The well-ascribed philosophy of dressing to impress is well and truly apparent at Cambridge. I for one feel the sheer fear of being perceived as unfashionable during my lectures, which is more than enough motivation to dig into the depths of my wardrobe in the early hours of the morning for something I forgot existed but always loved to wear. The influence of seeing the carefully constructed outfits everyday around Cambridge encourages my consistent attempts at being fashionable. But in my fashion choices, I have realised there is an unconscious influence within me that alters what I choose to wear, that being my degree.

Exam season and the countless revision supervisions have drilled the importance of providing a unique contribution in my academic work. Emphasis on individuality is at the core of the degrees offered at Sidgwick Site, a constant attempt for originality amongst countless theories on each mundane issue. It is therefore understandable that this notion would correlate to the attitudes to choosing outfits each day. The intrinsic strive to be unique manifests itself in the never-the-same outfits pictured on site as a way to carve out an identity attributable to you and you only. In a sea of individuals doing the same degree, attending the same lectures, and completing the same supervisions as you, it is understandable to pursue self-expression in any way possible, and arguably the easiest way to do this is through your personal style. 

“The intrinsic strive to be unique manifests itself in the never-the-same outfits pictured on site as a way to carve out an identity”

Where the humanities as a whole dress to exhibit their unique self and fashion choices, a further distinction can be made between each of the different degrees offered at Sidg. My approach to fashion often balances the desire for individuality with the need for utility and practicality and a tenuous link could be made to my degree. As a law student I constantly balance the concepts of reason and innovation which are arguably apparent in my outfit choices each day, evidenced on C-Sunday when I cut my tights into stockings but balanced that with knee high boots to combat the weather. 

This can be transferred upon other degrees: through speaking to an economist, she informed me of the ‘formulas’ she uses in the curation of her daily outfits; concepts like ‘sandwiching colours’ and ‘baggy trousers and a tight top’. Whilst these are universal foundations used by many, her reliance on them to make her striking outfits everyday complements the mathematical portion of her degree. The formulaic approach is one which she has become well-versed with in her degree and one she now utilises every day in her self-expression of style.  

Don't worry STEM girlies, I haven't forgotten about you. Fashionable outfits, although often celebrated purely through individuals on Sidg, are also apparent across Cambridge. STEM students have triple the amount of contact hours than the average humanities student, so the pursuit for a comfortable yet fashionable outfit is a consistent plight tackled by those at Downing site. After chatting to a medic, she informed me of her similar approach to fashion: a methodical application of a formula which keeps her fashionable even on the most hectic day of contact hours. This approach involves a key foundation for her outfits in the form of a trusty pair of jeans and countless Snoopy-related merch items which she can incorporate into each of her outfits. However, one particularly interesting observation is the different way in which she interacted with her degree through her outfits. Whilst humanities students can be observed to dress in line with their degree, she employs a reactionary approach to the construction of her outfits. By keeping her outfits bright and consistently full of colour she combats the gruelling and heavy dissections, and uses her outfits as a shield against the increasingly pungent smell of formaldehyde. 

“By keeping her outfits bright and consistently full of colour she combats the gruelling and heavy dissections” 

There is an undeniable influence that our degree plays to our approach to fashion. Our degree doesn’t simply stay in the supervisions, lecture halls or libraries. It pervades our identity, and because of this it controls our fashion choices. But if you catch yourself wearing a lab coat on a daily basis you may have taken this concept too far.