Paperbag style smart trousers have never really been my thing, hence my excitement to give them a go! I discovered this pair at Topshop and totally fell for its lovely bluish mid-grey hue. I decided to get them and road-test them with a casual twist which is very much now. As a bonus, I’m sharing a bunch of snaps from my latest epic London South Bank walk and some of the not so standard sights along the way – enjoy!
Styling the smart pants for work and play
Right now, it’s all about the smart pants: tailored, with straight, tapered or wide legs, whatever you like. The way to avoid the granny-goes-to-work vibe is to pair your trousers with trainers. Converse hi-tops, all stars and platforms are my current favourites. Then, if you can afford to be casual, wear motif or logo t-shirts. For the office, you can swap to plain black or white boy tees. To cover up against chilly mornings or evenings, the classic black denim jacket is the best casual choice. To smarten up the outfit, pick a cropped classic blazer.
The best London South Bank sights
If you ever do an epic South Bank walk, I recommend you start at Lambeth Palace. I’m sure not only Tudor fans will appreciate its rustic beauty. Then, just make your way back towards Westminster Bridge and on and on until you are able to walk 🙂 Along the way, you will get amazing riverside and London City views. First, you will cut through the throngs around London Eye, then South Bank Center, and find some pretty good street food just when you want to sit down and relax. At this point, there is a chance you are at Gabriel’s Wharf, next to Oxo Tower, which turns out to be a great photo spot.
After the empanadas, you will find your lifesaver coffee shot at Oxo. I really loved walking under all the bridges, especially Blackfriars Bridge. Once you’re also past Millenium Bridge at Tate Modern, Southwark Bridge and arriving at London Bridge, it’s time for the next pit stop. The Anchor pub is absolutely great and has a cool terrace too. After that, it’s up to you if you want to go much further. If so, you can lose yourself around Southwark Cathedral, the Shard, the Borough Market and the Clink neighbourhood. Finally, if you want your South Bank session to be complete, do try and get to the pub called Mayflower. If you can hop on the tube to Canada Water, plus manage a ten-minute walk, you will find it’s totally worth it. The Mayflower is old and amazing, and from its terrace you can watch the sunset with city views and with the Thames flowing along under your tired little hind paws 🙂
paperbag trousers: Topshop (other similar here and here)
t-shirt: Calvin Klein (similar here, here and here)
trainers: Converse
bag: Calvin Klein (similar here and here)
sunglasses: Ray-Ban