The human touch

Log on to Cork band Hooray For Humans' MySpace page and you’ll see that the hugely promising electronic pop duo are currently looking for a drummer. In case you’re thinking of applying, singer Jen Connell has some fashion tips that might help you pass the audition!

“It’s very important that you don’t look as if you’ve made too much of an effort to look a certain way," she says. “I don’t think Irish people like people to try too hard with their appearance. But most important of all, it would be a very bad idea to turn up wearing white runners.”
You may be wondering why Hooray For Humans have it in for white runners. “We did a tour of the UK last year and everywhere we went there were these lads wearing white runners, so we kept taking the piss out of them. Now we’re on a kind of mission to exterminate them totally!”
Although not exactly a dedicated follower of fashion, Jen has always had an interest in make-up and clothes. “I worked for Mac, the cosmetics brand, for almost a year and I still work as a make-up artist, and that taught me the possibilities of make-up,” she says. “But I think it’s more important to do your own thing instead of just following trends, whether it’s with make-up or clothes. I tend to go for a lot of prints and bright colours, although I wear plenty of black as well."
Being a student, Jen is rarely flush with funds, so she tends to have to shop around. “I go to shops like H&M and Penneys and Top Shop, where you get really good value for your money. When I have a bit more cash I’m inclined to go for a label like Chloe, and I find that you can pick up some real designer bargains on eBay. But generally I look out for clothes that are going to last for a good while. I also go to the second-hand shops in Dublin and I’ve picked up some amazing stuff in second-hand stores and vintage stores in Toronto. My favourite item is a leather jacket I bought on the Internet. I wear it nearly every day.”
As for the great fashion disasters, Jen neatly shifts the blame onto her parents who, allegedly, put her in ski leggings and even worse. “When I was about 11 they made sure my hairband and my jumper matched. I also went through a mad butterfly phase in my teens. It was really girly, and everything I had was covered in butterflies. The photographs from that era are well hidden in my room.”

Hooray For Humans play Eamonn Doran’s, Dublin on May 23.

SKIRT: Black high-waisted skirt and suspenders from H&M in the UK, cost about £20
TOP: Black and white vest top from Penneys. €4
SHOES: Patent black wedge shoes from Nu Look. €30. Red Converse covered in sequins from Shoe.
TIGHTS: Purple tights from Penneys. About €2 or €3
ACCESSORIES: A hat from Top Shop in a sale for €7. A turquoise and gold bangle from H&M. €8. Chains from Penneys. D&G watch, received as a present.