Lifestyle and Leisure / Fashion
How Bristol can change how you dress
About three years ago now, with my UWE acceptance letter in my sweaty little hand (not literally – grasping an email is a bit of a challenge), I wandered through central London trying to work out which shop could provide the greatest chance to spark a conversation along the lines of:
“Oh, great tee, man.”
“Yeah thanks, it’s actually a Balenciaga original from the 70s.”
“Tight, bro.”
“Tight.”
Come on: this was London and no-one gave me a second glance. But luckily, everything was about to change when I rolled into Bristol as a fresher, suitcases bulging with hand-me-downs and retro finds.
I own two hats which I wear seriously. One is a fairly standard tan Ralph Lauren hat which I thought was lovely, and not a single other being has ever acknowledged it exists. The other is a strange thing covered in galaxies and stars, which I have received more compliments on than any piece of professional or academic work I have ever done.
is needed now More than ever
Within my first week in Bristol I was approached by an individual who seemed not only interested in, but genuinely thrilled by my hat. He informed me that it had five panels, which he then proceeded to count, and a small, paranoid part of me assumed this was some kind of front and he was about to walk off with my cap. This was not the case, and if anything, this was one of the most wholesome experiences of my university career.
Now don’t get me wrong, people love their creps, but the “What are those!?” attitude isn’t really a presence here. In fact, it’s more often a matter of glancing at a pair of retro 90s baby blue Adidas trainers with a kind of wistful envy. I even saw a conversation break out spontaneously on a bus about the mutual appreciation of shoes, and it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve witnessed.
Though I don’t really get it, there is a deeply redemptive feature of fashion. It’s unifying, and particularly heart-warming for those like me who really don’t know their Zara from their Valentino. A personal favourite is OiBoy Clothing, a Bristol-based fashion line with a distinctly unique feel, often parodying larger brands and subverting expectations at every turn.
As much of a cliché as it may seem, Bristolian fashion is about what you think looks good, and what you make work by wearing it with confidence. It’s no good to just try and fit in – it’s only really achievable with a style that’s as weird, as wonderful and as crucially individual as you can find. So my advice? Get your dad’s shirt, because it’s probably retro by now.
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