Words by Sophie Halloran (Guest Writer)

Edited by Bailey Tolentino

‘ I smoke cigarettes because they make me feel warm.’

‘ Get a f*cking coat, then.’

The above is a conversation that was quoted from students chatting in McIntosh Student Dorm and posted on @overheardrews’ Instagram account in January of 2024. What may read as a throwaway joke online is really an accurate snapshot of student life at St Andrews. All jokes carry some truth, and the truth here is a shared understanding of discomfort seeming an acceptable price to pay for looking the part. This quote exchange opens a broader dialogue about how social expectations shape our daily fashion choices… Even in the dead of winter!

The months of November through February turn St Andrews into a cold, damp place. Suddenly, lecture halls become patient halls and the guy to your right, the girl below you, and the entire row behind you is coughing. Picture this: A random Tuesday night outside of Aikman’s; a day of below 1-degree Celsius weather reports and strong wind warnings. You pass by a group of unfazed, scantily clad students out on the steps for a smoke. Their attention remains geared toward the cigarette between their fingers, set on preserving a certain image of “cool.” Unsurprisingly, large winter coats are a rare sighting in town because winter clothes are seemingly out of fashion; but low-rise jeans, vintage tops, and cigarettes are in. So, the question strikes: how far are St Andrews students willing to go to preserve their cool-ness?

The will to sacrifice warmth for appearance extends beyond a simple joke on Instagram. Wearing athleisure or fast fashion is social suicide at St Andrews (unless, of course, you are off to do pilates in your Alo Yoga matching set). Rarely, if ever, will you find a student turn up to class in sweatpants, undone hair, and run-down sneakers. But to understand St Andrews’ winter dress code, one should understand the university’s tradition-rooted history and exclusive social dynamics that attract a unique range of international applicants who appreciate old-fashioned formality and prestige. The everyday fashion choices we encounter here, regardless of season, reflect this pretentious atmosphere. To define St Andrews “cool,” we must unpack the deep appreciation for culture and history found in this student demographic.

A vast majority of the student body seems to possess an appreciation for the finer things in life: art, fashion, music, culture; you name it. Being “cultured” is an unspoken feature of the social etiquette that has been cultivated here over the years. Very rarely will you find a student who hasn’t seen Agnès Varda or heard of The Kinks. This cultural literacy is spoken through student fashion. Whether it be the refined ‘80s yuppie look of Econ students, or the artsier New Wave-esque look of girls in your English module, St Andrews style falls within the range of dynamic and formal.

There are historic traditions that underpin this formality of dress attitude, like rituals of red gown-wear for official ceremonies, formal society dinners, exclusive fashion shows, annual balls, and ‘Academic Family’ events. This fashion ethos is further influenced by the exclusivity of the school’s social scene, with some of the year’s biggest events including invite-only DONT WALK and VIP-tabled FS. Yearly sponsorships from high-end brands like Chanel, the committees fuelled by connections existing beyond the town, and the lingering imprint of Kate Middleton bring status to the equation.

This cultivated formality makes possible early immersion into adult codes of social performance and etiquette, allowing students to navigate prestigious spaces with greater fluency. But this same polish can harden into gatekeeping, where access to these traditions becomes a marker of belonging rather than of merit or curiosity. While exclusivity is central to the allure of these events, it walks a fine line between kindling aspiration and reinforcing social hierarchies that echo broader inequalities. The dress ethos operates as a quiet mechanism of distinction and a rite of passage, determining who feels entitled to participate in this presentation style.

*Kate Middleton, DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show, 2002*

This convergence creates a melting pot of young people from across the world who possess a unique appreciation for formality and culture. Somehow, we have cultivated an unspoken, chic student style that blends academia with vintage finds; legacies and history with the modern intricacies of status; all only somewhat catered towards the brisk Scottish weather. In a place where appearance and status are of the utmost significance, the reputation of St Andrews is cemented through our everyday fashion choices. We are taught that style can be both worn and performed. Perhaps, when students choose cigarettes over winter jackets, it is less about the nicotine and more about signaling belonging within an undeclared hierarchy of taste and cultural capital. Our winter wardrobes reveal not just how we dress in the Scottish climate, but more-so how we choose to perform cool-ness, even when at the expense of personal comfort.

Chic, Cultured, [and Cold]: Why St Andrews Students Refuse to Dress for Winter