Campus Couture: 10 Lessons from London Fashion Week

I recently had the opportunity to attend London Fashion Week on behalf of Her Campus, and boy, oh boy, was it a far cry from any fashion show thrown together at William and Mary.  Here are the top 10 lessons I learned at London Fashion Week. 

Lesson #1:  When someone asks you where you are from, don’t say “the United States.” They are asking what publication or company you work for.  Luckily I caught onto this after only making the mistake once. 

Lesson #2: Some people are not cutout for shorts over tights.   This look is often very thickening to the thighs.  If you, like the majority of collegiettes™, are not blessed with toothpick-legs, then I would avoid this look.  Tights make shorts fit much tighter and add a layer of softness to your booty—not what I would call “flattering.”

Lesson #3: There are two types of people at fashion shows—the photographer, and the person being photographed.  Honestly, if you are not the latter do not be offended, but your outfit is really unimportant.   Wear distressed denim, or wear a shimmery gown, because either way, you will get very little attention for it.

Lesson #4: Fashion shows are a lot like Campus Golf.   Basically, anything goes.   You can get away with dressing like an Avatar, a 4 Loko, or even the Black Swan.  I am pretty sure I saw each of those looks represented at London Fashion Week.   Some people call it “creative,” but I call it “desperate for attention.” 

Lesson #5:  A little southern drawl goes a long way.  Now, I may not be an authentic “Southerner.”  In fact, I’m a Minnesota girl who was born in a snow bank and pronounces “bag” as “bay-gue.”  That is beside the point, because I found that mixing a “y’all” with a slower Southern drawl is really inviting and welcoming to the stuffy, snooty Brits.

Lesson #6: Shoulders back, chest up, butt down, stomach in.  This is the sequence of positioning that will make you look instantly confident and 1000x better in photos.   I call this “instant liposuction.”

Lesson #7: A digital camera has many uses.   As a William and Mary student, I am pretty much a professional at taking notes.  I, however, did not want to be that nerdy girl with her notebook pressed up against a wall at London Fashion Week.  Instead, I used my digital camera to take photos of signs, and I used the video feature to record my voice and people whom I met.   This is great for those of us who want to remember every detail without lugging around a notebook or tape recorder. 

Lesson #8: Tights make your legs have no feeling.   I wore a really cute red bandage dress to London Fashion Week.  I thought it was borderline too “nightclub” so I wore some opaque black tights underneath it.  After 10 minutes of walking around Somerset House, the official site of London Fashion Week, I realized that my dress had indeed slid up my legs and was barely covering my bum.  Oh-my-goodness.  Remember: If you are wearing tights under a dress or skirt, always check yourself periodically.

Lesson #9: Black is finally on its way out the door… for now!  Feel free to stow away your boring black clothes, because now is the time to enlighten your wardrobe with some color.  Surprisingly, London Fashion Week showcased more color and white than the bland black that we have been stuck with for the past few seasons.   Finally—we can bury the “funeral fashion.”

Lesson #10: NEVER be afraid to ask questions.   Honestly, I felt like such a twamp, but there is no better way to learn than to ask questions.  Ask if you can take photos.  Ask what inspired their collection.  Ask someone with your dream job how they got to that position.  People love to feel like they are influencing you somehow, and you can never go wrong with people’s favorite topic—themselves!  So if you learn something from someone while building their ego and a business network, then I would call that a huge success!