SHOPPING SHOWDOWN:
Glasqosinburgh
Scotland's two largest cities are separated by a whole lot more than an unreliable train service. The List's resident shopping addicts try and put their fingers on what makes each city's style distinct
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place. (ilétfs‘i‘flfllitflf; (liiln't shy away, blinking, from neon accessories or even leggings
GLASGOW STYLES BETTER
Kirstin Innes and Sharon Stephen report on the heavily accessorised cheap chic trend- setting of the West Coast
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Let's take it from the top hear lwear. Sr><x;ifi(1a|l‘.g the trilby. Not for hardened West Coasters. the toppish flat ear) of Edinburgh's sluniining posh hoys. Men in Glasgow take risks and make efforts, teaming their skin-tight trousers (if not (lenirn then ()(XléiSltfllElH‘y' patternerll With pointy, pale Winkle pickers and gangster— sharp fedoras Hair is important 7— it might rain more on the West Coast. hut
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fth it/ariti' iii!" stilt it tenr ts to l)t' lilinhiirgh and not (ilasgi that the ing tiraiitls heart for (ilasgr M's up; ,er strata shopping areas “he l’iiriiies ESgiiait- amt littlhtllt SUM ‘1 41% <11 W H 21'”? \ltut‘mr 2'. we don't get too much of that style- lllttklw lztl W13; MM It t< tall“. Wt killing Winrl. We’ve lust emerged from a llttlftlttfltf W" W W?“- partimilarly sticky love affair With the e|<x;tro—inullet. and we're still a little sore about it. hut we're (tiiite into angular, pointy bobs, fringes and the odd guiff. as long as it's spiky.
Glasgow likes accessories — quilted metallic handbags. punk-y skulls on scarves. knee high socks. tacky gold charm bracelets and necklaces and belts over everything. Heels are high, and even the boys are wearing Cuban lifts. ‘Vintage' means something very different either side of the M8. too. In Edinburgh, you might pop into Arnistrongs for a 50s prom dress Or some Wide-legng 703 flares; in Glasgow it's the micro hemllnes of the 60s and the flinty. gilt-edged glam of Studio 54 in the 19803. And it's better if it's cheap; how much you paid for something isn't as imponant as how flashil/ /Ou' Je aCCQSSOflSC‘d it or how loudl/ youre proclaiming your creatrvrty to the massed re‘xelle s and art school hipsters on Sauchiehall Street.
ln the indie bars and electrOnica-driven Clubs like Mono. Stereo Death Disco and Optimo. /oull (etch people road- teStihg trends that All“ become huge in a year's time; yOu might have sniggered at
Don't get me wrong. were < ihsesseg With (flothes over on the VJest Coast. Yet. (Elasgovfs st\.le. as an» tight ieanerl hipster lull \.‘.ortlt their Deirdre Barlow specs knows, stems from three hallowed institutions: the raw izieati‘at‘, hii.'.'iiig aioiinil the art stihool, the hdlkl edged. SOs-inspired electronica still shaking the foundations at the «it, ‘s tiliih scene. and the arrea! of not one hut two huge l’ninailx stores; l't the t'it‘t itentre.
Ah \es_ Primark, it was in iate woos» that they made :t onto the ma fashionista rattar. Glasgoi'; has ao run «.1 a serious hahit for instant trends. piwes that i‘an he throne anaax once \ou'\e \‘.’t‘lll thern oxen om ter a month. It's t‘eitairilx, not em.ira'irr‘eritail‘. fiienillx. anti waxes one ‘.‘.’itl\l(‘rill‘i§t whether the tfit\ is :;:nglet‘an;tt‘-tt;\ propping up the rnassprtxiatfea ci‘ean lahour llltlLlSlfl. hat 11 :s liltilt‘dil‘xt of the try-anything-once. “:00?ng nature the (ins li‘O'NS. It tittintxnar“ 'ashzor‘. is a classic romance. Glasgow style is that really dirty one night stand that \K‘L1\\(1rl‘1 tit/103101 Co”. 0' .Co" head. It's hiunt ana‘ truck. it ms an edge
to ‘t- 3"“ “'3 Sits“ ilt’k‘ilsll‘ ‘~'-‘T-"' J i'r‘K‘U-‘i M I _ the mention of Deirdre Barlow-Sized
Original CXLK‘UlUO'tIdlISYli. Galius. Last "m m": "1' mfg?“ "'kc" Spectacles am ,6. but trust US; they'll be on g; rec s o asqow ‘
\ear'. when llLl-ldVG was all met the F .t a” 0V9“ YOU“ face for 2009-
’ 3—27 Mar 2008 THE LIST 21