Having an interest in fashion and having a student card is great. You get access to discounts at hundreds of high street stores and many stores host special discount evenings for students.
Having an interest in fashion and having a student card is great. You get access to discounts at hundreds of high street stores and many stores host special discount evenings for students. But with the cost of everything from tuition fees to supermarket essentials continuing to rise it’s not easy to be dressed head to toe in the latest fashion trends. So whether or not you can afford to buy your entire autumn/winter fashion wishlist here a few ideas to compliment any wardrobe this season.
Leather and faux fur
Another big style trend for AW11 is mixing the different textures of leather and faux fur especially in the same piece of clothing i.e. a coat. If a £150+ leather jacket is slightly out with your budget don’t fret – check out these tips to avoid a brush with the fashion police;
Many shops are selling very expensive leather jackets at the moment but you will often see cheaper versions of the jacket that look almost identical sold by the same shop. These jackets are made from cheaper, leather-look, man-made material such as polyurethane (pu) but when they look just as good and last just as long as leather jackets they are a good option for this trend. You could also try using other wet-look, pu or leather clothes such a leggings, trousers, skirts or t-shirts to give your look some instant attitude.
Faux fur does not have to come in a full-length coat and make you look like you should be working as a barmaid in a TV soap rather than writing essays. The high street is packed with many different styles of faux fur coats from cute crops to wool coats that only have fur at the collars or cuffs. Fur gilets are a great way to layer up and you can change your look by wearing different styles of tops underneath or by adding a belt over the top. And if you can wield a needle and thread a la Gok Wan then why not update an old cardigan by attaching a faux fur collar? Then when you get bored you can just snip the collar off again.
Hair
Every so often the fashion pack take inspiration from a past decade and the swinging sixties have swung back into action. At their latest catwalk shows both Jean Paul Gautier and Vivienne Westwood had models sporting sixties beehives. So brushes at the ready here are some backcombing top tips;
For the best results backcomb your hair with a brush not a comb and try to use the same brush every time you style your hair like this in order to minimise potential damage to your hair. Start at the crown (back of the head) and be sure to use plenty of hair spray and Kirby grips to stop your hair going flat. For an added sixties vibe try adding hairbands, ribbons or bows to finish your look.
Do remember to brush out your beehive after you have finished dancing the twist all night – so that you don’t have to spend all the money you have saved on a supersized bottle of conditioner!
Nail Art
Nail varnish has always been a cheap and easy way to instantly update your look. Nails are enjoying their own fashion moment right now so don’t forget to dress your fingers before heading out. Everywhere from Topshop to Marks and Spencer are showcasing bright colours right now: jeans, coats and bags have all had a colourful make-over. If however, the only thing you will be showcasing this season is your tired but trusted old coat from last year then grab your nail varnish collection (and your flatmate’s) and get painting and let your fingers pack a visual punch.
Colour pop – You could stick to one colour for all your nails or you could paint each one different – make sure to use bright matte colours to really make your nails stand out. For a modern French manicure try using one colour as a ‘basecoat’ then use another colour to paint the tip of the nail.
Special effects – Paint your nails black then either dip them in silver glitter before they dry or use a sparkly nail varnish on the top half of the nail for a glam rock ‘n roll look. Or if you fancy something cuter then paint your nails pink and use a cocktail stick dipped in white nail varnish to paint flowers or bows on top of the pink.
It is always great to experiment and try out new things so I hope my musings inspire you to create you own styles and designs but most importantly have fun!
