Style
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Eat Fabulous, Feel Fabulous
Whilst on a recent shopping spree, spending my loan on things that I surely didn’t need (but had to have), that I came across a shocking sight. New Look, high street mecca for budget savvy women of all ages, was showing this average woman a delectable sample of lingerie… On a mannequin with a funnel-stick waist, tantamount to the size of a golf ball. Now this may be a slight exaggeration, but the angle of this waist was so severe I wondered whether this brand was actually trying to sell clothes or advertise a new sci-fi alien adventure flick. Why did they feel the need to promote their clothing on such a freak exaggeration of the female form? And with a customer following ranging from schoolgirls to 30-somethings, where did their obligation to show a healthy body image go?
This got me thinking. So many pages of our favourite magazines are devoted to fad diets; cutting out wheat, cutting out carbs, pretty much cutting out food altogether. Yet does all this abstinence and guilt really equate to a healthy perception of ourselves? Those who watch Tuesday night’s television are certainly convinced otherwise. Gok Wan, the guru of style and body worship, the man who taught us to ‘look good naked’, challenges and inspires the nation to go back to nature, and celebrate the female form in all its glory, all shapes and sizes. His mantra is to take confidence and pride in our appearance, and be positive in the way we live our everyday lives. Having that extra pound or two means nothing if the happiness we portray is more than skin-deep.
A viewpoint from another species emphasises this truth. In a survey by Cosmopolitan magazine, over 80% of men said they preferred a ‘curvy’ or ‘svelte’ woman to that of a model stick-thin type. Many other forums back up this point, with curvaceous celebrities such as Kelly Brook continually voted as having the ‘best body’ over much thinner women including Kate Moss. On a more relatable level, guy friends from Uni said they would much prefer a woman who was happy with herself and her appearance, a ‘real’ woman who has fun and isn’t constantly badgered by guilt about her body. And let’s face it, everyone is their own worst critic. If others are celebrating and accepting of us, then why can’t we be so accepting of ourselves?
Christmas is just around the corner, a time when body image becomes a futile tension – binge now, diet later. But instead of playing this ridiculous game of snakes and ladders, why not enjoy all the festivities and frolicking of the season, and really get into the Christmas spirit. This is the time to enjoy the comforts of home-cooked meals and mince-pie tea-breaks. All too soon will be the time for other stress – with January exams right around the corner! So kick back this season, and remember that loving yourself and loving all that you eat, drink and do makes you a real, sexy woman. Now, I do fancy the sound of that mince pie…
Suzanne Lambert
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Between A Frock And A Hard Place
Just a few years ago the financially challenged fashionista (aka, the student) was rejoicing at the revolution taking place upon our humble high-street. Gone were the days of Etam’s skirt-pants and Tammy’s plethora of sequined monstrosities; the catwalk had come. Rails were full of Missoni style prints and Chanel-esque tailoring, and all at a reasonable price. Of course, as is the nature of obsession, we were blinded to the looming danger ahead: The Credit Crunch.
Due to this unpleasant reality a few changes must be made. Luckily, the trends of the moment - gothic, heritage and tailored - can all be achieved by simply adding to what you already have.
Everybody has an LBD: fact. This is the basic component for gothic chic. The headliner for this look was Prada’s showcase of the most spectacular lace of A/W ’08, along with Emma Cook and her floral-inspired lace tights. New Look displays the cheapest and most effective versions of these. The important thing to remember with this look is that it’s the texture, not the colour, which changes. If you’re brave enough, add leather. If not, wet-look leggings are a great alternative.Brit fashion has always been a leader in the global style stakes. Ever since Helen Mirren strutted her poker-faced stuff on the silver screen as our beloved Liz, heritage-inspired pieces have been flying off the shelves. McQueen and Westwood are famed for their innovative use of tartan and their A/W shows were no exception. Check, tweed and corduroy are all a must. Thankfully Nottingham is an Aladdin’s cave of vintage and charity shops, perfect for finding such fabrics. There’s also an equestrian vibe this season for the look of the upper crust, even if the only horse you’ve ever owned was made of plastic. This style can be affected by something as simple as a slicked-back pony.
The point of this article is to give alternative ideas on how to create a show-stopping outfit without breaking the bank. So if you buy just one thing this winter, it has to be a tailored jacket. Thanks to our high-streets these don’t have to cost the earth. Why not embrace a patriotic look with a Barbour jacket or opt for the minimalist style of Marc Jacobs and YSL. Alternatively a blazer is the simplest and most cost effective way of conveying this look.Students are undoubtedly resilient. One word alone can sum up our ability to live on the cheap; Vodkat. Until we can amble down Bond Street satisfied with our enviable careers, Swiss bank accounts and houses that don’t resemble the squalor of a Brazilian shantytown, let’s unite and show the world that although we make sacrifices, style will never be one of them.
Grace Gordon
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Out and About
Style around Nottingham
By Laura Morrison
Anna Clarke
Lorna Accquah
Sophie BarjWe’ve been out and about to scout out the best style that Nottingham has to offer…
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Springwatch: The new hits of London Fashion Week
By Nikki Osman
September saw the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week, the bi-annual celebration of the best of contemporary British design talent. While New York fashion week is famed for its glamour and Paris for its chic, London has long provided a transitory platform for new design talent to break onto the scene. And with hot new designers queuing up for their turn in the spotlight and new young talent graduating onto the London fashion scene every year, this years attendees were in for a fashionable treat in the form of the Spring/Summer 09 collections.
Some of the big names to watch this year were the winners of the recently established design grant offered by the British Fashion Council (BFC), the Fashion Forward award. The generous sponsorship for a LFW catwalk production provides the press coverage and the eye of the industry that up and coming designers need to get noticed. It certainly worked for one of this years winners, Erdem Moralioglu, the design talent behind Erdem. Although established in 2005, it has taken until 2008 for the industry to take significant notice. Erdem’s self confessed signature ‘hyper-romantic’ look was perfectly in keeping with the classic Spring vibe, updated with this years almost mandatory trends of sheer fabrics, layering and subtle frill details.
Also to benefit from being a Fashion Forward recipient was St Martin’s graduate roksanda Illincic. Building up her brand since 2003, Illincic’s SS09 collection had her best reviews to date. With a focus on silk and satin she added an element of luxe to the classic Spring nudes and pastilles and her use of dramatic silhouettes has led to the frequent and flattering label of ‘couture esque’.
But the third and arguably most deserving of the grant, was first time Fashion Forward recipient and relative new comer to the London scene, Christopher Kane. His label, only established in 2006, has witnessed acclaim on the back of the Fashion Forward grant and his SS09 showcase was very well received, making numerous editors’ Top Ten lists. His collection, based on an unusual Jurassic theme, stood out from the crowd by the use of oversized geometric shapes. The hints of safari and use of stand out colours was in keeping with much of Spring collections, while his insistence on maintaining his ‘prehistoric’ stance irrefutably set him apart. Despite the ready-to-wear tag, his dinosaur designs will inevitability lack the wearability achieved by other designers for next season, but in terms of establishing himself as a serious design talent, Kane was certainly successful.
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How Square is Fair?
‘Is it fair?’ is a question most of us well-meaning shoppers ask ourselves as we purchase this season’s staples. As a new generation of ethical shoppers emerge, the high street is under pressure to meet their demands by housing their own fair trade collections. But fashion and fair-trade are something of an oxymoron. That is until recently.
I’m sure many of us have accidentally come across the fair-trade collections in Topshop whilst browsing the rails finding ways to spend our loan. Fair trade is not a new phenomenon but it has hit the high street by storm this past year, with Marks and Spencer, Next and Topshop all housing a collection in support of fair trade cotton.
However the constant battle that many of us face is the battle between fashion and guilt. Until now fair trade clothing has been promoted by Jesus sandal-wearing church groups and has been deemed extremely unfashionable. But the high street has revamped the fair trade connotations as the new cool. Topshop’s collection plays fairly safe with disappointingly inoffensively, simple pieces but nevertheless there has been a small improvement.
A pioneer in fair-trade is Adili, with their collections sporting a rustic romantic style, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, however the price tags may disappoint as they are on the more expensive side. Their webpage at first glance appears to be Topshop or Urban Outfitters but at a further glance you realise that this is a fair-trade website. The clothes are fashionable and well made. Not only do they look good but they also ease the conscience. On this website all fashion freaks can shop with an easy conscience.
Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the high street yet. As they are slow to pick up the pace on fair-trade clothing but with Adili hot on the game, we can but hope that fair-trade is no longer associated with mother earth tree huggers but instead fashionable shoppers that have a conscience.
Go visit www.adili.com
By Laura Sedgwick
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Project Design
Fresher’s week meeting and greeting aside, anyone worth their fashion credentials will be falling over themselves to discover what the Nottingham fashion scene has to offer. In addition to all your high street favourites you will find a wealth of fashion gems. To save you some time, we present to you the crème de la crème of eclectic high street alternative styles, in the form of Projects Design.
Project is an independent fashion boutique in the heart of Nottingham’s city centre. Although little known to some, it is famed among many students as the brand behind the iconic ‘I love Notts’ t-shirts. Yet the boutique has much more to offer a student in search of a unique and stylish look.
The Project concept was based on a desire to uphold Nottingham’s traditional roots in fashion and textiles, going back to the days of the prosperous lace market. Such a concept continues to be relevant today, as Project buys a range of both established and up-and-coming designers putting it at the forefront of new trends and providing Nottingham with alternative chic.
Project Design’s nomination and finalist position in the 2007 Drapers Award for best new business serves as an indicator of the store’s increasing prestige among industry insiders and customers alike. But success stories aside, the fact remains that a visit to Project will provide you with the fashion fix you need, whether it be a last minute formal dress or a new look to start the year with. With new autumn lines already in store, what better way to start spending your loan?
For more information on Project Design visit their website www.projectsclothing.co.uk. Or better yet, pop in store and check it out for yourself.
By Nikki Osman
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The importance of clothes - for the man
When faced with the age old fashion dilemma - a seemingly full wardrobe yet absolutely nothing to wear - I’ve often looked upon the various garments strewn over my bedroom floor and found myself thinking ‘Boys have it so easy’. Going to uni? Just throw on some jeans and a t-shirt. Going to Ocean? Jeans and a t-shirt will suffice. Even if heading out on a date? Jeans and a (slightly nicer) t-shirt still make the grade. It seems there is a common misconception that there is something very un-masculine about caring too much about what you put on your body, men having to face the ‘metrosexual’ label if they do. But, in a recent survey of what women look for on a first date, ‘being well dressed’ polled in the top 5 of most important features, and US Maxim fashion editor, Stan Williams, affirms this by saying ‘women recognize a man who dresses well - they can pick that guy out of the crowd.’ So there’s the proof; caring about the way you dress is not a compromise of masculinity, boys-it’s time to rethink that jeans and t-shirt combination. For Spring 2008 the major looks for the men are high-tech sportswear-inspired fabrics, classic tailoring, folk style romanticism and 90s minimal looks. The key colours you need in your wardrobe are black, white, grey, electric blue, orange and uniform green. Patterns should be kept minimal, restricting them to vests under plainer layers or on scarves and accessories. As for trousers, they should be kept slim and shaped and turned up at the ends making them a key feature. To combat the Spring chill, layers are a crucial aspect of any guys outfit, with waistcoats over knitwear, vests over long sleeved jerseys and voluminous scarves making a strong appearance. So then boys, it would appear its time for a trip into town (or internet shopping if you’re really that lazy) because the student loan isn’t just for beer and kebabs- it’s for shopping too!
Ruth Hazard
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Flip-Flops R.I.P
Flip-flops in winter? This ill advised trend needs to be brought to a timely end. I can understand how this ill conceived trend took off, but there is now no excuse for being a devotee. When it comes to dressing, most guys are fairly conservative, even those who have the slightest nuance about fashion tend to err on the side of caution. Whilst wishing to follow recent trends they’d rather not innovate for fear of sticking out. So when something new is drawn to their attention they cling to its contemporary status for far too long.
Years ago some innovative gap year student no doubt returned from a summer on Rio’s beaches sporting a pair of Havaianas and in the following months the craze took hold. Shortly after it became impossible to find someone who hadn’t boarded the flip-flop bandwagon, though sadly with only a one way ticket.
In their defence they were refreshingly liberating, a casual alternative to trainers desirable for the globe-trotting kudos they connote. The fashion conscious male, understandably thrilled with his new discovery, proceeded to flog it to death. So isn’t it about time this vapid fad was allowed to gracefully fade into distant memory? There is nothing innovative in persisting to wear beachwear throughout the depths of a miserable British winter and surely the pseudo-Mediterranean statement has grown increasingly lacklustre.
The fact that most men’s feet are repugnant is of little help. Neglected throughout winter, at the first sign of sunshine these unsightly extremities are exposed for all to see. At the beach or on holiday this is perfectly acceptable, but in towns and cities, and especially now that winter has tightened its icy grip, one should resist.
They hold a certain irony too when accompanied by an overcoat, hat and gloves. Perhaps a touch of male bravado is to blame, walking about in flip-flops when it is five below is perhaps akin to being caught without a jacket in the dead of winter? Irrespective, they’ve got to go, to be hidden in the far recesses of a wardrobe until summer’s sunny disposition is rediscovered. Until such time I propose an amnesty, allowing offenders to finally lay their flip-flops to rest.
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The New Alternative
The millennium seems to have become a time where previous decades of fashion are being reinvented, found to be strutting down the catwalks, amongst the glossy pages of style magazines and of course draped around the mannequins in the high street shop windows. Each season an old trend is churned out and broadcast to millions who strive to be “fashionably alternative” by being the first to wear the new item or trend. However what the masses seem to fail to realise is that all these new and exiting looks of drainpipe jeans, fur coats, leather jackets, leggings, court shoes, vintage leather satchels, converses, ray-bans, even the 80’s style t-shirts every second person seems to be sporting on the street…..they have all been done before. To be perfectly honest the only trends the millennium seems to have personally invented are the delightful staple foot wear of Ugg boots. Now as a fervent wearer of Uggs I am perfectly entitled to say that it is actually quite embarrassing that in the grand space of twenty years or so, this is the only original design that has caught on. Surely in an age where the fashion industry is worth billions of pounds and designers are rife, that a new trend should be set, fresh, original and not a carbon copy of a previous decades trend under the disguise of being named “alternative” or “vintage”. The look instead should be the “millennium” trend and I am looking forward to some designer out there, maybe even from within the walls of Nottingham University to break through with a new idea hopefully soon, before the shoulder pads come back in fashion….hang on that was already attempted a few months ago.
By Natalie Bull
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The Cardigan-phobia Epidemic
Whilst many of us would acknowledge that men today have more fashion awareness and the majority tend to take more pride in their appearance than they did a few decades ago. There still seems to be some fashion no no’s that are firmly embedded in the male psyche. My best friend Dave is a typical male student; he is into his fashion and he follows the dress code of the typical ‘Indie’ guy, he is a slim, small to medium framed man and he wears low hung, straight legged (verging on skinny) jeans with white plimsolls that need to be scuffed up even if they are new. His t-shirt collection contains a variety of retro designs decorating the front, one t-shirt even has ‘If your names not Dave your not New Rave’, it would be fair to say he looks like an 80s throw back in this but I love it.
However he seems to have a fear of cardigans. On many of our shopping trips I have tirelessly tried to direct him towards the cardigan section with no success. Every time he moves away horrified and when I actually suggested that he should try a cardigan on he looked at me as if I had just uttered something blasphemous. So I wondered if this fear or cardigans was just limited to my friend Dave or if was it a national phenomenon in some men.
It seems when some men were questioned about cardigans their arguments against them were that this particular item of clothing is only suited to women or males who are of the same sex persuasion. Others even said that it is a ridiculous item that reminded them of a Christmas classic belonging to their granddad. However I would argue that wearing jeans so low they are bellow your boxers and never ever wearing a coat even in blizzard like conditions is more ridiculous than a cardigan. This fashionable item gives a ‘metrosexual’ look which I thought most men would embrace but although many men like the idea of it, in reality this strikes fear in them. My message to men out there who want to wear a cardigan but don’t feel they should due to social pressures is to try one on. You may like it on you or find it quite a liberating experience, rebel against the pigeonholing and buy yourself a ‘man-digan’.
Laura Sedgwick
