Burberry Rain Mac

Anyone who knows me will have noted that during the spring showers I always seem to wear the same grey rain coat. It is a nondescript grey rain mac, that is a little on the large side. It also happens to be the same rain coat my grandfather bought from Burberry nearly 50 years ago! 

The observant among you will have noticed that I have labelled this post as part of the Style on a Budget collection (many of you may even be scoffing at the idea as Burberry macs are very expensive), let me explain why I chose to include this post under that label. Today a Burberry mac costs approximation £1,500, a princely sum to the average student to be sure. However, if you divide that expenditure by the number of years such a coat will last, for the sake of argument lets say 40 years (although as I have said mine is nearer 50) you get an average price of £37.50 per year. Which is about half the price of a rain mac from the average high street retailer such as H&M or GAP. I doubt very much that their product would last even 20 years.

But we don't all inherit such coats I hear you cry. True I have been very fortunate, and yes there is no way I could even dream of spending that much money on a coat right now. However that is not the point of this post. The point is quality lasts, and real quality saves you money in the long run. So weather its a coat or a pair of shoes or anything in between just think before you rush into H&M. 

Always remember though that you have to circulate your wardrobe to get the best wear out of it, but that is a subject for another post.

P.S. If you see a luxury piece of clothing like a Burberry mac or a Barbour coat going cheap in a sale or a vintage shop go for it investment pieces don't have to be brand new they just have to be the best quality you can afford.

Thanks for read.

5 Additional Items for the Summer Term

Here we have a list of things to add to your summer wardrobe whilst at university.

1. Polo Shirts. The essential summer shirt, comfortable and stylish. You don't need to spend a fortune on them, a simple plain polo shirt from M&S will serve you just as well as an expensive one from Polo Raulph Lauren.
2. Cotton Button Downs. These are my favourite summer shirts, more formal than a polo shirt but just as comfortable. They can be dressed up or down as needed.
3. Deck Shoes. I love deck shoes, they are a nice alternative to sandles. You can still go out without socks in the warmer months, but they are formal enough to wear just about anywhere. 
4. A Hat. there was a time when you could tell everything about a man by his head-wear, but by the end of the 60's the requirement for men to wear hats everyday had been dropped. A hat is now undeniably a statement but it also serves a practical purpose, namely protecting you from the summer sun. My favourite is the classic panama hat. The secrete is to find a hat you love and then wear it all summer until it becomes the most natural thing in the world. After a few weeks it will seem so natural to you that no one around you will think that it is out of place at all.
5. Shorts. Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I HATE shorts. Which is true, but it is not so much the shorts themselves as the way they make me look. Which is in a word pale. Why do I look so pale in shorts? Because I never wear them. Its a vicious circle. The solution is simple when I get home in the evening (or when I am revising) I put on a pair of shorts and go out into the garden. This way I don't have to worry about how bad I look as no one can see me. After a week or two of this I work up a reasonable tan and can wear shorts whenever I want. WARNING: this idea presumes that there is a sunny start to the spring summer period which in England is never guaranteed!

So there you have it. A few simple recommendations for the summer wardrobe. I shall discuss some of these items and others besides in a series of posts called:  The Essentials. Stay tuned and as always thanks for reading.

Need a Break from Revision?

So you need a break for revision. Here's a suggestion: Do some Maintenance!

Put simply do all those little things you have been meaning to do, but haven't.

• Shine your shoes
• Empty the bins
• Tidy your desk
• Call your best friend and see how their doing
• Do some push ups
• Organise you book shelf
• Respond to your emails
• Plan your summer

Those are just a few ideas to get you started, now make your own list. Remember you still have to revise, but when you feel you need a break do one of the things on your list. Then cross it off and you will return to your revision with a feeling that you have achieved something. Best of luck to all my readers in their exams.

Yours,

The Style Student.