Block colours are all the rage: The best Looks in Lockdown from Exe students this week

Lockdown hasn’t prevented Exeter students from expressing themselves through fashion and we have scanned the streets this week to bring these looks to your attention. From self-made pieces to fully thrifted outfits, student fashion has never looked better. We hope you vibe with these looks as much as we do:

Mishaal, Third Year, International Relations and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (@silai.estatira)

Made up of beiges, blues and greys, Mishaal’s outfit is colour-coordinated. She has found some steals in Exeter’s charity shops, copping her jacket from Cancer Research and blue button up shirt from the RPSCA store.

Mishaal’s sweatpants, which conveniently match her jacket perfectly, were given to her by a friend.  She bought her hijab in a fabric store in Qatar and her socks and slipper look was made possible by Amazon. Mishaal tells us she’s been wearing beige a lot recently, where she used to opt for bright colours. She loves the silhouette of this particular outfit, emphasised by the sweatpants and slipper combo. Mishaal is also an avid jewellery collector, made clear by her layered assortment of necklaces.

Mishaal’s fashion sense has changed quite dramatically over the lockdown period. She tells us that during the first lockdown she had skater girl/e-girl vibes, copping a lot of pieces from places like Love Jaded and Iamgia, but she’s now a lot more chilled with her aesthetic and has gone back to basic colours. Lockdown allowed her to experiment way more with her style as she wasn’t thinking about external judgement, and she tells us she was especially creative with makeup looks.

Farah, Second Year, Art History and Drama (@xfarahlydiax)

Farah’s lockdown look shows how she uses fashion as a creative outlet. Now that lockdown has given her more time, she experiments with making clothes herself. Farah has fun figuring out what types of clothes make her feel good, such as her Dollskill shoes that she bought off Depop. Over the course of the last few months and these two very long lockdowns, Farah feels like her style is “much more me now” as she is focusing on what she likes to wear instead of what people think.

As displayed in this look, she is really into longer skirts and dresses at the moment because she feels that these pieces allow her to embrace her femininity. The more flowing the skirt the better we say! Luckily for her, all of Farah’s jewellery displayed were gifts.  

Farah’s favourite part of the look has to be her beautiful self-made dress that she created over the first lockdown, with her grandmother’s old sewing machine. We think the use of the machine is a sick idea, and the outcome of the dress is stunning. Cannot wait to see what Farah makes next!

James, Fourth Year, Politics (@hammo_6)

James’s neutral, chill outfit looks glorious in the sunshine outside St James Park stadium. We’re trying to think of a James-related joke but we’re not that funny. His look is made up of Kickers trousers, a jumper from Ebay and a jacket given to him by his sister. James’s favourite items are his Stan Smith shoes because “it’s very amusing wearing Velcro trainers and the comments that I get about them”.

Lockdown made James care far less about people’s opinions on what he wears “in a good, expressive way, not a slob way”, he is quick to tell us. He jokes that he has “a mullet now so I look like an idiot anyway”. We think he rocks the mullet.

Antonia, Second Year, English Lit (@antoniacgxx) 

Antonia’s lockdown look consists of a variety of beautiful colours and fabrics, which she says is her go-to style at the moment as you should “wear what makes you happy” and this outfit has certainly brightened up our day. Charity shops and Depop are super popular at the moment for many Exeter students, as the clothes are often more affordable. Antonia says “that’s where the real treasures are”, therefore, it’s no surprise that her dark green velvet jacket is from a charity shop. 

The standout piece of her look are the green trousers. They were a complete steal, costing her only €5 from a French market. What a bargain. They are our favourite part of the outfit for sure, as well as hers.

Ellen, Second Year, History (@ellenhodges_)

Ellen takes coordination to the next level. Her green jumper is a steal from her mum’s wardrobe, and the olive trousers are from & Other Stories. The chunky Topshop boots and Urban Outfitters polo neck are neutral black pieces that compliment the green. Ellen’s hat, a Brandy Melville find (TikTok girls are screaming) is her favourite item as once she got the confidence to wear it, she found that “it makes any outfit look a hundred times more put together” as well as covering up bad hair days!

During lockdown, Ellen spent a lot more time online shopping, which she confesses didn’t help her bank account. We can relate. She also utilised her mum’s wardrobe far more than before because she often found herself sitting at home doing nothing. Like the rest of us, Ellen had way more time on her hands and so became even more obsessed with clothes, often looking at other peoples’ styles and trying to recreate their looks.

Elijah, Second Year, Law (@_elijahjoel)

Elijah’s lockdown look shows how to look fun, funky and fresh on those endless zoom sessions we have all become so accustomed to. He’s one that you will never catch slacking on those calls, as in shown by his stylish sweater vest from Olive Clothing – a must have.

In this second lockdown, it is really important to find ways of lifting your mood when you’re stuck inside four walls. Elijah has come up with a very good method, telling us that “picking an outfit changes the whole mood of the day. I find I’m so much more productive when I put actual clothes on.” We couldn’t agree more. His blue ASOS jeans and white Ralph Lauren shirt, which was found in a vintage shop, work well with the sweater vest. Elijah has started to care less about what people think about his fashion, which has led him to be more focused on choosing an outfit that works for him and makes him feel confident and comfortable.

Elijah’s favourite part of this look is his sweater vest as it “provides a finishing touch on a lot of outfits”. Maybe Marketplace should consider making Exeter Sweater Vests? Perhaps we have stumbled across something great here. 

Marijka, Second Year, Neuroscience (@themarzbar) (@hooked.on.marz)

Marijka’s entire outfit is thrifted, aside from her Doc Martins. She bought her trousers from a charity shop, her top was given to her by a family friend and she has picked up her rings over time. Marijka made her crochet cardigan last year, and it’s unsurprisingly her favourite piece of the outfit. Marijka tells us that it was nice to have a project to put energy into whilst studying. She loves crochet because she believes that “clothes are an extension of one’s self” and so making a piece means that you can tailor it exactly to your aesthetic. She’s been experimenting with crochet since age 16, and has an Instagram account to show off her creations @hooked.on.marz.

Marijka tells us that over lockdown she spent less time on aligning herself with one particular aesthetic, and became more comfortable with the idea that her look is whatever she wants to wear in the morning. She used to be a lot more conscious of what she was wearing and if it matched her existing aesthetic, and she now doesn’t care as much about colours and prints clashing.

Javier, Third Year, Politics and International Relations (@hrhjavier1)

Javier’s eye catching look demonstrates how to be comfy whilst rocking double denim. He admits it can be a controversial look, but he pulls it off for sure. His style has recently become more monochrome. Javier says this is because he “likes to have one colour theme that goes with [his] jewellery”. A colour coordinated king. 

Javier’s favourite part of the outfit are his new Gucci shoes. We need a pair. Javier says that they were super comfortable from the moment he got them and are the “pair of shoes I needed”.  In this look he wears silver and blue jewellery, which he says is an outcome of his Insta account @mon_roi_couture, where he shows his followers how he pairs jewellery with his clothes.

Ross, Second Year, Sociology (@rossalexthomas)

Ross’s outfit is both chill and ideal for the rainy weather. His coat is Napapijri, a brand that specialises in warm yet fashionable clothing. His trousers are Dickies, another firm favourite of Exeter students. Ross tells us that his Nike shoes are his favourite part of the look because they’re super comfy and were a cheap find on Depop.

Ross says that over lockdown he became more lazy with his style, and in turn more chill with “whacking on anything”. Like all of us, he’s also spent way more time window shopping and “looking at people [he] finds more stylish than [himself] on Instagram”. We’re guilty of doing that a lot.

Chad, Fourth Year, History and International Relations (@chadthesaintlouis)

Chad describes his lockdown look as “super comfortable, warm and cosy”. This outfit is perfect for wearing in the house as well as going on walks, which seems to be how we’re all spending our time at the moment. His favourite part of the look is the fluffy Urban Outfitters fleece, a recent buy that has a vintage feel to it, which we love.

Chad tells us that his fashion sense definitely improved over summer. He was excited to be seeing people again and so began to take more risks with his outfits, which was a change from wearing “pyjamas, joggers and exercise gear 24/7”  during the first lockdown. We fully relate to wearing joggers 24/7.

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Our next Looks in Lockdown edition will be a sustainability special, followed by a *very* exciting celebration of your finest Christmas outfits – we can’t wait to see your best festive looks! As always, send in any photos to our instagram @thetab.exeter.