With the start of a new term in Cambridge, lecture halls are again flooded by students. The 9am lectures, rainy cycles and stuffy lecture theatres are not the highlights that people remember. However, lectures are one of the places where most of your year will gather together, making them a perfect spot to analyse the intricacies of the stylistic choices of your course mates. So, here is a list that I have compiled of the ‘fashion characters’ that I have noticed, instead of paying attention to the lecture that was slowly putting me to sleep.

The merch hoarder

Merch is omnipresent in Cambridge: college puffers, leavers hoodies, society quarter zips, or even internship company water bottles. And some people are more guilty than others… Although it seems tempting to show off the sixteen societies you are part of, sometimes it is a good idea to stick to something slightly more neutral. It’s great to be able to prove how busy you are, but I think that making it your whole personality is a bit much. Wearing a sweater with a cool and mysterious society name will perhaps enable you to strike interesting conversation, constantly being seen with a college hoodie perhaps less so.

“Someone’s gotta uphold Cambridge’s honour in Varsity games, no? Even if it means sacrificing your fashion style for it”

The sport legend

Similar to the merch hoarder, but applied to every and any sport. Of course there are the rowers, quintessential to the Cambridge University experience, but all sports take part. The students are easily recognizable from their aggressively teal blue fleeces advertising their respective sports. But someone’s gotta uphold Cambridge’s honour in Varsity games, no? Even if it means sacrificing your fashion style for it.

The cartoon character

Let me explain. Almost every cartoon character has a singular outfit that makes them recognisable. Well, some people adopt this way of thinking about style/fashion slightly too literally. I do have some hygiene concerns but, no fashion conundrum in the morning, right? However, realistically we all recycle some good outfits – some people are even able to create a trademark item. For example, a jacket in a uniquely bright colour, an extremely fuzzy beanie or some fun chunky earrings that seen at distance immediately make you think of a specific person.

The dedicated cyclist

Bicycles are clearly the most cherished mode of transportation of students in Cambridge. Some students cherish their safety more than others. These characters are recognisable by wearing helmets and having (working) lights installed on their bikes. But, the truly dedicated and committed ones are those that pull up with waterproof jackets, waterproof poncho, waterproof trousers etc. At least someone won’t die of hypothermia.

The one that just rolled out of bed

Listen, nobody is judging… or are they? Cambridge term time is rough and sleep quickly becomes an elusive promise. It is therefore highly likely that a semi-comatose person in what suspiciously resembles pyjamas can be spotted in almost any lecture. Some things to look for: crumpled clothes, thrown on hood and dishevelled hair. But don’t judge too quickly! Sometimes you just don’t feel like dressing up, totally fine, but I would still advise not to wear your plaid pyjama trousers to lectures. Woolen loungewear and oversized sweaters are a great alternative. You can still feel (somewhat) warm and cosy while trying to concentrate.

“There is no need to reinforce this nightmare of Cambridge’s workaholic environment by adopting a corporate uniform”

The charity shop addict

Oversized T-shirts with quirky illustrations, light-washed low-rise jeans, worn to death leather jackets; these are just some of the items that could be worn by a charity shop addict. It’s impressive what treasures people are able to find and then style. Using charity shops as a main source of shopping is at times a gamble, but also a great way to ensure that you are able to create a unique wardrobe. The attractive prices also enable you to go out of your comfort zone without completely jeopardizing your bank account. And the lecture hall is a prime location to show off your last finds.

The aspiring businessman

The sad reality is that it does sometimes feel like we are stuck in a workaholic environment at university. There is no need to reinforce this nightmare by adopting a corporate uniform. The business pants and shirts can wait in the wardrobe for another few years. Be young and wild! Even though Cambridge is steeped in traditions requiring formal attire, it does not mean that it has to permeate through all aspects of the university. However, if you do want to dress more formally, perhaps incorporate a quirky aspect, a sock or pattern, to just break the monotony a little bit.

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