‘Do you prefer fashion victim or ensemble-y challenged?’ Before Elle Woods, before Regina George, there was Cher Horowitz . Throwing it back to 1995, this Clueless Queen certainly taught us a thing or two about style. And, almost 25 years after the film’s initial release, we are still learning the rules. Back in the days of ’90s grunge and young Leo (I’ll never let you go), Cher called the shots: plaid skirts were in and backwards caps were out. Unafraid to question the fashion choices of her peers, had the Beverley Hills beauty attended UoN in 2019, she would be ‘totally buggin’.’
‘So okay, I don’t want to be a traitor to my generation and all,’ she’d say, ‘but uni students are so predictable.’ From the Trent Building to Engineering, the UoN fashion scene is built upon mainstream trends and individual styles. You have the wannabe alternatives, the basic bitches, trust fund kids, everyday active-wearers, the designer obsessed, and the effortless trend-setters—to name a few. Walk across campus and you can roughly guess someone’s degree discipline by their outfit and you cannot pretend you have not tried it. So, here is my take on dressing by degree, as I take a look at some of 2019’s campus trends.
English Students
Okay we get it, you like Sylvia Plath. English students are without a doubt the wannabe alternatives on campus. Walk around Lace Market and you will run into one of them thrift shopping or on their way to a poetry reading in a café no one has ever heard of. Oversized vintage fleeces, high-waisted mom jeans, and backpacks so tattered you want to start a JustGiving page to buy them a new one. That’s right; that guy over there on his way to Urban Outfitters, he takes English. And that girl over there using the word ‘wavy’ too much? She is writing her dissertation on Chaucer.
Psychology Students
Ah, I remember it well. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and Topshop had just released their super high-waisted Joni jeans. Calling all basic bitches on campus! That’s right, you in the heeled boots and leather jacket! You will probably find a psychology student or two in Pryzm on a Monday night, complaining about the price of a VK when daddies just paid their rent. If you are having a bad hair day or the pores are clogged, stay away from the Psychology building. If you listen closely, you might just hear the echo of a brush on an Urban Decay palette.
Engineering Students
Imagine you have hit your head really hard, but instead of waking up in Oz you are in the land of bootcuts. You have got to give these guys credit, it is a wonder they make it to campus with their huge backpacks and busy schedules. But a pen – talk about a crazy thing to have on you. The definition of substance over style, engineering students are far too busy to worry about the latest trends – they just want to get from point A to B. When I say ‘engineering’ you say, ‘walking trousers!’
Law Students
We like your cool coat, but we know you have a trust fund. Looking for a mummy’s boy who just missed the cut for Oxbridge? Welcome to Law. These students belong in an episode of Suits and they know it. Combine a pair of chinos with Ralph Lauren knitwear and you have yourself a Law Student. Jeans? Hah! Maybe if they were going to a circus.
History Students
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is just another history student in a turtle neck. Sorry I did not see you there in those muted tones. These guys take themselves seriously – do not approach unless equipped with extensive knowledge of neo-liberalism or Kenneth Clarke. Fitted jeans, desert boots, and button up shirts make up this student’s wardrobe. If history has taught us anything, it is that blue is the national colour of dress for any student of this discipline, three strikes and you are out.
Music Students
‘I wish that I could bake a cake out of sunshine and rainbows’—oh, you must be in a band. You have to give music students points for creativity. Being one of the trend-setting degrees on campus, expect oversized cardigans, rogue piercings, and hippy hairstyles. Never afraid to express themselves through fashion, this course is designed for anyone brave enough to experiment with colour and pattern. Just do not get them talking about Debussy.
Megan Bull
Featured Image courtesy of @cluelessthemovie via Instagram.
Main Images courtesy of @urbanoutfitters and @loel_official via Instagram.
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