Women’s evening attire
As the bi-annual haute couture season draws to a close, the evening gown once again plays a starring role on the catwalk. Whilst St Andrews is somewhat outside of the traditional orbit of the fashion editorial, its reputation as a campus with a surreal sense of detachment from the outside world provides the perfect stage for ‘peacock dressing’ and showcasing the gowns of glamorous students. Evening gowns and cocktail dresses are a feature of everyone’s wardrobe, none more so than the St Andrews female population, who have more occasions than most to don a ‘statement dress’.
The flurry of charity balls serves as the best opportunity for students to display the most beautiful gowns; long, short, decadent, minimalist, colourful and monochrome. There are a wide variety of interpretations of the evening dress, with a range of silhouettes, materials and surface decoration. Though not famed as a shopping destination, girls are not to be thwarted in their pursuit of the ideal dress, and are greatly facilitated by the internet revolution which has redefined impulse purchases. In the days before any given ball, the St Andrews post office is inundated with carefully packaged tissue wrapped ensembles, quickly claimed by eager hands.
The kaleidoscope of dresses at these various events reflects the vibrancy of our cosmopolitan student population and the individualism of each attendee. It marks the opportunity to escape from the practical, comfort driven library attire and woollen layers which dominate our daily wardrobes.
The new semester hails the opportunity for a wardrobe detox and investment in a fresh assortment of evening apparel. The exciting events programmed for this term is sure to spark the imagination of our populace and awaken our cobbled catwalk.
JESSICA CHAN
HEAD OF PRESS
Image above: ISSA Londn, who will be featuring in FS2013