People Watching

It's well know that I tend to be more interested in places, (buildings, history) than in people, but I find people watching is definately a seasonal activity.

This is mainly because what I'm looking at is what they are wearing; winter is rubbish, as everyone is so 'coated up' that you can't see much; the best people watching of all is from a pavement cafe in (pretty much any) Italian city on a balmy evening.

However, over the past few weeks, I've been spending a lot of time at railway stations. And it has been hot, so no coats required. I've loved watching the people gathering for the London train, and trying to work out who is working, and who is heading for a day out. Not always that easy, in these days of 'smart-casual' office wear. There are still plenty of 'suits' though. The traditional briefcase is now mainly replace by the laptop bag (the fact that I choose to carry my work papers in a Tesco Cath Kidston shopper is not lost on me).

I usually start with the shoes, as good shoes usually means the rest of the outfit will be good. You have to admire the girl with the four inch heels who is braving the Tube and London pavements (particularly as I left a shoe behind me just outside London Bridge last week, as it caught in the pavement.)

Then there are the people in 'holiday wear'. Oh dear. Sadly, with the British, this frequently means a total abdication from any style. Allowances can be made for hot weather, but very few people can wear cut offs, though few seem to realise this. If you have chunky calves, people, please stay away.