SULK TE C
IT I N WE SEE
.Y O UR T IN TECHNICOL
WHITE,
E SEE I
AND
W TE, HI
LAC K
W SE
OR
OU
LD IN B
THE WORL U SEE D IN O Y . BL R U AC O L K O A IC
ND
HN
SPRING 2021
W
E
HE
E
T
TH
U YO
E SE
W
OR
LD
IN
BL AC
Featuring an exclusive Interview with
Adam Kelly
K
About Us We are Sulk Magazine. An outlet for those who see the world differently to others, those who see the world in technicolour. We represent the young people of our society who are still trying to find their place in this world whilst being continually brandished as moody and a nuisance. In a world that focuses on the issues that concern a much older majority of people, Sulk Magazine aims to tackle the topics that young people find of interest. Sulk Magazine provides a place where our readers feel as though they have a community that understands them, a place where all are welcomed with open arms.
2 | Sulk
Sulk | 3
The Pressure of Social Media An Interview with a rising TikTok star. Social media and its effect on the generations who have grown up with it is a relevant and constantly discussed topic. Many young women talk about how social media has affected them and their confidence, however it is rarer to see a man talking about it. That is why I decided to interview Adam Kelly to try to understand whether a male’s perspective may be different towards the pressures of social media than women’s. Adam is a 19-year-old from the UK. Since 2019 he has been creating content on TikTok and now has over 200K followers on TikTok and 6.3M likes. I asked him the following questions about his experience with social media and how he has learned to deal with it.
4 | Sulk
What are the positives and negatives of social media, in your opinion? “I don’t think there are many positives. I guess being able to express yourself is a good thing from it. It’s good for lockdown right now as it can send out information but overall, I think there are ways it could be better. The negatives are online bullying and harassment.” What is your favourite social media app, and why? “Snapchat because I’m able to talk to all my friends on there and that’s where I speak to my girlfriend the most. It’s live and in the moment content so it feels more real. What is your least favourite?
Sulk | 5
“Instagram because it’s very fake. You can scroll through your camera roll and put something online showing yourself looking your best. You can edit, photoshop, and change images so it can be completely different from the original photo.” What start
made you first creating TikToks?
I felt I had to put out really good content to get people to notice me. But now, I feel like I can create more of what I like, and it seems to be doing well.” Do ing
you to be
find it daunting or overwhelmexpected to post things for followers?
“I did try to post every 2 days but with work, family, friends, and University work it was hard to do. Luckily with TikTok, it isn’t as expected, unlike YouTube. I can post when I like.”
“My girlfriend showing me them and getting me involved with hers. It was just a way to have fun with my friends.” Do you feel like social media creates standards that can be hard to live up to? “Definitely. I think there’s a lot of people out there that are very beautiful, and they look at someone else and don’t think that they are. I think a lot of people can get down by it when they look at models or influencers and want to look like that. Right now, a brand called Gymshark is promoting a lot of female body positivity but for the men, it’s just showing six-packs, muscle, and nothing of an average body which can be hard to see a lot of.” Do you find there are pressures to social media since you’ve gained more of a following? “No, when I had fewer followers, 6 | Sulk
Sulk | 7
8 | Sulk
Sulk | 9
Do you think social media can add to mental health problems?
funny. A lot of people love my profile and I try to focus on those comments.”
“Yeah, I think if, for example, Instagram, is promoting the wrong thing then definitely. It could be really bad for someone. I think with the way social media is going, it’s negatively affecting people more than ever.”
At what age do you think you should start social media?
How do you cope when you have low or down days? “I’ll go do something that I enjoy like going out with my girlfriend or going to play football. It cheers me up so then I can get back to what I was doing. There are days when I feel unmotivated, but I find a way to get out of that mood and do something.” If you receive negative comments, how do you cope with them? “At the start, it got to me, but now I see a hate comment and see the person has no profile and is someone who is just trying to make someone else low because they think it’s
“I think social media, in general, is for when you’re mature enough for it. If you can’t be mature in person, how are you going to be mature online? I don’t think there should be a limit on it but age 16 is the age after the majority of people goes through puberty which can be an influential age. Being online and seeing huge men in comparison to yourself when you haven’t been through puberty yet is hard when growing up.” Social media leads us to believe that life for many is perfect when it is the complete opposite. But will there ever be a way that we can moderate this? It’s clear from my interview with Adam that social media can be just as pressurising for men as it is for women. We can only hope that in our future social media will become a less toxic and more uplifting place.
10 | Sulk
Sulk | 11
Styling the Y2K Trend When I think of Y2K fashion it takes me back to a time when Paris Hilton and J-Lo were killing the fashion game and the bolder the better with bright and bedazzled looks. Elle Woods and Regina George are screen legends from this era that embody a lot of what Y2K fashion is. The style is typically futuristic, rich in bold prints and luxury labels. With the rise of social media and the cyclicity of fashion, the Y2K
trend has once again become mainstream only 2 decades from when it first began. Gen
Z, a generation that was too young to have fully embraced 12 | Sulk
the trend is now adopting it. Now as teenagers and young adults, the generation is nostalgic for a simpler time as we are surrounded by a chaotic world. Y2K is all about making a statement and expressing who you are. This era was undeniably defined by women who ruled pop culture at the time and many take inspiration from the iconic looks these women were seen walking about in, day-to-day. Sulk | 13
Many places sell Y2K clothing, more one-off and original pieces can be found on Depop and Etsy. If you’re willing to hunt for something that is most likely from the era, vintage stores, charity shops, and eBay would be the place for you to look. Corset tops were first worn back in the 1500s as an undergarment but made a comeback in the late 90s and early 2000s thanks to Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier. Since the revitalised Y2K trend, corset tops have once again been dominating the trend. Waist-cinching corsets define figures and are gorgeous as a statement piece of any out-
fit. They can be paired with baggy jeans and an oversized jacket which gives a look a Y2K vibe. Alternatively, a corset top paired with a mini skirt and cardigan would be a cute and girly look.
It is impossible to think of Y2K fashion without immediately thinking of velour track sets. Juicy couture track sets were an iconic look of the Y2K era and are making a huge comeback due to the rise in loungewear since the pandemic. The OG bedazzled juicy couture is a stylish look on its own however can be mixed with other items to create different looks. Pairing 14 | Sulk
juicy couture track set bottoms with a crop top and handbag can be a cute, yet comfy look. Another look would be to wear a track set jacket over a simplistic summer dress. Juicy Couture is currently available to buy on both Urban Outfitters and JD Sports, alongside brands doing their own alternatives for a cheaper price such as Subdued clothing. The iconic baguette bag is a symbol of the Y2K aesthetic and surged in popularity due to Carrie Bradshaw wearing them in Sex in the City. Shoulder bags are the perfect accesso
ry to top off any Y2K outfit. Bold animal prints are one of the more popular styles the bags come in, alongside vintage Louis Vuitton and pastel shades. The best place to purchase a one-
off is Depop where many vintage luxury brands are resold. Urban Outfitters and Pretty Little Thing also sell small should der bags at
Sulk | 15
more ble
affordaprices.
Cropped tops survived the end of the Y2K era in the early 2000s and stayed within collections however the restart of the trend has skyrocketed their popularity. These tops are usually cropped above the belly button and are higher fit across the chest. A typical pattern is quirky quotes, cute characters, and funky designs on the front, or graphics of the iconic Y2K brands like Fiorucci or Juicy Couture. A cropped top is a simple yet effective item for your everyday 2000s-inspired attire and looks
amazing paired with baggy oversized trousers or flares. A tennis skirt and a zip-up hoodie can also be a Y2K style outfit that looks cute yet edgy with a cropped top. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s epic denim explosion at the 2001 AMAs led to the Y2K era being obsessed with all things denim. Low-rise trousers and wide-legged jeans were all the rage. These trousers were inspired by grungy skater style looks and often paired with cropped tops or corset tops to give the look a feminine-twist.
Modern-day brands such as Motel Rocks, Topshop and Stradivarius have all got affordable wide-legged jeans in this style. Pink everything. It is the colour that dominated the Y2K era, bringing a fun and bubbly tone to every look. Pastel pink is styled well with other pastel colours such as blue and purple. Whereas a more vibrant pink can look really good with black and white. With these staple pieces of any Y2K wardrobe, you will be a renewed version of the iconic Cher Horowitz. Go put on your bedazzled jeans, put your lip gloss in your bag and most importantly wear your attitude. 16 | Sulk
Sulk | 17