You don’t have to be an avid runway addict to see how European fashion differs from its American counterpart. A walk through any fashionable European city will do just that.

I was recently in Spain and observed a myriad of styles on the streets. In contrast to Italian cities, where the men are always polished and in beautifully tailored suits, in Spain the women along with the men stand out in their fashion choices.

In Spain, I found as I did in Italy and in Paris, that women truly enjoy putting themselves together. The abundant culture of khakis and white shirts that prevails on the streets of  America, as the ‘casual’ uniform does not exist there. I am not sure if ‘casual’ figures into the European fashion sensibility at all? It appears that even for quick sprints around the corner, women look near impeccable. Beautifully tailored trousers, smart box jackets & silk blouses were easily spotted in the big cities. In the smaller cities too, the women took care to contrast their skirts & tops with interesting shoes and bags. Almost all were wearing a piece of jewelery around the neck if not the ears as well.

The older women were dressed to the nine’s in almost every big town in Spain. Tailored skirts & jackets, pumps and perfectly coiffed hair dominated the streets. Younger women would be seen in legging-fitted jeans, juxtaposed with a silk blouse or a cashmere turtleneck to give the whole look a touch of class. Sometimes pearls, at other times really chic bags would accompany the look.

It is unmistakable how a mind-set dominates the wardrobe. And it doesn’t take all that much to figure out why the European trends are so beautifully tailored and the contrasts so utterly impeccable. The beat on the street is relaxed yet fashionable. On the streets of Madrid you see how people mill around in café’s and sit on outdoor pavement eateries, lingering over their meals & successive drinks, smoking cigarettes. The average meal-time easily goes over four to five hours and the dinner does not start before ten. This is basically a leisurely environment and an incredibly aesthetic one. Here people take the time to focus on colors, patters, textures and designs and there is an unmistakable joie de vivre about the way people dress, a certain playfulness about their approach. Getting dressed is as much fun as living life. We all know Europeans are not workaholics, in the American sense. America has given the word a whole new meaning. Come economic crisis or not, Spain shuts down in entirety for its three hour stretch of the siesta part of day.

The mind set is reflected by the architecture, and vice versa. The architecture on the streets is anywhere from Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance to modern, as you walk through the streets of some of the renowned cities in Europe. For instance, in Barcelona, experiencing Gaudi’s architecture is akin to walking into a high-end jewelery store.  Everything about it looks tasteful and fascinating. I couldn’t help but think what inspires such magic? Such creation? To be around such an aesthetic environment where everywhere you glance you see monuments of history lovingly carved with delicate hands looking back at you, can only add to the sense of beauty in your life. You start seeing everything in terms of beauty.

Europeans come across as people who thoroughly enjoy life. They live, they drink, they eat, they (still) smoke, they indulge in siestas and all things that make for a leisurely paced life. Their big cities are full of life yet devoid of the mad rush that occupies the American big city life.

You won’t catch a European inhaling a meal on the subway, as we often do here in the States or panting, being out of breath trying to make it to an appointment, or even howling at a cabbie on the streets. On the contrary, I noticed how people are so utterly patient on the roads. They take the time to smile, engage in casual conversation even if you’re a tourist who speaks very little of the native language. They certainly don’t appear to be as overworked as the Americans, which is probably why their approach to fashion, like much else, is seen with a fun lens too. Its not about practicality and functionality, and getting stuff done, and donning the same t-shirt and pants in different shades, its about taking the time to have fun. Even with what one’s wearing.