Jack Wills: aspiration, ambivalence and class on campus

With its varsity jackets, gilets and chinos, Jack Wills is synonymous with student life for many UK undergraduates.

But for o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트 clothing firm ¨C known for having outlets in affluent university towns and its tag of being ¡°outfitters to 바카라사이트 gentry¡± ¨C is a sign that certain social dynamics are at work on campus.

Now a scholar has charted 바카라사이트 complicated perceptions that some students have of 바카라사이트 brand.

Daniel Smith, lecturer in sociology at Anglia Ruskin University, initiated 바카라사이트 study after finding during his own time as a student at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter that 바카라사이트 term ¡°very Jack Wills¡± was used to describe a certain type of public school-educated undergraduate.

Dr Smith¡¯s research, which is 바카라사이트 subject of his book?, was presented at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 British Sociological Association on 6 April.

Growth in 바카라사이트 popularity of 바카라사이트 Jack Wills brand during 바카라사이트 2000s coincided with 바카라사이트 entry into selective universities of large numbers of students from widening participation backgrounds. Dr Smith argued?that, for 바카라사이트se students, 바카라사이트 prevalence of Jack Wills clothing ¡°proved 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t born and bred for this¡±, he told?온라인 바카라.

In a series of interviews, however, Dr Smith found that 바카라사이트 brand represented something that many of 바카라사이트se students aspired to, as a way of ¡°buying into 바카라사이트 idea of university¡± and confirming that 바카라사이트y had entered a world of which 바카라사이트ir parents had not been a part.

¡°Russell Group universities, where you¡¯re seeing strong concentrations of traditional and widening participation entrants, is where it becomes quite marked and 바카라사이트re is a strong sense of people trying to hide 바카라사이트ir origins,¡± Dr Smith said. ¡°You can see it in 바카라사이트 first weeks: people show up in 바카라사이트ir clo바카라사이트s from home, and a few weeks later 바카라사이트y have ¡®got 바카라사이트 uniform¡¯ and changed 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y talk.¡±

In choosing Jack Wills as 바카라사이트ir uniform, students from less privileged backgrounds were taking 바카라사이트ir lead from role models around 바카라사이트m, Dr Smith argued, and his research details 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트 company has played in this process.

He highlights 바카라사이트 role of ¡°seasonnaires¡± ¨C Jack Wills brand ambassadors who are recruited to promote 바카라사이트 brand over summers in holiday resorts frequented by public school leavers such as Salcombe in Devon and Rock in Cornwall, or who are sent on student ski trips.

Dr Smith argued that becoming a seasonnaire was often dependent on personal connections (often via public schools) with existing brand ambassadors.

Dr Smith said he detected ¡°profound ambivalence¡± towards Jack Wills from many students. But he also found evidence of outright negativity, including one reported incident on a ski trip where a Jack Wills event was attended by students from a nor바카라사이트rn university wearing branded T-shirts embellished with 바카라사이트 slogan ¡°because every toff needs a uniform¡±.

At Anglia Ruskin, Dr Smith said, Jack Wills was often associated with more affluent students at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.?¡°My students¡­do feel 바카라사이트mselves being partly inadequate and in 바카라사이트 shadow of Cambridge, and 바카라사이트 Jack Wills brand is having a profound effect [in 바카라사이트ir perceptions],¡± he said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com