Dublin v.s. Paris Student Street Style

Being a Trinity student, it can be difficult to escape certain stereotypes; the top university in Ireland is often believed to produce snobs, studying something obscure and useless. However, there is one Trinity stereotype that does hold true. We have one of the most fashionable campuses in Ireland, a double-edged sword when you arrive hungover for your nine a.m. lecture in the Arts Block, surrounded by fur coats, mini Uggs, and Urban Outfitters’ parachute pants.

Having spent most of my college years on campus, Trinity is where I get some of my best style inspiration. However, the culture of fashion in Trinity can become slightly destructive within a specific sphere. With everyone putting their best foot forward at what seems like all times, a certain expectation and pressure presents itself unto what is already a competitive academic environment, potentially as an indirect result of the conformity of the student demographic within the college. An overwhelmingly large portion of the student population are middle class and white, with many coming from a small concentration of increasingly elite secondary schools. This is an attitude that is reflected in the expectation of what to wear, with the vast majority succumbing to this college-wide pressure to keep up with expensive and unsustainable trends.

This attempted maintenance of perfection and acceptance, in line with the external pressure of your classmates and acquaintances, can only be flawlessly executed in circumstances of an extremely large allowance from The Bank of Mum and Dad; a privilege that many students, who struggle to sustain this undeniable hidden pressure, do not hold. Therefore, students with greater financial freedom have the ability to dominate the competitive culture of trends and fashion, by adding to their wardrobe on a seemingly weekly basis. This phenomenon leaves many other students, engulfed by the latest Trinity trends, trying to keep pace financially and mentally. With an overwhelming middle class presence, comes a restricted middle class expectation of what to wear; with some seeming to hold an endless budget. individual self-expression and creativity, will only lead to great things for Trinity and Irish fashion. This shared perspective could lead to the production of an increasingly unique culture, adding a layer of individuality and expressiveness to each piece of clothing you decide to put on your back.

This adherence to following the latest trends, or not expressing your true sense of self through clothes, can also be related back to a common attitude. The smalltown mentality that is ever-present in Irish society affects our generation in a myriad of unseen ways, including the effect it has on the way in which we dress ourselves and present ourselves to our peers. Many shudder at the thought of stepping outside of the box by dressing creatively, a product of the culture of Irish gossip. In order to become more accepting as a society, we must prioritise the appreciation of individuality and diversity not just in fashion and creativity, but in all aspects of life.

I came to many of these realisations when I moved to Paris, moving to a campus for the year where the monetary pressures and societal judgement isn’t as intense. I am not trying to argue that Paris is less judgemental as a city, we all know that that isn’t true, but there the small-town culture is eradicated, and the unofficial uniform that can be seen in Trinity is non-existent in Sciences Po, my Parisian university. It seems to me that less importance is placed on fitting in and being part of the crowd, with more students focusing on self-expression and refusing certain trends whilst still maintaining a fashionable yet personal look.

Within an enriched culture and history so steeped with arts and creativity, we should think twice before judging someone’s ‘wacky’ or ‘out-there’ fashion choices. A deeply entrenched joint perspective like this one will take time to overturn, especially when it is observed on all levels of our society; the government’s unsupportive stance on the arts, creativity, and youth culture being one example. Becoming more tolerant of others, and even becoming more tolerant of your

Potentially, this is due to a greater appreciation of art and creativity within French culture on a whole, however an amalgamation of certain factors is more likely to be the case. Maybe it is because of a larger thrifting scene within Paris and the increasing availability of a diverse range of sustainable clothing at a far cheaper price. This increased appreciation of thrifting can also be reflected on Vinted, France’s answer to Depop, but an ungentrified, inexpensive version with both low-cost and designer options. Ultimately, this variety and range of choice allows for affordability and accessibility to all, as reflected in the diverse range of outfits and garments that are shown on the streets of Paris and in the corridors of its universities. Of course, everywhere has trends and there are people on both ends of the scale in both cities, but the students of Paris have something that many in Dublin do not yet hold regarding their selfexpression; it’s uniquely their own.