“Gay eye for the straight guy” World Cup style
“The worst thing about the world cup is all the tat” said the woman next to me in the supermarket check-out queue, as we watched the man in front of us pile a motley assortment of plastic hats, throw away St George’s flag table clothes, England blowers, logo-ed beer, logo-ed beer mugs, world cup crisps and a blow up hammer onto the conveyor belt.
Of course, if your aesthetic taste runs to polyester shirts and nylon afro wigs, than you should wholeheartedly embrace your world cup fashion and lifestyle moment. But if you’re looking for something a little more exclusive, here’s the PinkNews.co.uk guide to World Cup luxury style.
I know they’re cheaper in pretty much every shop on the high street, but you can’t beat an authentic England football shirt. They’re £30 in JJB Sports, and unlike that shirt you got for a fiver on the market, they probably won’t catch fire so easily if someone accidentally flicks ash at you in the pub. That’s the voice of experience speaking here.
While you’re in the sports memorabilia frame of mind, why not pick up an official football to fantasise with in the garden (in what ever manner you choose)?
They’re available from Fifa’s internet site, and at £74.99, you’ll certainly feel the difference in your wallet, if not necessarily on the pitch.
If you’re looking for apparel that’s a little more sophisticated, head for Harvey Nichols and pick up something from their exclusive Ungaro sports wear range. It’s designed by young blood Kim Jones, and the fancy World Cup jacket will make quite a statement for £195. You might want to roll up the sleeves though if you’re going to be sporting the glamorous Links of London gold and enamel St George Shield cuff links. This city-boy equivalent to a pin badge comes in at £140.
For traditionalists, lager’s really the tipple of choice for match day, and premier lager Greens is available in Waitrose at £2.49 to satisfy that tradition in style, but a more sophisticated take on yellow bubbly liquid has got to be champagne. Lanson have a special edition World Cup bottle, with a fancy themed label. Treat yourself in front of the telly and raise a toast to our boys for £24.99 a bottle. Or sample wines from World Cup countries with a special mixed wine box from M and S, which comes in at £85.
Now you’re dressed, watered and ready to watch, consider the quality of your television set. Wouldn’t England’s victory be all the sweeter on £2,295 worth of pioneer 42 inch plasma flat screen? Or a £2,395 40 inch LCD Digital Sony television? John Lewis are offering to guarantee your purchase until the world cup in 2010.
If you need more of a cinematic feel, check out the cinema screens and projectors at www.projectorpoint.co.uk. A 1.5 by 2 meter screen will set you back £300, and the projector comes in at £525. But for the true football megalomaniac, though it has to be the 46 meter cinema screen that Big TV can come and set up in your garden. It’s £8000 a day, but you’ll get to see what David Beckham looks like very close up!
For a little taste of World Cup luxury on a budget, you could do worse than heading to Thornton’s. The popular chocolatiers have created delicious football boots and shirts which you can have iced with a message of support (or potential voodoo, perhaps) for £5.75, or you could really go (and be) the whole hog, with a huge chocolate football, a tasty £8.99.
For the utterly cash strapped, but achingly stylish though, a pound will get you a special edition bottle of Coke – loving the jazzy gold and silver bottles.
