Thursday, March 17, 2011

Glenn

Glenn
MSc in International Political Economy

With Cary Grant and Fred Astaire as his icons, Glenn tries to give a modern twist to a classic look; or is it the other way around? On the one hand, he has a penchant for classic accessories: “According to my friends, I apparently have a relatively extensive collection of bowties.” The pocket square (“Just to add a bit of whimsy on a dull Tuesday”) is definitely a quirky twist reminding me of old movie stars, as I have never ever seen Humphrey Bogart without one. But, at the same time, the overall look of his outfit is classic with modern accents here and there. Maybe this is due to the fact that he is originally from Vancouver, Canada and acquires most of his clothing from American brands such as Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers, as well as newer brands that sell classic apparel like Band of Outsiders, Thom Browne and Patrik Ervell. He also mentions Gitman and Wings + Horns, two smaller independent American brands. If you know any of these names, you might see a pattern here. Glenn affirms: “I am a sucker for tailoring, but can’t afford those Savile Row suits, just yet.” Upon moving to London, he decided to live near Spitalfields, which, needless to say, is a good spot for anyone who seeks to dress in an original way; he recommends checking out Albam, Folk and Present. His outfit today is composed of Ralph Lauren trousers and his favourite coat from Uniqlo (“It's just so warm...”). One last fun fact about Glenn: as he is quite small, he often inspects the children’s section for basics. “Same quality but at a lower price!”

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bright Tights

Jonathon Aston £8; River Island £12; River Island £12; Pamela Mann £10; H&M £10; Topshop £8

Feeling the mid-term melancholy? Well here is something to banish away those blues -for this Spring ‘11 will see the humble hosiery get a vibrant revamp! Gone are the days where tights serve as nothing but a functional burden for the well-behaved schoolgirls;  in fact, these daring S/S ’11 tights could not be further from this typecast. Bold, heroic and unapologetic; this new generation of tights seeping through the high street stores are more dangerous than safe and should probably come with a health & safety tag.  This season sees tights take the forefront centrepiece of your outfit,  from eclectic to electric – almost anything goes.  And it’s not just prints that are causing a stir on the tights scene – texture can be just as fun to experiment with. Transport yourself back to 90’s grunge nostalgia with pink neon fishnet tights made to shock. Alternatively, discover your inner hippie with new-age psychedelic colours - or make a statement with a pattern that resembles a rainbow smashed across your tights.  Is the sunshine making you feel a spring in your step? Well why not take it one step further and map the nature and sublime onto tights with a digital print of the flawless skyline [see inset picture]. Likewise, capture the sun for eternity by boldly displaying it on your pins.    Well if we can’t change the weather, you can’t blame us for trying to change our tights…      

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Veronique

Veronique, first year MSc Management

Veronique delights in being unique, in terms of the specific pieces she wears as well as her outfits as a whole. Always picking up items to add to her collection of “souvenirs” when she travels, her wardrobe contains as international of a mix as LSE does. Her outfit today alone hails from four different countries: “Almost every piece of clothing I'm wearing is from somewhere different in the world. I love traveling! The jacket is from a designer whose studio is in Dalston, I picked it up at his sample sale. The pants are from small shop in Washington DC, the scarf is a Norweigan Brand cashmere and wool blend, the shoes are Church's and the hand bag is from a small leather shop in Istanbul.” Needless to say, that's impressive. It should also come as no surprise that Veronique's aim is to try to wear things that are one of kind. That does not mean she shuns the high street shops though; a true Urban Outfitters and COS devotee as well as an East London vintage shopper, she tries to find unusual pieces worth the much more expensive price tag that seems to come with the territory in London. But then again, London style is undeniable, she even places it above New York. It is also interesting to note that her roots (she's from Brazil) still have a distinct influence on her style philosophy: she always tries to wear colour and loves to mix a lot of different patterns and fabrics, unlike the sea of neutrals we see a lot of in London.

Hasani

Hasani, 2nd year BSc Actuarial Science

Hasani, from Barbados, embodies the true laid-back philosophy from his home country: he claims to have no particular style secrets or to have any knowledge of fashion at all for that matter. Frankly, I find it refreshing. This guy has an obvious sense of fashion, without copying from magazines or trying to recreate some style icon's look. He is uninfluenced by anything, and effortlessly manages to look amazingly put together. To mention some of the good aspects of this outfit: the right balance of colours, the accessories that give just enough of an accent and the quality of the materials he is wearing. But most of all it is the attitude he transcends of simply not trying too hard. Over-thinking an outfit is definitely a fashion faux-pas.