I am sure this young lady is a very nice girl and an outstanding designer of sports clothes, but isn't it a rather sad comment on our society and our times that this kind of thing can make headlines in a newspaper and on its website? Does a BA Honours in fashion design really equate to a major qualification in science, mathematics, medicine, classical languages, historical research or anything that is actually going to add a dimension to the sum of human knowledge? Is there REALLY an honours degree in designing clothes now? I find this very hard to believe and also very sad! Of what possible advancement is it to the human race? Did the Ancient Britons or the Roman Empire give degrees for designing goat skins and loin cloths? What next? A university first-class honours degree in crimping and hairdressing?
Instead of awarding degrees in useless subjects that pander only to the vain and the shallow, shouldn't we be encouraging students to take up research projects in areas that actually advance the human race? I mean, how about discovering a cure for cancer, or is that less important than that people at least look good in expensive fancy clothes whilst dying of the disease?

To Roy Stockdill (couldn't be a fashion designer with that name could you?!). We assume you do not walk around naked, at least we hope not, therefore whatever clothes you do wear will undoubtedly have been designed and/or made by someone who has studied fashion design.
Fashion is an expression of individuals, special groups and cultures. Fashion is important as a means of interpreting social attitudes and values in a particular period of time; fashion captured on camera can become a valuable social document. It is as much an art of the mating ritual as a bird's brightly coloured plumage or a monkeys red bottom. It attracts the opposite sex and makes someone more appealing , or not, in your case.
Looking at the commercial side alone fashion has great importance as a multi-million, worldwide industry with many supporting companies and linked professions. While we do not claim that fashion is by any means as important as a cure for cancer it cannot be completely ridiculed as a subject. Do you not care for art, photography, music, or any creative subject that is studied worldwide and brings joy and diversity to many people? Are you that uncultured?

I think you should comment on this once you have attempted a fashion degree Roy. I study on the same course and work 20 times harder than any of my friends studying law or medicine. Atleast I know what I want from my degree and treat it as a i would a job. I am truly disgusted by your comments.

Kay wrote:
I think you should comment on this once you have attempted a fashion degree Roy. I study on the same course and work 20 times harder than any of my friends studying law or medicine. Atleast I know what I want from my degree and treat it as a i would a job. I am truly disgusted by your comments.

I don't dispute that studying fashion at college is probably hard work, but I would suggest with respect that it's not actually very important in the overall context of society as a whole. Believe me, I do know about the importance of fashion in a historical context, being a genealogist and a keen family historian, but one can always get that from looking at old photographs and newspaper descriptions of what people wore in the 18th and 19th centuries. You don't need a university degree in it. Is anyone seriously claiming that a degree in fashion (which changes constantly anyway) is the same as a degree in medicine, sciences, technology and other subjects valuable in advancements to the human race? Fashion is an ephemeral thing, changing from one minute to the next. Is it really important in the overall context of humanity? Fashion designers are about as important as soccer players and fodder only for the gossip columns, which will not be remembered beyond next week!

I too am truley saddened by roy's ignorant and misinformed comment. Like Julia I too graduated with a first class degree in fashion design and i'm sure like many fellow creatives have had to put up with jibes about cutting and sticking for most of my life. Unless you're a nudist Mr Stockdill I'm sure that you wear clothes, if people like us didn't put thought and effort into fashion you'd still be wearing goat skins and loin cloths. Fashion is an art form that reaches the most amount of people it is something that effects YOUR daily life both conciously and subconciously whether you like it or not. So unless you are indeed saving the world Mr Stockdill I'd get your facts right before making any more comments on a well deserved achievment

Roy, you didn't answer our questions or do anything to further advance this debate. You merely repeated your tired old comments, is this the on-set of Alzheimers perhaps?
Thats beside the point, yes you can look at 18th/19th century photographs and clippings however you may not have noticed that we are no longer living in those times and fashion has progressed a great deal. If there are no studies or interest in a subject then there is little progression. Are you against ALL creative disciplines? Do you not enjoy listening to music (shock horror people study to become good at this too)?

Not everyone has the desire or ability to become a neuroscientist, and if everyone did then the world would be incredibly dull and the world economy would be lacking somewhat.
We do agree that Fashion Design is by no means on a par with saving lives (as we have previously stated) but there are many subjects that are not on this level. We are intrigued as to how you live your life. Is it as pure as you make out, free of all branding, marketing or any superficiality....or are you just one big hypocrit?

It hurts me that you can be so ignorant. Clothes are vital to everyday life. How would Eskimos survive? Fashion is important to how people see and represent themselves. Throughout history fashion has been vital in representing peoples class and wealth. Look at the corset it was not just there for beauty it was to show restrict and control. I hardly think comparing Fashion designers to Soccar players is fair!!! Are you saying architecture degrees are not viable aswell?Surely its not essential and we could all live in mud huts..

for those who wonder what roy looks like:

www.watfordobserver.
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It seems quite clear you haven't been bothered by fashion before so I'm not sure why you are bothered about it this late in your life.

I was spot on, he is an actual whiskey-stained crotch humper. Photographic proof, if it were needed.

Oh Roy, would you please kindly explain to me how running a marathon, and the long-distance athletic races of Ms Radcliffe are advancing the human race, yet football and it's players (who are undeniably overpaid I agree) are not? Surely they are both sporting entertainments, neither of which will ever yield a cure for Cancer or AIDS, this renders them worthless right? So how is it that just a few weeks ago you were singing this woman's praises? I'm not disputing it is an admirable achievement on the part of Paula Radcliffe, but it would be helpful to understand the logic behind some of your contradictory comments.

Is it any coincidence that Roy Stockdill is an anagram of "Doctor K Silly"?

Roy Stockdill wrote:
I am sure this young lady is a very nice girl and an outstanding designer of sports clothes, but isn\'t it a rather sad comment on our society and our times that this kind of thing can make headlines in a newspaper and on its website? Does a BA Honours in fashion design really equate to a major qualification in science, mathematics, medicine, classical languages, historical research or anything that is actually going to add a dimension to the sum of human knowledge? Is there REALLY an honours degree in designing clothes now? I find this very hard to believe and also very sad! Of what possible advancement is it to the human race? Did the Ancient Britons or the Roman Empire give degrees for designing goat skins and loin cloths? What next? A university first-class honours degree in crimping and hairdressing? Instead of awarding degrees in useless subjects that pander only to the vain and the shallow, shouldn\'t we be encouraging students to take up research projects in areas that actually advance the human race? I mean, how about discovering a cure for cancer, or is that less important than that people at least look good in expensive fancy clothes whilst dying of the disease?

At least this news is not about that f*%$£*(g footballer.
Do your carers know you have managed to access a PC again.

Drew wrote:
Oh Roy, would you please kindly explain to me how running a marathon, and the long-distance athletic races of Ms Radcliffe are advancing the human race, yet football and it's players (who are undeniably overpaid I agree) are not? Surely they are both sporting entertainments, neither of which will ever yield a cure for Cancer or AIDS, this renders them worthless right? So how is it that just a few weeks ago you were singing this woman's praises? I'm not disputing it is an admirable achievement on the part of Paula Radcliffe, but it would be helpful to understand the logic behind some of your contradictory comments.

Well, if you trawl the Internet carefully you can find some very interesting interviews, articles and comments on whether a woman can give birth to a baby and return to full medical and athletic fitness within less than a year sufficiently to win a major marathon, as Radcliffe did in New York. I do actually think this adds to the sum of human knowledge and medical experience. It may well stimulate further research and experimentation that will help women return to a normal life after giving birth, even if very few are ever likely to emulate Paula's achievements. I doubt whether medical researches on footballers is likely to prove as useful, other than in establishing how difficult it was to trace their brain cells!