Irrational Club Wear.

Discussing the 2010 party trends.

A Short Rant.

While most of us hit the town in a standard dress and heels, there are always those who’ll do anything for attention, good or bad. Here are just a few trends that I will never be “cool” enough to understand...

Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses in a dark room seems to go against everything they were designed for. After a few vodka and cranberries my vision goes slowly downhill so I can imagine that wearing sunglasses would be disastrous. Those grill sunglasses are even more infuriating. Are you Kanye West? No? Then put them down.

Leotards

Grinding on a decent-looking guy does not count as ballet and hopefully never will.  Maybe leotards are acceptable if you wear a skirt/ shorts over them but on their own they look ridiculous.

Caps

More of a guys trend but I have seen many girls borrowing their boyfriend’s caps and slyly keeping them on for the rest of the night. One of my guy mates says he wears his so that his hair “doesn’t look sweaty.” Basically, in order to have nice hair, you have to look like a tit. I’m unconvinced.

The Padded Coat

Amazing when standing in the queue outside a club but should definitely be left in the cloakroom once through the doors. Everyone can see that you’re overheating and are just wearing it to be “alternative”. Plus, you’re taking up half the bar with your oversized coat.

Written by Jo Bancroft.

Spotted.

Style on Sheffield's streets.

PRACTICAL COOL.

These girls show us how to keep warm (despite Sheffield's arctic wind) without compromising on style.

 

Nora Francini, visiting a friend in Sheffield.

With an air of effortless cool, Nora's colourful Italian scarf and vintage bag add interest to her outfit and brighten up her dark Benetton duffel coat, leggings and boots.

Hannah Usfun, 6th form student in Sheffield.

 

Hannah also brightens up her coat using quirky accessories, wearing several A/W '09 trends. Her floral leggings are Topshop and her patent brogues were an amazing £4 from Primark! She leaves her Hollister parka open at the front to reveal her vintage top and cute jewellery from Cow and Majorca. The highlight of her outfit? The Decathlon shopper.

Written by Kate Lloyd.

Spotted.

Charity shop chic.
 

BUT IT’S FOR CHARITY!

What better excuse for a bit of retail therapy eh?

Proving charity shops are not just for grannies,

these girls show us how to spot a charity shop gem and

team it with high street basics for effortlessly cool vintage appeal…
   

Shelly Asquith, 18, loves festivals and is addicted to buying rings!  

Blazer, £1 from Charity Shop. 
Scarf, a gift from a friend.  

Jeans, £40 from Topshop.  
 

Shelly found this bargain buy in a charity shop in London. 

A good, tailored jacket is timeless and is easy to adapt to the latest trends for day or evening.  

Wear with jeans, understated hair and make-up for day. Or wear over a little black dress or lots of jewellery for going out. Do as Shelly does and scrunch up the sleeves for a more just-thrown-this-on style.

Emma Livermore, 18, loves art and hair accessories.

Jacket £15 from Charity Shop

Scarf £12 from H&M

Headscarf £10 from H&M

Emma looked in the men’s section for this oversized leather jacket.  

It’s always a good idea to have a look in charity shops for leather or patent items that you want to look a bit distressed or worn in from day one. This loose fitting jacket doesn’t look overstyled so Emma dresses it up with an oh- so-cute headscarf which also balances out look with a feminine touch.

Charlie Price, 20, studies photography.

Shirt £3 from Charity Shop

Jacket £50 Topshop

Bracelets £5 Miss Selfridge

The leather jacket/checked shirt combo is a classic but can be at risk of getting boring. Charlie resists looking cliché here by choosing an oversized shirt in a more unusual yellow pattern and leaves it creased for that laid back feel.  

Clashing colours, prints and patterns are an excellent way of making your look original and quirky but decide on an overall colour tone for your outfit to prevent your clashes turning catastrophic!
 

Written by Rosanna Lee.

Spotted.

Individual style on Sheffield's streets.

We spent a murky November afternoon hunting down people with their own personal style until we started too feel a bit like stalkers and got too cold and had to return to our (equally cold) homes.

 

Sarah Barnes, a 3^rd year at Sheffield University

  Sarah is wearing Topshop harem trousers that she got for £3 and wears because they are as comfy as pyjamas. Her scarf is also from Topshop, her cardigan belongs to her friend’s Nan and her bag is her housemate's. When she isn't borrowing clothes, she shops at Cow, Topshop, Ark and on Ebay.

Stephanie Danylyk, a 2^nd year Sheffield Hallam student.

Stephanie hides her work uniform under a cosy fur coat that she got at Principles last year (she clearly was ahead of the fashion followers who have only just started working the faux fur). She got her hair band from Accessorize, but tends to shop at Cow, H&M and charity shops and loves All Saints.

Soven Kudsk – Iverson, a student at Sheffield University.

  The mix of colours and textures in Soven's look made him stand out in the crowd (and his colour coordinated scarf and gloves). Clearly well travelled, Danish Soven’s bright hat is from Finland, his scarf is from Nepal , his jumper is from Denmark and his trousers are from…..John Lewis. He likes to pick up bargains from Oxfam in Broomhill.

Gemma Marshall , Sheffield resident.

Gemma mixes American sneakers, a scarf from a boutique off Ecclesall Road and a coat by snowboarding make Nikita, with her Mum’s Mulberry handbag for an eclectic daytime look. She hates Meadowhall shopping centre and prefers to shop on Division Street and Fargate Street.

Adam, a 1^st year student at Sheffield Hallam.

Adam makes a generic student outfit look cool with his vintage t-shirt from Blue Rinse in Leeds.. He’s even working the laptop bag. He hasn’t got round to shopping in Sheffield yet but he likes vintage stores.

Written by Kate Lloyd and Marleena Cronvall. 
Photography by Sally Alstead.

Why is a sequinned nappy attractive?

We consider the trends that just aren't 'nice clothes.'

As much as I love the place, Topshop has brought some strange fashion to the high street. Even stranger, however, is the alarming rate that people pick up on these trends even if, at first glance, they’re not particularly flattering in any way. 

The newest strange item to grace our local stores has to be the “sequinned hotpant” (a.k.a “the sequinned nappy”), usually paired on a window mannequin with a fur coat and tights. The first time I saw it I laughed to myself and immediately branded it as something that looked ridiculous and would not catch on. 

However, the more I see it on weekend shopping visits, the more painful it is for me to admit that I am warming to the idea of a high-waisted knicker, that is not only sequinned, but worn over tights in the style of my favourite childhood superheroes. 

Although garish, I imagine that it would make my legs look longer (being a mere 5’3, this is never a disadvantage), and it is available in many different, striking colours. It would dress up a plain black top and look fantastic with heels.

So apparently, if I am bombarded with a new fashionable item of clothing every time I go shopping on the high street, I will eventually (even if reluctantly) grow to accept and maybe even like it . Although I am not at the stage of buying said nappy myself anytime soon, its persistent presence in Topshop has made me understand why others would. 

Written by Jo Bancroft.

Spotted.

Style in the gym in Sheffield.

So, I was in the gym changing rooms the other day and I had a moment of EXTREME fashion envy.

You know one of those moments where you actually want to follow the individual who has the clothing item around until they take the clothing item off and then steal it? (In this case that is less creepy than it sounds as the clothing item is a coat.) 

Well, I bumped into an old friend from back home and she was wearing an item that I have dreamed about for 100 years. A waxed Barbour coat.

Now at this moment you may start to think that I am some form of Alexa Chung wannabe. This is not the case. I just love old person clothes. My current Winter coat previously belonged to my Grandma, as does my favourite thick navy cardigan. I also love the Marks & Spencer Footglove shoe and the Clarks Airsole brogue. Comfort is key in my life, I am twenty going on eighty.

Anyway, back to the case in hand. Usually Barbour coats cost £250 (waaaay out of my budget), but my old friend informed me that she had got hers for a measly £90 because she bought an age fourteen one.

So now I am left with a dilemma, do I buy a kids Barbour coat and risk the humiliation of running into her in it and explaining I stole her idea, or do I sit and brood until the day I can actually afford the real deal.

Only time will tell.

Written by Kate Lloyd.

Spotted.

Style on Sheffield's streets.
 

Eilidh McGregor, a 3^rd year at Sheffield University

Should a dress only be worn as a dress? Eilidh converts her All Saints dress into a top by tucking it into her H&M trousers and she customises the outfit with a vintage locket.
She loves getting jewellery from Collard Manson on Division street.

Cate Dixon, a 3^rd year at Sheffield University

 Boldy wearing a leopard print fur coat from River Island [Joey (our resident lad) wouldn't be impressed but the ladies at 'Wear Nice Clothes LOVE it!] over a vintage jumper with tapered trousers from Topshop. A customised headband and vintage jewellery adds an original twist to the outfit.
  Cate's favourite Sheffield shop is Cow on West street.

Amelia Shepherds, a 3^rd year at Sheffield University

 Amelia wear's a navy playsuit from American apparel underneath a fur coat from ‘Alice Takes a Trip’- never fear, although Alice takes a trip has moved out of the Forum on Division street, you can still buy online and Freshmans on Carver Street stocks Alice Takes a Trip items!
Amelia’s favourite shop is the Meadow Hall Topshop.

Written By Lizzie Lewis.

Guilty pleasures.

Why I Just Can’t Stop Wearing ...

1. Ugg Boots – every year magazines place these beauties in the ‘what not to wear’ section but they have managed to survive!! Personally, I do not understand the abuse they get because they allow you to basically wear slippers outdoors. Okay they may make you look a bit like an Eskimo and boys HATE them (often referring to them as ‘UGG-ly boots’) but so what! Sometimes comfort has to come first!

2. Granny Pants – continuing the winter theme, keeping your bits warm, it’s the granny pant! They are highly unattractive and not really a turn on in the bedroom but still every girl has at least one pair. And why not? Although, as demonstrated by Bridget Jones, choose the days you wear them wisely so as not to be caught off guard.

3. Denim Jackets – if not worn properly these can bring back memories of year-6 school discos where the fashion icons were members of S club 7 or B*witched. As long as you have learnt your lesson and NEVER team it with another denim item then a denim jacket can remain a classic addition to your wardrobe, as they always come back into fashion each year.

4. Parkas – the perfect hangover item because you can literally hide most of your body AND your face. Unfortunately in the process of doing this you look like Kenny from South Park, but sometimes that look is better than the beast that is lurking beneath it after a heavy night out.

5. Jeggings – following the successful resurrection of the legging from the 1970s, some (arguable) ‘genius’ decided to combine them with jeans to create the ‘jegging’. On first glance these look really weird and like they would probably be the most unflattering piece of clothing possible – ‘cough, cough’ camel toe. But when worn with a loose fitting top they are actually a more flattering version of skinny jeans, and are much easier to tuck into boots than normal jeans. You do have to be prepared to embrace your curves as they leave little to the imagination, so before wearing them listen to ‘Bootylicious’ by Destinys Child and shake your jelly! I do...

Written by Sophie Harrison.

How to Wear Faux Fur Coats and Not Look Like a Giant Furby.

Working out how to wear the trickier trends.

I saw an article in Look magazine about fur coats being an investment piece for the season, but in the wrong hands they could look hideous.

When I was at Primary School, I played Aunt Sponge in a performance of ‘James and the Giant Peach’. For the role I was forced into a big, bushy, cheap, pink, faux fur coat, not dissimilar to many that are on the catwalk at the moment. It was intensely hot and made me look a little like a marshmallow. However, it is possible to wear coats of the large, faux fur variety and look pretty cool.

First of all, it’s all about proportions. In order to balance out the giant nature of the coat, the wearer needs to be tall (or heeled) and have slim legs. Otherwise one could easily start to look a bit like a big fur ball. Secondly, in order to avoid looking like a prostitute, its best to wear it with plain dark clothes – black skinny jeans would be a good call or a body con dress and tights. Just make sure that leg wear is clearly visible below the coat.

When selecting your fur coat, go for a natural colour, non-natural coloured coats will definitely look cheap. Brown or black is a good idea.

Makeup wise, keep it simple. Black winged eyeliner can give your outfit an edge without overpowering your face. Hair wise, unless it’s short, it’s best to wear such a coat with your hair up so it doesn’t look like an extension of the fur.

A faux fur coat is very much an investment piece. There is no point buying a cheap, vile one because it will look cheap and vile and you’ll never wear it. Go top end high street or vintage.

The best example I have seen of someone working the faux fur in a non-Furby manner, is the picture Claudia Winkleman at a Halloween party recently.

Written by Kate Lloyd