Whether you are a freckled-faced fresher or a well-acquainted third year, no one can deny that Exeter holds many fashion stereotypes and trends. The seasons see changes in fashion, with white linen trousers and long white tiered skirts being a summer staple as soon as the temperature hits the high teens. If white isn’t your colour, Toms Trunks are well-loved by Exeter students, perfect for your first Boardmaster’s festival, to which your attendance is a given, as you now live to close to Cornwall.
If white isn’t your colour, Toms Trunks are well-loved by Exeter students, perfect for your first Boardmaster’s festival…
Toms Trunks offer a large variety of colourways in shorts and trousers, and can be seen in lecture theatres, on the TP dance floor, or in the warmer months, while picnicking on the Cathedral Green. In the winter, linen trousers and skirts are swapped for jeans and cargos, which are usually paired with a quarter-zip (bonus points if this is stash from a sports team) or a vintage jumper from vinted, guaranteed to be layered under a black puffer jacket, or an Afgan if you are ‘not like other girls’. As the end of term nears, the outfit laziness kicks in, and we all end up wearing our pyjamas to seminars.
As the end of term nears, the outfit laziness kicks in, and we all end up wearing our pyjamas to seminars.
During your many trips up and down Forum Hill, you can expect to see a sea of Adidas Gazelles and Sambas. While the black, white, and green colourways seem to be favoured by most (after all, we do all bleed green), I have seen other colour variations crop up throughout the summer, with pinks and blues being a clear favourite.
If trainers are not your thing, Birkenstocks are loved by all Exeter students and are an extremely versatile shoe. Walking to a 9am? Wear Birkenstocks and socks. Spending your weekend in Dawlish? Wear the Birkenstock clogs. Stuck on the Great Western Railway train trying to get home? At least you have your now-falling-apart brown Birkenstocks. When the weather does get chilly, which it will, this IS Devon after all, there is a collective decision that we all want to feel like we’re still at home in our slippers, and so the UGGs return.
While UGGs are not my favourite, one cannot deny that they do feel like a soft pillow, however, I must hate the feeling of walking on a cloud, as my shoe of choice for first year was my, now with a hole in the toe, platform Dr Marten boots. If you take one piece of advice away, let it be this: do not wear Dr Martens to TP, it leads to many falls down the already slippery TP stairs.
If you take one piece of advice away, let it be this: do not wear Dr Martens to TP, it leads to many falls down the already slippery TP stairs.
There are a few wardrobe staples that will easily make up the most of your outfits during Freshers and beyond. The first is a good pair of jeans that can transition from day to night seamlessly. These jeans will be your lifeline, as a casual lecture outfit paired with a t-shirt and hoodie, or as a club or social outfit, when paired with a little vest top.
Speaking of little tops, having a small selection of different styles of vest tops and baby tees are a staple, as these can be paired with almost anything, such as joggers for a late-night library session, or a skirt for those summer term trips to Exmouth.
One for the boys, a wardrobe must-have is a pair of baggy jeans. Your female flatmates will tell you that your skinny jeans are, to quote, ‘an ick’, and you will get made fun of until you inevitably go jean shopping with them. However, the shopping sprees will not end there. As a male flatmate you will have to endure hours of walking around Urban Outfitters, where your only escape is to suggest an iced coffee and a sweet treat, as well as plenty Vinted and Depop fashion shows in the kitchen.
When your first year at Exeter is drawing to a close, and you have found your own personal take on the Exeter style, The Enchanted Garden Ball, or EGB, is a whole different ball game all together. Dresses are rarely seen around campus, especially not in clubs or at parties, but ball season is upon us and the EGB tickets have been bought (for the third time as Fixr will inevitably crash), us girls adorn long floral dresses with our male counterparts wearing beige chinos and a pastel-coloured shirt.
Whatever your style and taste in fashion, you will be welcome in Exeter.
Whatever your style and taste in fashion, you will be welcome in Exeter. It is important to wear what you like and what makes you comfortable, and all importantly, to be true to yourself and not let trends and fast-fashion sway you. If you are wanting to use university as a time to experiment with your style, I recommend Vinted, Depop, and Exeter’s large collection of charity shops and vintage sales, to help the environment whilst looking stylish!
