Plus Monckton barrister talks underwear
A model turned law student has revealed to British Vogue she thinks about clothes “far more” now since deciding to pursue a legal career.
This month’s edition of Vogue is apparently a “model-free zone”, featuring articles about “real women” (entrepreneurs, academics, etc) instead of just models.
Among those gracing the magazine’s pages is Lillie Rage (pictured top) — a 25-year-old former model who is now pursuing a career in law.
Pictured outside BPP University in Holborn — much to the law school’s delight — Rage offers readers a candid insight into the place of fashion in the legal profession.
We're in @BritishVogue! Grab your copy to read model GDL and LPC student, Lillie Rage's story, about her #career and #style switch to #law . pic.twitter.com/9r9wQDD3U0
— BPP Law School (@BPPLawSchool) October 7, 2016
According to the English literature graduate, being a model means being “a blank canvas”, reflecting the vision of the fashion company as opposed to personal style:
In the shoots I have taken part in, I’ve never felt that the final picture truly represents who I am.
The same cannot be said in the legal profession, and for that reason Rage — who is now working at “various solicitors’ offices” — is keen to make sure her outfits express her character. She explained:
I have to dress formally in shirts and jackets, especially when volunteering at court or meeting with a pro-bono client. And yet, I’ve been surprised to discover that I actually enjoy the challenge of dressing within a professional workplace’s guidelines.
Wanting to avoid feeling “like a corporate ‘suit’”, Rage — who has completed the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) — admits she tries to retain her individuality and identity by, for example, adding some glitter into her eyeliner or wearing a velvet suit jacket.
Also featuring in Vogue this month is Anneli Howard, an EU law specialist at Monckton Chambers.
In a half-page segment, the Oxford educated, Legal 500 lawyer — who notably told Legal Cheek in March that a Brexit referendum result may trigger a barrister retraining exodus to Ireland — explained how many outfits she gets through in a day.
Alongside a picture of the 43-year-old lawyer wearing a Hugo Boss dress under her robes, the feature states Howard wakes up at 5.45am wearing Fat Face pyjamas. She then gets dressed at 6.15am into John Lewis underwear, a black dress and a collarless jacket from Ede & Ravenscroft. Later on, she changes into a bright red dress to “jazz it up a bit” at a conference meeting, noting:
[I]t’s important not to look like you’re trying to draw attention to yourself. The law is still a very male-dominated profession and you don’t want to appear to be trying to capitalise on how you look.
Before hopping back into her Fat Face pyjamas for her 11pm bedtime, Howard rounds off her day of fashion by slipping into a pair of Sweaty Betty leggings and some Mahabi slippers (a pair of which will set you back about £80).
She must have a lot of laundry to do.