The end of term is always a particularly painful time of year. Unfortunately in my case this is made ten times worse due to the fact that I am now a fourth year student revising for finals. There is absolutely no way to get through this awful period of time but to buckle down, get your head stuck in a book, drink copious amounts of coffee and console yourself with girly film nights which primarily consist of group moping and whining about how awful life is.
During a particularly painful six hour straight stint of revision in the library, in which time I managed to cover ten years of French revolutionary history, I consoled myself by people watching. My favourite pastime and method of procrastination when facebook and chatting are not allowed. In a protracted bout of observation over these six hours I noticed three very distinct trends in girls style.
Firstly:
The I HEART NY tshirt.
Now, either a large amount of students spent their Easter break vacationing when they should have been revising (in which case I am extraordinarily jealous) or everyone is experiencing a renewed fascination with the Big Apple due to the recent release of the SATC 2 extended trailer. I would like to believe the latter. I may in fact join the multitude and purchase one myself along with an I HEART Paris tshirt. My other favourite city.
Most girls were working this t-shirt in a typically casual fashion with either skinny jeans, jeggings or denim shorts. Either way it seems that pairing this t-shirt with denim is the best way to work the look. One girl had paired hers with a hooded Missoni-esque patterned cardigan which looked particularly nice.
Secondly, and related to the tourist/traveller vibe of the above is:
An array of wrist/arm adornments. I say adornments because this trend is obviously not just an aesthetic one or a display of jewellery. It seems that the teenage trend of keeping on your music festival wristbands for as long as physically (hygienically) possible has extended into young adulthood. The wrist area has become the new canvas for celebrating your international travel and festival credentials. The range of bracelets, bangles and wristbands currently adorning students' arms is testament to the places they've visited, the sights they've seen and the band's they've heard, and I think that's fantastic.
Another similar trend seems to be catching on and that is the return of friendship bracelets- not in the really pathetic and placatory manner in which you wore them when you were twelve to designate that you and 'Katie' really were the bestest of best friends- but to symbolise that you and a friend went on an adventure together. You both endured the horrific porta-loos of Reading festival, the mud of Glastonbury, the jungles of South America or the deserts of Africa. It is a signifier of an experience shared.
The last trend is not one which I shall be consciously emulating any time soon:
The preppy shirt. Returns.
The longtime staple item of the Sloane has returned to the mainstream. Of student fashion anyway.
Many, many, many girls in Birmingham library can be seen working the Jack Wills (left) or Ralph Lauren (right) shirt. I'm not sure if it is a mark of status or of aspiration but either way the striped shirt is back. Thank god it is not being worn (in most cases) by people with the requisite jumper tied across the chest. Most girls are working this shirt in a decidedly more casual way-often worn oversized rather than fitted so it is long enough to wear as a dress/tunic with just leggings/jeggings.
I recently purchased a plain white linen shirt from Topshop (which I discovered upon paying was actually a beach wear item!) which I will probably wear with leggings and gladiator flats come actual Summer but I think that is the closest that I shall get to this particular 'trend'.
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