Dress like a European

Take Your Wardrobe Continental With These Style Tips

Whether you wish to revamp your style to be more continental, or just want to avoid looking like a tourist on an upcoming trip, these fashion trips will have you looking like as suave as a European in no time.

As Europe is large continent encompassing many countries and cultures, of course there is no one definitive way to dress European. However, there are a few commonalities across different regions that are worth taking inspiration from.

Neutral colors

Bright colors are a rarely worn in European fashion. The preferred look is more muted; think khaki, tan, navy and grey. Instead of wearing a graphic tee or even a plain but bright white tee with jeans, you could channel Euro style and pair your jeans with an untucked charcoal shirt or a navy long sleeved top with button detailing.

Playing polo

Whether you are actually frolicking around playing polo on horseback in Britain, or just like to think you are, you cannot go wrong with a polo shirt as your casual outfit basic. A well fitted polo shirt is a huge improvement on the simple tee shirt, just by addition of a collar. Again, go for neutral shades which can be easily worn with other earthy toned pieces. You?ll want a cardigan over that polo shirt.

Windswept hair

The idea behind European style is to appear that you look good without even trying. Be groomed, but not too well-groomed. Long hair, up to shoulder length, is common on men in some cultures. If you want to keep your style relatively short, try running some hair wax through using your fingers to create a slightly unkempt look. This works best with a short haircut that is growing out, with at least a few inches of hair length.

Finish with a scarf

Particularly if you are channelling a Parisian look, you will want to accessorise with a scarf. Scarves are not just for winter, either- during warmer weather, go for lightweight materials such as silk.

Banish the tracksuit

European men tend to dress in a refined manner. Some may even see this as overdressed. Wearing tracksuits is seen as sloppy- a universally true judgment, really. Fleecy pants and hooded sweaters may be comfortable, but they also give the impression that you are a thug.

You also want to avoid prominent branding. Huge logos are for show-offs; for a Euro inspired look, go for clothes with no noticeable branding or very small logos.

Shop like a European

You don?t need to travel the world to get clothes worn by Europeans, thanks to the advent of global fast fashion chains. Stores like Zara and H&M have a worldwide presence, but their sense of style remains staunchly European. For online shopping, try British megastore ASOS. The quick turnover of stock of such stores means you will always be getting a fashion-forward look. You can find some useful basic pieces as well, though the quality of a fast fashion store leaves much to be desired.