are a few streetfashion websites I came across, from where I've been around the world.

• Stockholm (my personal favourite :P)
• STHLMstil.se
• Stockholm Street Style
• Parisienne chic
• Elle Japan's Paris street fashion page (don't ask, I don't know why I couldn't find a Paris street fashion blog based in...Paris)
  
• Cutting edge London
• All City Street Team: searchable by borough, super-awesome. I heart Shoreditch!
  
• CatwalkCity

• For Tokyo, check out Tokyo Street Style and Fashionsnap
  and for NY, The Sartorialist

• A little bit on photographing street fashion, from PingMag in Tokyo, where I got the shot on the right. Read the comments on the end, props to whoever posted the bit about Melbourne kicking Sydney's ass in the fashion stakes :)

• Coolhunter beat me to this topic, back in May 2006. Click here for their enhanced graphics and superior style... and for their link to FaceHunter's street fashion shots