Our worst dressedURBANLIFE2006

www.myurbanlife.com

METRO Wednesday, January 18, 200616

So, what isit all about?Urban Life is Metro’s award-winningstudy of ‘urbanites’ – young, full-time working professionals inBritain’s major cities. Each year weresearch the opinions, attitudesand lifestyles of 4,000 Metroreaders across 13 UK cities, asking for readers’ views oneverything from current affairs tocool brands; environmental issuesto must-see movies; mobilephones to multiculturalism.

What do I get out of it?We’re genuinely interested in youropinions on the key issues of theday and you can share these viewswith Metro’s editorial team.The results from our surveys fuelledmore than a dozen stories in Metrolast year – such as the one on thispage today. As if that wasn’tenough, we’re also giving away£55,000 in prizes – hundreds of£20 HMV vouchers and one£1,000 cash prize after each of our main surveys. And if you staywith us the whole year andcomplete five or more of our sixmain surveys, you will be enteredinto our prize draw for one £5,000cash prize.

What’s involved?Taking part is easy. Urban Life iscomprised of six main surveys, thefirst one in February and then oneevery six weeks. All surveys areonline so you can do them any timeof the day or night that suits you(within our survey periods). We’ll e-mail you when each one is readyto complete, each one should takeyou around 15 minutes to do.

Sign me up nowIf you are interested in takingpart in Urban Life 2006, pleasego to the www.myurbanlife.comwebsite and follow theinstructions there. Spaces arelimited on the project – last yearwe had twice as many volunteersas we needed, so please registerearly to avoid disappointment.

1. Anything Burberry2. Chav gold chains3. Ponchos4. UGG boots5. Cowboy boots6. Furry Mukluk boots7. Visible G-strings8. Gipsy skirts9. Socks and sandals10. Mullets

Road-kill boots, Burberry-cladchavs, wristband overkill…SARAH HILLS on this year’sfashion crimes, as chosen by you

not with floaty skirts and T-shirtswalking through a Tesco Metro,’

Other boots were also unpopular,especially ‘those big furry bootsthat women insist on wearing’. Onereader described those who worethem as ‘utterly stupid. They look

as though they’ve

trodden in road kill and teamingthem with a short skirt just showsthat popular culture does not equaltaste.’

Urbanites believe in giving togood causes but are not socharitable when it comes to

the plastic wristbands that havebecome a popular way of showingsupport for particular campaigns.

They have been hijacked as afashion item, according to onereader, who said: ‘The whole thing

has just been undermined bymoney-grabbing fat-catswho are preying on whatstarted out as a way of

raising money for charity.I see kids walking around

with God knows how manybands on their arms.’

Urban Life revealed that readersconsider denim a second skin butthere is a fine line when it comesto how it is worn.

One member said: ‘When didwomen start tucking jeans insidetheir knee-length boots? Do theyrealise that they look like reallybad 1970s hookers?’

Another ranter added: ‘What’swith this habit of buying severelypre-faded jeans? When they get to that stage I want a new pair.’

And the ‘stupid ethnic look that is in at the moment’ has proved tobe ironic for one reader who said: ‘I have been sporting that look foryears as an anti-fashion statement,and now it’s in bloody fashion.I’ve had to put my beads and silverjewellery away to avoid lookinglike a sad fashion victim.’

in cash and prizesis up for grabsWIN!WIN! Now, tell us what

YOU think and...Come and take part in our2006 survey by logging onto www.myurbanlife.com

Making a fashion faux pas fromtime-to-time is forgivable but thereare some trends which our readersfind really hard to swallow.

In an Urban Life survey, Metroinvited readers to have a rant aboutwhat they considered the mostserious fashion crimes of the year.

Not surprisingly, chav fashioncame top of the list. However,charity wristbands were also bad-mouthed because it was feltpeople had lost touch with the goodcauses and wore them as a fashionaccessory instead.

Chav was recently defined in theCollins English Dictionary as ‘ayoung working-class person whodresses in casual sports clothes’.

But no chav would be completewithout plenty of bling and a bit ofBurberry, usually imitation. Oneranter said: ‘We’ve had a laugh, but now it’s plain annoying. Thepattern (Burberry check) is startingto give me an actual headache.’

Cowboy boots also raised a fewtemperatures among those who felt:‘They should be worn while riding a horse in Texas, chasing cattle…

Good cause or fashion? Celebrities, from left, Beverley Knight, Kimberley Walsh, Davina McCall, Cheryl Tweedyand Rachel Stevens sport white wristbands to advertise the ‘click ad’ for the Make Poverty History campaign

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