Martha Powell explains, no Durham wardrobe is complete without it An ‘ode’ to Durham stash...

Have you fallen victim to Durham stash culture? Do you reach for your college fleece whenever you need something quick to throw on to put the bins out? Do you live in crest embroidered Canterburys despite never wearing them for sport? Has your er been sighted on Overheard on the floor of Jimmy’s? (Why would you take it with you?) Stash is a staple of Durham culture, and comes with both benefits and drawbacks when it comes to originality, college spirit, and a desire to fit in amongst our peers. But why is Durham so

The collegiate system is, in my opinion, the greatest contributor to this fatal lack of individuality in Durham’s fashion scene. I find myself seeing more college stash than generic Durham ones, such as Team Durham or the dominance in this regard from what I assume must have been a combination of great marketing on the college’s part and a very heavy pu sense of community transfers across all aspects of university life, and is heavily impacted by college pride. For example, take a walk to Maiden Castle for a floodlit fixture, and all of a sudden wearing college stash mimics wearing your favourite football team’s shirt.

Outside of college, Team Durham stash also proves incredibly popular,acting as the equivalent of a jock’s letterman jacket in a 1980s film. In my understanding, the acquisition illicit ‘old’ fleeces bought from Team Durham appear to be in the highest demand. In this case, stash not only acts as a uniting front between clubs, but also exudes a sense of exclusivity as not only are these not available to the everyday student, but they also require sourcing through external means.

If I were to break it down, it is clear the sense of identity and community found in the college crest is what encourages a student’s preference for college stash over university ones; I was buying into having something in common with my friends.