For my latest review, I thought I would do something a little different. This article is just meant to be a little thought provoking, and entertaining, so please don't take it too seriously! You are free to disagree with me, as these are just my opinions.


As a 21 year old Graphic Design student, we have always been told to question everything that is related to our designs. Sometimes, I find myself asking the same questions when shopping for new clothes. There is no doubt that Britain has some exceptional talent in the fashion design world, not to mention those in the public eye who carry themselves with an equal amount of grace and sophistication. It was whilst watching some footage of a UK city on Youtube, which showed the city centre, whereby somebody commented on how people dress very differently to 100 years ago. Obviously, beyond the fact it was Victorian times etc, what the person was getting at, was how people took a lot more pride in their appearance - a million miles way from news reports in 2010, stating that young women in Cardiff were banned from a Tesco store for wearing their pyjamas.

There is no getting away from the fact that people can be under immense pressure, whether it's balancing work life with family life, the economic crisis and many other factors which affect the population. The question is, have we let standards slip in the way we conduct and present ourselves? I know The Jeremy Kyle Show is a terrible example and representation of the British public, but you only have to watch an episode to see that the only person wearing a suit on national television - is the presenter.

In some respects, I wish I was born in the era's when women especially, dressed as the black and white movie stars did. Pretty, feminine dresses, smart footwear and a dash of lipstick - none of this "sex sells" nonsense young girls look up to from the likes of Nicole Schr-whats-her-face, Rihanna, Katie Price and the rest. You could argue it is based on a more cultural change, however all of this inevitably has an impact on how we dress.

The worst of the current UK fashion trends was recently a well discussed debate on The Student Room website forum.

The main culprits from there were (as well as my own) :

Ugg Boots, Leggings as trousers, Neon Clothing, Sportswear when not doing sports, Ultra skinny jeans on men, Crocs, Guys who deliberately wear trousers low so underwear shows, Espadrilles and Palazzo trousers.

That is just the opinion of myself and other students, but what do you think - do any of these actually form good/respectable image for Brits?

Nobody is under the illusion that you need to wear a suit to your local co-op, but I personally think the way we dress, and present ourselves, definitely has an impact on our attitude. Not to mention how others perceive us.

Speaking off the Ugg boots, leggings as trousers, pyjama debate - when did this sense of slobbery creep into our everyday wear? Of course we want comfort and warmth in the winter, and I myself wear leggings (never as trousers) as they are easy to construct an outfit around, but for some reason cannot bring myself to wear any style of Ugg Boots, other than my slipper boots for inside wear only. When I see young girls in my local town wearing them, I don't see anything relatively attractive or appealing about them. We are not in the rockies whereby you keep your feet warm or risk loosing them, ladies.

I'm also having a difficult time warming to footwear in general at the moment too. From Espadrilles to Creepers and manish Brogues, the shape and design of all of these makes me shiver, and I perish the thought of strolling around in any of those shoes. Granted, this is just my opinion and everyone should dress as they please I guess, but personally... I don't want to wear something my Grandad once did before he passed, y'know?

In many fashion magazines I read, the writers always seem to comment on how having individual style is much more important than following trends, and that you should invest in key pieces rather than just what is "hot" at the moment. For the most part, this is advice I totally agree with. A good quality pair of jeans, a coat, a pair of boots etc, - are all items which will serve you faithfully for many years. There's nothing wrong with buying into trends of course, but what I have a problem with is the ones which make people look ridiculous, and they themselves only buy into it to look "cool" and because "it's in fashion". On all fronts my message would be to stick to your true self, and don't wear something silly and unflattering just because everyone else does.

It's not to say such opinions are directed solely at women though. Through asking some of my male friends, it became clear they too have pet hates when it comes to the way us Brits like to dress. On men, ill fitting jeans, whether that's overly tight or the ones which are extremely baggy in the middle, making it look like you've had a dreadful accident - all carried a weighty opinion. Personally, I take a dislike to guys who deliberately wear their jeans low enough to see their boxers. It just looks like you can't be bothered to pull your trousers up!

At the end of all this, you could well argue that fashion and the way we dress and present ourselves, is all just superficial. In many ways I agree with this, however as it's illegal to *not* wear clothes, it is something that has to be taken in consideration. I also understand those who equally, are not bothered by fashion whatsoever. When I'm at home, behind closed doors I happen to be one of those people too.

Whenever I have been to France, and looked at how French women dress, there is a stark contrast, and no they don't all wear stripey tops and have onions draped around their necks. It's about being chique, feminine, understated and very classic. There's also no such thing as Le Croydon Face-Lift (extremely tight/high up ponytail, for those of you who don't know). That's not to say I would ever wish we dressed like the French as I think we have some amazing British brands, it's more about not being so je ne sais quoi.

For me, the stand out shops we have in Britain are:

High Street: Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse, Zara, Debenhams, New Look, River Island, M&S

Shoes: Office, Schuh, Barratts, Kurt Geiger

Online: Asos, Missguided, Boohoo, Very

High End: Selfridges, Reiss, Coast, Whistles, Ted Baker


Agree with me, disagree with me? Let me know

(P.S: I wasn't going to post this on Dooyoo, until I saw a woman in town earlier pushing a bike up a hill in see through leggings. Nuff said!)


**Also appears on my blog http://grafikwaffle.tumblr.com/