If you have these 10 things in your winter wardrobe then you’re definitely a Notts student

It’s official. We’re in it. And it’s freezing. I don’t know about you, but I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. With Great British Summertime starting on 31st March 2024, I’m led to believe that the automated Apple calendar date has been set there just to taunt us. The whole world knows it, especially us students – Great British Summertime does not exist!

Here in Notts, there are a few winter wardrobe staples that our students have been donning to battle the cold this year so, in order to help aid you in putting together your cold weather outfits, here’s an official list of the 10 most common items you’ll find in every Notts students wardrobe. Stay warm, stick to these wardrobe staples and do us proud – see you on the sunnier side!

1. The chunky scarf

Guilty as charged. I too have fallen victim to the trend of the bold, bright, polyester knit scarf that not only shields my neck from the icy breeze, but also doubles as a blanket in the arctic Monica Partridge building. The scarf breaks up an outfit and it does the job. However, the downside of it absorbing your moist breath and sticking to your lip gloss has me tearing it off as I tackle the Portland steps.

2. The North Face puffer

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This coat, otherwise known as the Nuptse on the North Face website, is about as classic as a thunderstorm in the middle of June, but it can’t be denied that she does the job. She keeps you warm, she looks cool, and her variation of colours is unprecedented. However, the hood means it’s got to be wet hair day for me. I appreciate that looks are not everything, but that piece of plastic that emerges from the puffery roundish collar is a silly excuse for a hood. I don’t think there is any shame in fitting in with the crowd when it comes to this coat, even if you did think no one else would have the purple one.

3. The North Face gilet

This may seem like a cop-out with the coat occupying the second space but hear me out – the gilet is in a league of its own. It’s arguably a warm-up phase for the finance bros before they reach their Ralph Lauren peak however, for me the gilet is just not warm enough. You’re cold. And if it rains you’re wet because it doesn’t even have the terrible excuse for a hood. I admit you look smart and presentable but for me the gilet should be held in the wings for the Autumn and Spring seasons.

4. The hoodies and the trackies

Clean girlies I’m looking at you. Put a finger down if this year you bought anything from Adanola or White Fox. These tracksuits have become an epidemic on UoN campuses and nationwide. The White Fox Boutique is based in Australia so you all need to add “organised and patient” to your CVs. Ordering them can leave you waiting for up to three weeks depending on dispatch delays. The cleanest of the clean girlies also snatched up the Adanola brand. The neutral palette of the leisurewear brand does its job by making you look like you’ve got your life together and you smashed your 6am jog, even if it was back from Rock City.

5. “Vintage” jumpers

At this point, I think it’s reached a stage where if a jumper comes from a second-hand store and is washed out enough, then we’re calling it vintage. It’s not the most accurate definition of the word, however it has a nice ring to it on a uni student budget. In a city like Notts, with vintage stores and charity shops on every corner, it isn’t hard to find said jumper. Whether you opt for the classic sweatshirt silhouette or choose to step up your game with the quarter zip, I shan’t grumble when you’re contributing to more sustainable wardrobes. At least you are somewhat acknowledging that it’s cold outside.

6. Terribly tiny tops

I can’t tell you how many times I see a girl wander into my lectures with her scarf, her North Face puffer coat, her white fox joggers and her “vintage” jumper on, only to sit down and remove all of those layers to reveal a classic lace corset found in your average lingerie section. They look great, however, you’re cold and you can’t tell me you’re not because you put all those layers on for a reason. It wasn’t climbing Derby Road on your way to your seminar that caused you to strip off. Better yet, I salute you freshers who use Rachmaninoff Vodka as a blanket on a Wednesday night and traipse across town in nothing more than a terribly tiny top and a pair of cargos.

7. Oversized trousers

Whether it be jeans, cargos, old parachute pants or just anything that is clinging onto your waist for dear life, the campuses of the University of Nottingham are no stranger to a baggy jean or two in their hallowed halls, especially in the colder months. The draft can get right under those wide legs and keep you well-ventilated. Bonus points if they’re not only too big around the waist, but too long in the leg so that they can do their bit for the environment and mop up all that rain water that keeps falling from the sky. You better get your Mum on speed dial to ask how to get the mucky stains out of the hems.

8. Dirty Airforce 1s

These days a pair of crisp fresh Airforce 1s will set you back by at least a hundred quid each time and being an exclusively white shoe, it’s no easy task to maintain them to any decent level. Therefore it is no surprise that the well-worn “vintage” version of the shoe is a favourite in these colder, wetter, wintery months. The trashed Airforce 1s have become a staple in not just every Notts student’s wardrobe, but every student wardrobe across the country. They’re reliable. They’re understated. Each and every mark on them tells a story about a trek down Derby Road after that one night out. They will get you from George Green to David Ross with ease and they offer a peace of mind when tackling the puddles in your journey. They’re already destroyed so you can’t ruin them anyway.

9. The Uggs

Uggs are a recent introduction to the uni student winter wardrobe but it’s an epidemic that has hit Notts harder than Pryzm announcing it’s closure. This is a trend that has reached the boys and the girls but is championed most fiercely by the clean girlies. The Ugg boot o sounds ideal for keeping feet warm in these icy climates, however what do you do when the ice melts and shape shifts into floods? Even in their many modern forms, Uggs can always be easily identified by their classic clean suede which is less effective than a chocolate teapot in the winter weather conditions of Nottingham.

10. UoN sports kits

No, this is not because I’m bitter that I chose the writing life rather than the sports life…I promise! However, I consistently find myself on campus eyeing up every green and gold quarter-zip that walks past to work out what sport that individual plays. I must say the acronyms are getting harder to decipher. Shout out to the designers of the Uni of Notts lacrosse kit for including the lacrosse sticks in your design making my part-time hobby that bit easier. I agree they look warm and great quality, however, I do believe there is a part of you that is wearing it because since coming to uni, sport has had become your entire personality. I get it and I respect the dedication.

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