You only have to glance across newsstands to see how our society relies on fashion. Magazines are devoted to analyzing what so-and-so wore to this premiere, and how hideous so-and-so looked in that shirt. What does he look like walking his kids to school? Her dress is stunning, why am I not a millionaire who can afford pieces like that?

Fashion is becoming accessible for everyone; Apple has recently launched an application for the iPhone where you can find out where the latest fashion events are and where there's a sale. This adoration isn't restricted to one place: the love for fabric is universal, and prominent fashion figures don't seem to keep still.

Britons have a cultish following of Sarah Jessica Parker and the excitement surrounding Sex and the City rivals the buzz felt across the pond. Americans have now got their hands on Alexa Chung (how shocked was I to see her face in Times Square, I thought she was only famous for shacking up with an Arctic Monkey). Celebrity culture once reserved for the United States has seeped into the British isles, with celebrities turning into designers being a fad to affect both countries. Whether Miley Cyrus tries to convince us we can take her seriously as a designer for Walmart, or Kate Moss flaunting her ability for Topshop, both Brits and Americans can aspire to be a celeb even more by wearing their clothing brands.

Cultural differences are evident whichever country you go to, and just because Britain and America both speak English, doesn't mean we share everything in the fashion stakes. While some things are universal, like gloves when it's cold, fashion can be seen as a defining factor for countries. I must admit, the Brits have adopted certain parts of American culture when it comes to clothes (and food. And movies). Programs such as the Hills have recently had a huge surge of trans-Atlantic followers, with girls convinced that they too can don the outfits worn by the "stars" on the program (I say "stars," because I literally have no clue what people on the show do with their lives. From what I and most people gather, they sit and complain about how rubbish their lives are, despite being clad in thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes). In addition, the emergence of WAG culture (the Wives and Girlfriends of famous, and not so famous, football, or, soccer, stars) that started with Victoria Beckham has had a huge impact on female dress. One thing that has affected British culture as of late was the emergence of chav culture. Explaining "chav" to the American is more difficult than I thought. Imagine "white trash," but worse. Clad in fake Burberry, with a scarily high teen pregnancy rate (teen pregnancies, fine if you're emotionally mature, these kids are NOT), these are the sort of kids who walk around in "Kalvin Clein" tops and fake velour tracksuits, causing havoc and harassing old people. The true delight of British culture, I can assure you. Annoyingly, the emergence of this lovely demographic caused the high street to temporarily flood with knock-off boutiques selling fake designer goods, watering down our treasured high street. While it seems Americans make a concerted effort to brush away the negative rep "white trash" gives the country, unfortunately the chavs just won't budge.

Climate has a huge part to play in the fashion seen in both countries. Aside from the odd day in summer, British weather consists of rain, wind, some more rain, and a lot of cloud. Even though the geographical scope in America is so varied, your weather is still CONSIDERABLY better than British weather. The Brits shop for all types of weather, they just can't wear a lot of what they wear unless it keeps you warm and dry. Until recently I've been fine in a t-shirt and jeans, compared to people back in Wales who are in jumpers and scarves.

The drinking and clubbing culture differs extensively between the two countries and this too has an effect on the stock offered in their clothes shops. The locality of bars and nightclubs to people in Britain means that shops know gear for going out is going to appeal, whereas the geography of most of the U.S, and thus the stress of a designated driver, means going out isn't as common. So while you can buy your little black dress stateside, it's not as crucial a piece as in the UK.

Cultural movements, particularly with regards to music, are extremely influential on fashion in any country. The emergence of bands such as the Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs suggested a new era of skinny jeans, demin jackets, and torn Converses for the boys, with girls being able to pay homage to Karen O, delving into bright colors, shocking eye make up and clashing materials. This fed into British fashion, particularly among late teens and young adults. The success of bands like The Libertines, and also the Strokes, had a huge impact on clothing. The "cool indie kid" look is still extremely prominent for men in shops such as River Island and Topman. Any prominent music movement, ties in with fashion of the era. When Sid Vicious was big news, so were safety pins, spiked hair and ripped trousers. When Kurt Cobain was at his peak, so were baggy jeans, dark colors and sulky faces. Fame wanted to live forever, but thank god dodgy perms and leg warmers didn't (unless for the sake of costume parties).

One advantage that Britain has is the sheer amount of history designers can draw influence from. If there's one thing the UK can take pride in, it's national history. So while medieval stuff tends to be laid to rest with each season, Victorian fashion makes a constant emergence, whether its with lace, corsetry, fake pearls for the accessories, or longer skirts.

One way the two nations differ is the shopping experience fashion lovers are offered. Certainly what I've found while being here is that in America, you get your Forever 21 and then your Fendi -- there are real budget stores and then the high end, not a lot of middle range shops. In the UK however, there are real budget stores, such as Primark, a student haven, more middle range shops such as Topshop (which now delivers to America), and then the designer boutiques. The '60s and the idea of swinging London town is always a hit, I'm sure this movement will make a sneaky appearance in stores thanks to the release of Pirate Radio (which was released under a different name, The Boat That Rocked, in the UK a few months ago).

Even comparing (and admiring) the work of British based and American based designers can show huge differences. English designers such as Karen Millen and Betty Jackson design clean cut, sophisticated pieces. Tapping into the pomp and circumstance associated with British history has also proven popular with designers such as Ozwald Boateng. With the exception of the odd garish piece in Topshop and the recent fad of nu-rave (god, what was that?!), the idea of "no sex please, we're British'" seems to remain true among UK fashion. Yes, it's slightly more daring than in the 1930s, more color, a flash of cleavage instead of a risqué flash of ankle, but there still seems an element of conservatism throughout the couture. What American fashion houses have managed to do is appreciate the sheer diversity of the American landscape and its people. The American staple, a pair of Levis jeans, has universal appeal. Donna Karan delivers big city cool, Marc Jacobs offers clothes with heavy European influence and Ralph Lauren appeals to those seeking sophistication. And the size of the shopping malls is just shocking in comparison to (frankly pitiful) British shopping centers.

This is of course, a sweeping generalization. People aren't going to dress the same in Montana as they do in Miami. The same way that people in London aren't going to dress the same way as those in Livingstone. There are hot spots in the United Kingdom and there are hot spots in America. Not everyone dresses like a celebrity. And not all us "normal people" dress the same either. It's the variety of tastes and budgets that makes the British high street so diverse, and the variety of cultures and geography that makes American fashion so exciting. I look forward to comparing Spring 2010 pieces from both sides of the pond. But let's be frank. It's probably nothing on the Italians and French.