Fashion victims
A recent survey has ranked Oxford graduates as the least fashionable in the country.
Launching a campaign to find the UK's most stylish student, Siemens ranked universities by assessing the "coolness" of their alumni. Oxford came last, reinforcing stereotypical assumptions that the university is a veritable haven for those whose passion for academic study eclipses their enthusiasm for designer trends.
Siemens' survey casts aspersions on the merits of former Oxonians such as Tolkien and Auden, pitted against more stylish, modern candidates such as Ben Elton, a graduate of Manchester University, the top-placed institution.
A University spokesperson, charged with rescuing Oxford's graduates from further defamation in the press, cited several "self-evidently cool" alumni of recent years: Bond Girl, Rosamund Pike, journalist Rageh Omaar, actor Hugh Grant, and even "domestic goddess" Nigella Lawson.
The reaction of students to the results of the survey appears mixed. An indignant second year told The OxStu that the survey was "outrageous...lots of people here are funky and well-dressed!" A linguist in contrast admitted: "they're probably right...there are a disturbing number of people here who seem to think pashminas and slacks are cutting edge."
Photo: Vish Srivastava
23rd Oct 2003