In a typical day walking around uni between lectures, how many times do you see the same t-shirt, oversized camouflage jacket or leggings walk past you? Are you being stalked by the same girl wherever you go? Probably not, but you might as well be. Walking through campus during the in-between lecture rush, I often feel like I’m swimming in a sea of Topshop. Now, I am aware that any comments against this retail God will generally be counted as blasphemous, but bear with me if you will.
Upon arriving at Leeds over a year ago, I expected to embark on a time of self-discovery where people wore what they wanted whenever they wanted in a bid to figure out who they were as an individual. This idea was refreshing to someone who, although not necessarily shy socially, found it difficult to express their love of style without feeling constantly under or over-dressed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this didn’t seem to happen. Instead I found myself faced with what appeared to be Leeds clones; dressed in Uggs, leggings, oversized hoodys and parka coats. I don’t have a problem with whatever anybody else wants to wear, that’s the whole idea of style – personal, with a bit of what’s currently on trend thrown in for inspiration. However I have felt somewhat frustrated when someone has been surprised to find I am a student because, apparently, I don’t dress the part.
Personally I find the majority of students can be split into two groups: the said ‘comfort-seekers,’ who opt for anything warm and easy (and probably closest to the bed as they roll out of it 10 minutes before a lecture – we’ve all been there). Then there are the ‘hipsters,’ where basically street style goes mad. This was summed up quite nicely when my brother, who came to Leeds for Halloween, found himself hung-over in McDonalds at 7pm the next day and asked me “Are those guys over there still in fancy dress? Because they look like they’ve fallen out of a Baywatch episode.” My brother’s bad taste in box-sets aside, he did have a point. The group he pointed out had taken the whole 80s/90s revival idea to a new level with cut-off shorts, high-tops, snapbacks and neon bomber jackets that really didn’t do much to fight off the chilly November weather. Likewise, I often see boys around Headingley wearing shorts and flip-flops despite the seemingly sub-zero temperatures lately, all in an attempt to maintain an air of California cool. Wrong season, dude.
Don’t get me wrong, when this whole revival started a couple of years ago I was leafing through my subscription to Marie Claire thinking how much fun it looked- the power suits from the likes of Moschino to Marc Jacobs injecting bubble-gum pinks and Madonna-esque silhouettes. This trickled down into street style to give us the classic Levi cut-off’s; high-waisted was fashionable and -shockingly- kind of hot! A refreshing change after the increasingly risky low cut waistlines we grew up with. Even better, I had my own stash of ready-to-wear vintage thanks to the mother’s refusal to ever throw clothes away. Yet two years on and I find my heart drop a little when I go into a shop and find shelves of out-sourced Levi’s pre-cut and ready for hipster consumption. This is where my ‘beef’ lies with retailers such as Topshop and American Apparel. All the fun is taken out of individuality. Something that was once a great vintage find and the envy of all your friends becomes so readily at hand, not to mention overpriced, that everyone seems to have a pair for every day of the week.
Similarly, niches of street style or individual fashion that were once seen as a distinct personal style are now widely worn by multitudes of people. Take the new popularity for punk inspired pieces; whether it’s a rebellious inverted cross symbol (which is often viewed as a satanic) or studs, it’s everywhere right now. Yet like myself, most of the people buying into the trend probably don’t know much about its origins, simply because we’re not punks.
The only respite we seem to get are the wonderful individuals you sometimes spot walking around campus. You know who I’m talking about – the 40s pin-up sporting victory rolls, or a guy that is so determined to nail an Edwardian look that all he’s missing is a monocle (he already has a cane – it’s fabulous). After walking around the popular student high-street shops and finding nothing I like, I decided to take some inspiration from these real vintage loversand start vintage more myself. Not the vintage of 90s hand-me-downs, but proper vintage, like a 40s palazzo pant jumpsuit and a 50s silk dress. This kind of lady-like style might not get me recognised as a student, but it definitely feels more personal and true to me. And that’s what we want from fashion isn’t it? Do we have to conform to what gets us recognised as students? After all, I thought we left uniforms behind at high school, I didn’t sign up for a new one at university.
Image Sources:
1. http://www.heartit.com
2. http://forums.thefashionspot.c…
3. http://fashionfinder.asos.com/…
4. http://www.abeautifulmess.com/…