These eight TikToks prove how predictable Lancs fashion is

Here we go again, diving face first into yet another TikTok trend, in an attempt to entertain everyone who is missing Lancs uni in lockdown. TikTok is a minefield of new trends, challenges, and all-round relatable content – so, we decided to hop onto this fashion trend, creating outfits in the style of cartoon characters that attend Lancaster Uni.

We have created looks for every type of Lancs student. In this game of uni life, which avatar do you choose? The Whoops Wednesday student decorated with hickeys from neck-to-toe? The Grizedale student that treats a gin glass as their fifth limb? The student that has never been to a nine am lecture in their life? Or, the redbull-fuelled maths student that’s one exam away from a stress-induced breakdown? You choose.

Your college colours are part of your wardrobe

For this fashion challenge it was obvious that someone had to dress up as each college colour. Upon joining a college at Lancs uni, you adopt your college identity to blend in to your new life at uni. You tell everyone you meet which college you’re from as if your life depends on it and you find yourself buying clothes that are the same colour as your college logo.

Lucky for me, being in Furness, my entire wardrobe is practically purple. (To be honest I think it’s become an addiction of mine.) The difficult part was deciding which purple item of clothing to wear. I wanted to pair each outfit with an item/ accessory, so for Furness I chose a purple book and scrunchie, a gin glass for Grizedale (for Grizedale bar, duh), a Sainsbury’s bag for Fylde, as I literally had nothing else that was orange, then my maroon jacket for Cartmel. For every look, I tried to match my makeup with the outfit. It took four different looks, ten makeup wipes and three breakdowns, but I made it. 

Back when lectures were a thing

This was a nightmare. This whole bloody TikTok. Rage-screamed at my phone more times than anyone should while editing videos. It was also super nostalgic, thinking back to when we actually attended lectures and couldn’t just rock up on a Teams chat, in bed, half-asleep while eating breakfast with your mic muted. So, I thought back to my good, committed student self. 

(Nine am who?) 11 am is my hungover alter ego dropping by the Elizabeth Livingston Lecture Theatre on my way back from the walk of shame. Three pm is just pure eating coffee with a spoon (accidentally sprayed coffee grounds in my eyes while filming, which was fab). And six pm, for the poor souls who’ve experienced a six pm lecture, is prime nap time opportunity before pres start.

Some Lancs students know how to dress like their degree

Clothing says a lot about a person. This is no different when it comes to university (I think it might actually be heightened). University is a time for self-expression, originality, boldness and buying the same Dr Martens as every other person in your Fine Art seminar group.

We like to think of ourselves as people that don’t conform to stereotypes, but don’t pretend that you’ve never played ‘guess the degree’ on the spine with your friends. Sometimes it’s even the mannerisms that give it away. Why are maths students always so quiet and aloof? Why are geography students always so chipper and upbeat? These are perhaps the unanswered questions of university. Use this TikTok to help spot them on your own.

Always a colourful bandeau for Generation

You can tell which club a Lancaster student is going to based on what they’re wearing. Your Sugar avatar is easily a nice simple pair of jeans and bandeau look with half up half down hair for when it gets super sweaty. It is rare you will find a girl NOT dressed in this combo in Sugar, so it felt like the obvious option.

Next up was Glow/Dalton rooms, known for being a bit more edgy, hosting Tabuki and LUEDMS at various points in the month. You know someone is going to GLOW or Daltons because this outfit is a bit more bold and festival-like, the bright orange bandeau bringing a colour pop to the black cycling shorts. Comfy for dancing in but cool enough to maintain style. The practical bun helps to keep the sweaty look at bay.

Generation is known for its colourful dance floor, and its loyal customers are usually shimmering in colourful bandeau crops and huge coats. Hence the denim jacket: there is no cloakroom and this is a continual frustration. As for Fibbers… need more be said?

There are NINE colleges

Wondering where the grad college look is? I wouldn’t know, do they go outside? I have never seen one before, so couldn’t imitate their style if I wanted to. They probably live inside the library, cramming for an exam. That is the life of studying a masters, I suppose.

You know a county student from miles off because at first your eyesight made them out to be a Simpsons character, drowned head to toe in yellow. The only yellow items of clothing I have are my summer floral pyjamas. (I was hoping they would just pass as a co-ord.)

You would expect Pendle students to constantly walk around in witch hats, but they’re more normal than you think. While I have a green coat, I do not have any other green items of clothing or accessories.

Then for Lonsdale, which is dark blue, I have my dark denim mom jeans but nothing else, so I just paired them with a black hoodie. Then finally, for my Bowland look, I put on red lipstick for the first time ever. I don’t even know why I have it, but it came in handy on this one occasion. Don’t think the colour suits me and will probably never wear it ever again.

The Gin society is more boujee than you think

Who didn’t dash around Freshers Fair like a kid on Christmas looking for all the infamous crazy societies? This is the Tiktok equivalent. For Disney, I went for the look you see in every “#yay Disneyland!” Instagram pic plus my faithful Stitch cuddly. (This was the most preppy my makeup has ever been and ever will be.) I’ll admit, I’ve never met someone from Gin Society but I imagine they look classy and boujee (something I am not) so I went for the dark lipstick, which was actually just an eyebrow pencil, and this glam but slay look complete with two bottles of gin (which were way too strong for three in the afternoon).

As a baby poler, I had to get some Pole Society represent in here. That’s the actual pole set I would’ve worn for Roses – rip. I literally cannot miss one opportunity to show people I know how to juggle so Magic & Circus were obviously going in here. Besides, how boss is it that we have a society that plays with fire on campus? Finally, I was racking my brain for one more wild Lancs society and came across a video of my flatmate leaping between the walls outside of Bailrigg FM station. So… Parkour!

A lot of subjects, a lot of different styles

So many subjects and so little time (in the TikTok I mean, I’ve got plenty of free time during quarantine) so I had no choice but to make a part two. Key characters in this one include the slightly aggressive politics student, the overwhelmed history student and the english student that reads the same Orwell novel over and over again. Where’s the medicine student? They said they’re “really sorry but they have a lot of work to do at the moment”. Legend has it they’re still in the library to this day.

As a pretty unadventurous person when it comes to clothing, by the seventh outfit I was running out of clothes that weren’t plain and boring, and had to use my creative genius to come up with a low effort alternative. As the piles of clothes on my bedroom floor grew into mountains, I attempted to film my empty room while my phone was still on the windowsill, resulting in an awkward clip of me submerging below the camera and re-revealing myself.

RIP Sugar Saturdays

Now, there are the different clubs in Lancs, but more importantly, there are the different clubs nights. First up is Skint Monday’s, usually a last minute decision, hence the simple T-shirt and denim skirt with no makeup. A £2 coin is really all you need. Next up: Whoops Wednesday, the favourite of the societies and time for a dress up. You’ve probably been planning this outfit for a good week and spent unnecessary money on it but at least you fit the theme! TABUKI is up next, and I know what you’re thinking: I would never be caught dead wearing those sunglasses and those leg warmers on my arms. But that is where you are wrong, you will be literally glowing if this is your outfit of choice. Trust me. RIP Sugar Saturdays.

So which Lancs uni avatar would you choose? Will it be the purple fanatic Furnessian, the stylish English student or maybe even the one who drinks that little bit too much in gin society. Either way, we have you covered.

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