Winter Essentials on a student budget!

In a panic as you feel your starting uni with hardly any winter clothes? You need coats, jumpers to wrap up in but you’re skint. You want clothes that are practical, yet are still on trend! This may seem impossible, but no fear as with our guide you can achieve a high- fashion look for high- street prices! We’ve scoured the shops to find the best deals around for cash- strapped students.

Primark is the obvious first stop for students for fashionable, yet affordable clothing however there are many other alternatives that can be just as reasonable! First off, don’t forget to whip out your uni. Portsmouth card to ensure you get that student discount where you can! New Look, Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins are just some of the several shops that do. For on- trend pieces at student friendly prices New Look is the place to be, find all your winter essentials at an attainable price! The Jeans are a bargain at £10-£20; whether super- skinny is your style to boot cut you can find jeans to suit your shape. Coats can be pricey for students on a budget, however at New Look coats have currently £10 off, and you can ensure to be on trend with their trendy leather jackets! H&M also do incredibly cheap jackets, from £34.99 there are fashionable duffel coats and biker jackets available, that look good and won’t break the bank!

Find yourself realising you have hardly any warm clothing to brave the approaching winter? Converting your wardrobe can be a nightmare, especially with little money to do so! But no fear, as Dorothy Perkins has got it sorted for poor students like us, with special offers on their good quality jumpers for two £15 jumpers for £25! The coats are averagely priced at £50-60 but there is a mid- season sale plummeting on- trend Mac coats from £60 to £30! Biker jackets, Macs and Duffel coats are all in fashion this season, however if you are looking for an alternative to the traditional coat, a blazer, or boyfriend jacket could be for you! Usually priced around the region of £50, there is a bargain to be had in Dorothy Perkins with their jackets going down from £20- to even £15! Primark also does boyfriend style jackets for only £10, so hunt around for the best deal to be had!

Now you’re sorted with the basic winter essentials, its time to put a look together to make your friends jealous! A look that screams high fashion, but is actually high- Street! Instead of wearing a basic jumper and jeans, mix it up by wearing an oversized jumper with leggings. Vibrantly coloured jumpers can be found at primark for only £10, and with leggings for only a pound makes it a cheap, yet trendy outfit to ensure that you stand out from the crowd. Jumper dresses are fashionable, yet are a practical option for winter. Still feel warm and snug, yet look like a fashion icon! There are to be found in most high- street shops, New Look has some pretty angora- mix dresses, for only £20 and cable knit dresses for £18. The angora and cable knit dresses are in fashion, and tend to look more expensive than they actually are! Result! Team jumper dresses with black tights and ankle boots, for a cool yet practical look for Uni.

Adding accessorizes can make an outfit; therefore for a fashionable look invest in a slouchy beanie hat for the wow factor. Accessorize has a range of styles, whether a black classic beret is more your thing, or a something more quirky like the pom pom beanie hat you will be sure to find something that catches your eye! At £16 a pop, they may be at the upper end of your price range, but they make up for it in style and individuality. The vibrant colours and cutesy patterns are bang on trend, and are sure to catch a few admiring glances! For a cheaper alternative, H&M does some great slouchy beret hats for only £4.99, in various colours and cable knit styles. They also do fab chunky knit scarves, to ensure you keep warm in the windy Pompey weather!

From day to evening… capsule style!

As a Uni student, you are constantly on the move. If it’s off home, or travelling round the country for a mates 21st you are bound to need plenty of clothes and outfits prepared for all occasions, yet you don’t particularly want to lug around half your wardrobe!

Here with our guide, we will show you how to transform your look from day to night- capsule style!

In the day, leggings and a long top will suffice. To transform your look, its all about adding accessorizes to glam up your look! Add a belt that cinches in at the waist which will transform a baggy ordinary top, into a more sophisticated evening look.

Wear clothes that can be worn from day to night, for example a body- con skirt with a casual vest in the day, then simply throw on a pair of quirky patterned tights to ensure your look stands out from the crowd!

Alternatively a statement jacket/blazer is a practical, yet formal option that can be worn from day to night. Add statement jewellery to make an impact, as this season it’s all about layering up; several long necklaces, either in vintage gold chains or strands of pearls.

A simple cropped top can easily be glammed up by accessorizes, keep in trend by adding a pretty nude flower headband to accent your look.

Fashion through the Ages.

1920s- Known as the “Roaring Twenties”, a time of rebellion and newfound freedoms. Fashion became extravagant, due to prosperity. Women’s style, known as the iconic “flapper” reflected women’s liberation, as hemlines rose, women cropped their hair and wore more make up than they had ever before!




1930s- The great depression gripped Britain, but there was a sliver lining of Hollywood’s golden age, as glamorous starlets evoked aspirational styles for the masses to imitate.

1940s- Hard times hit Britain and fashion during the war. As clothes were about being functional, not fashionable, “utility” clothing was plain yet long lasting. People were urged to “make do and mend” as rationing meant that fabrics were scarce.

1950s- The Glamorous style of the 1950s injected life and colour back into fashion. With Iconic idols such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley heavily influencing styles, women adopted the glamour of Monroe wearing full- skirted prom dresses, whilst men were either “good guys” who conformed to the clean cut “preppy” look of v- neck sweaters and blazers, or they imitated the rock n roll swagger of Elvis wearing leather jackets and tight- fitting jeans.

1960s- The “swinging sixties” was an era of revolutionary change. Young people invented their own styles disregarding the fashion rule book.
London in the early sixties was at the epicentre of fashion, rebellious young people rocked the Mod look, a vibrant and flamboyant style which saw men wearing brightly coloured paisley suits, whilst women wore scandalously short mini- skirts in psychedelic patterns.

Late 1960s- Saw the emergence of the “flower power” Hippies; often wearing casual flowing clothing in paisley and flowered patterns, they rejected the mainstream fashion trends creating their own unique style. Loose bell bottoms with tie- dye t- shirts were the look!

1970s- Disco danced its way into young people’s hearts, the craze took over dance clubs in the 70s; a prominent figure John Travolta encapsulated the disco scene with “Saturday night fever”. It was all about flares, hot pants, platform shoes and jumpsuits!
Alternatively there was the radical style of punks, who sought to shock people with their extreme take on clothing often wearing ripped, slashed clothes adorned with dog collars, chains and razor blades. Not to be missed out in a crowd they styled their hair in sky- high spikes or Mohawks.

1980s- Known as the “decade of greed” when the economy was thriving and the look was high- powered and business like. “Power Dressing” impacted the fashion scene where people wore designer suits with large shoulder pads to convey an image of success.
The phenomenon of “fame” and the fitness craze of the 70s propelled legwarmers and leotards onto the masses.

1990s- Unlike other decades, fads were influenced by the entertainment industry, celebrities and popular music.
Sexuality became an important element in fashion. “Hip Huggers”, were low cut jeans that exposed the bare midriff, a trend that was kick-started by sexy sweetheart star Britney Spears.
On the other end of the fashion scale, influenced by rock bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the Grunge trend evolved. Baggy, ripped jeans or long baggy shorts with flannel shirts were the look!

2000- The fashion industry today has spanned the ages of fashion reworking trends from as early as the iconic 20s flapper dress, to the awful shoulder pads of the 80s! It relies on significant looks from earlier decades, which we see as “retro” or “vintage”. Without the fashion sensations or faux pas of the past, our shopping experience today would certainly not be the same!

This article, and the following are articles that have been published in the University of Portsmouth's student magazine, Pugwash. I currently hold the position as Life and Style Editor, and plan to write more for our third and final issue! :) Check out Pugwash magazine online at http://www.upsumedia.com/ for online articles! X