Keeping up with the height of fashion on a student budget is not going to happen. Ever. The fact of the matter is that no student has, or should have, the money to buy every latest trend that hits the high street. Thank Christ!
Dressing well and looking good are not about fashion: it’s all down to style. “Trends are trends,” says Oonagh Davidson, recent graduate of Fashion Design at NCAD, pictured here sporting her own designs. “Everything you wear now will be unfashionable in five years’ time. In Ireland, the thing that gains the most respect is to take a bit of what’s in fashion and make it your own. It’s really important that people stick to what suits them.”
What students have to keep in mind is that having very little money for your wardrobe can actually be a good thing; it will encourage you to shop in different places and develop a whole new and unique look.
As we all know, college is a great time to experiment, and this is absolutely what you must do when it comes to your style. You certainly won’t get it right the whole time (tip: baggy yellow trousers teamed with bright red shoes is an outfit purely for those in the circus industry), but screw it! Keep trying new styles until you find the one that says the most about you, and remember, everyone has a different idea of what looks good, so dress to impress yourself.
Now, where to find the clothes? The most obvious choice would be second-hand and charity shops. These are great for a good rummage and, despite the odd smell, should be every student’s first port of call. Not only are the clothes cheap, but they’re also almost guaranteed to be unique. Oonagh’s tip is Oxfam on George’s Street. “It’s great for the little things, like bags, scarves and the odd jumper.” However, she also has her eye on stalls in places like Cow’s Lane, which she feels will really take off.
If searching through old castoffs just isn’t your cup of tea, however, you are allowed to venture onto the high street – just don’t bring your dad’s credit card (he’ll never believe it was an emergency). Sales are always good for a bargain and right now a lot of shops are at the end of their summer reductions, which means clothes can be up to 80% off.
There is one chain that’s every student’s best friend: Penneys! Tops can be had for €2, jumpers for €6 and shoes for a tenner. Although admittedly it won’t be the highest of quality and sometimes they can get it very wrong, I challenge anybody with a fiver in their pocket to go into Penneys and not buy anything.
However, not every student has the luxury of spare money for clothes, no matter how cheap. It may sound ridiculous, but you can always make your own, or at least customise what you have. Take out those knitting needles from your primary-school days and whip up a scarf or hat (hey, if it’s good enough for Jennifer Aniston…). Or ‘borrow’ your mother’s sewing machine and attempt something a bit more challenging. I hear the one-arm-longer-than-the-other shirt is very in this coming semester.
Or, for a quick fix, get creative on your ready-made clothes. Here’s some advice from the expert. Mix up textures: cut up old fabrics and reuse them, rather than spending buckets of money on ribbons. And: planning on taking a scissors to your denims? “Use a cheese-grater – it gives a worn look for a realistic rip.” See that denim skirt Oonagh’s wearing? Yeah, it used to be a pair of jeans. Just another idea…
For those bereft of both money and creativity, never turn your nose up at hand-me-downs. “Sister’s wardrobe, Mother’s wardrobe, Auntie’s wardrobe, even my dad’s: they really are the best place to find things,” says Oonagh. But we’re not just talking your siblings’ neon-yellow pedal-pushers from the late 80’s here: there’s anything your friends may want to get rid of, too. One man’s treasure and all that.
So from here on in, fashion-savvy students, embrace your poverty and let it take you to outlets you never thought you’d shop in. May you root through sales racks and bargain boxes; may you ‘borrow’ off sisters and trade with friends; and may you develop an unhealthy obsession with ribbons, beads and buttons. All in the name of style.