Fashion to make you fall in love: Looks in Lockdown Valentine’s edition

Love done the stylish way


Welcome to our Valentine’s edition of Looks in Lockdown. Love is in the air this week, and Exeter friends and couples are winning the fashion game. 20 students later, and we can confirm that couples’ fashion has never been hotter. The Beckhams are quaking.

This edition has proven that whilst couples tend to influence each other’s styles, individuality is still key. Some pairs buy each other new garms, others just resort to stealing from their loved one. As every teenage movie has taught us, taking your partner’s hoodie seems to be the definition of love. However you’re celebrating Valentine’s this year, we hope this article inspires you to dress up!

Mayte and Seb, second years (Marketing with Management, Art History and Drama) @maytehornmontoya @sebby_salisbury 

In this relationship, sharing is caring. It also seems to be the case that clothing is what truly binds their love. It’s no surprise that they look effortlessly cool and coordinated, with both of them wearing Doc Martens. Mayte’s incredible statement jacket is from Strand Studio and she wears this on top of a t-shirt from Free People. Her trousers are from Exeter favourite Urban Outfitters. Meanwhile, Seb’s jacket is from Mr Enjoy da Money, which he has layered on top of a Supreme t-shirt, hoodie from Stussy and paired with vintage cords. He tops off his Valentine’s look with a hat from Palace. We’ve never seen two people mix hype brands and stylish pieces so well. 

Why is this person your Valentine? 

Mayte: “Seb is my Valentine just for his jumper collection”

Seb: “She’s great to shop with”

Why is this your Valentine’s look? 

Mayte: “This is my outfit because Seb likes the feel of the coat”

Seb: “It’s comfy and easy to move around in”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense? 

Mayte: “Well, Seb only wore Ralph Lauren before meeting me”

Seb: “Mayte steals all my clothes”

Would you say you have similar style?

Mayte: “We both wear a lot of dark colours and baggy clothes, which often ends up with us accidentally matching”

Seb: “Our style is definitely pretty similar, we share trackies and both wear chunky shoes”

Bella and Flavia, third years (Art History, Business and Finance) @isabellamason_ @flavialforbes

Bella and Flavia have coordination on lock, wearing the same style of Urban Outfitters cargo trousers in different colours. The jewellery they both wear is all second hand, with Flavia’s collected from charity shops and Bella’s handed down from her mum and grandmother. Bella compliments her pink cargos with a matching pink ASOS beanie and bright blue Nike spell out sweatshirt. Flavia continues the pink theme – perfect for Valentine’s – with a Bershka crop top, adding a charity shop leather jacket on top.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Flavia: “She’s not”

Bella: “We’re the same person except one of us has brown hair and the other is blonde. We share a wardrobe as well as opinions. You can have either one of us, take your pick”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Flavia: “We share each other’s clothes and egg each other on to buy stuff on Depop”

Bella: “I always send Flavia photos of pieces that I think would suit her”

Would you say you have similar style?

Both: “For sure. We developed our fashion sense together”

Heidi and Ben, second years (Liberal Arts, Geography) @heidi.edwardss @jaminhay

Heidi and Ben both enjoy wearing vintage jumpers with the occasional high street garm mixed into the equation. Heidi is wearing trousers from our current favourite brand, Peachy Den, and a Nike hoodie from Depop, adding a vintage jacket over the top. Also repping Nike, Ben wears a vintage sweater from the brand, paired with Uniqlo jeans and Air Forces. He likes buying everyday basics from high street brands, but particularly loves wearing street and skate wear. Ben often gets his hands on these pieces from retro or second-hand shops. Similarly, Heidi tells us she’s aiming to have a more sustainable wardrobe in 2021, attempting to buy from second-hand shops only. A eco-friendly duo. 

Why is this person your Valentine?

Both: “We have been together for one year… and therefore are spending Valentine’s together”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Both: “These are our Valentine’s outfits as they are comfortable and easy to wear”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Both: “We both enjoy wearing vintage jumpers and hoodies, plus we often swap and share clothes. As a result, we dress quite similarly”

India and Georgia, second and third year (Drama, English and Drama) @blu.indie @georgiaclousada

India and Georgia suggest the key to love may be buying garms for one another. All of Georgia’s jewellery here was bought for her by India, whilst India’s pearls were copped by Georgia. They both love charity shopping, with Georgia’s leather jacket and India’s linen trousers being second-hand. Georgia’s dress, from Pull & Bear, was a Christmas present from India’s grandparents. Continuing the theme, India’s sweater vest is one of her granddad’s that he rarely wears. These grandparents clearly have pretty good style.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Georgia: “Bottom line we make each other happy”

India: “She’s my Valentine because there are two lesbians per each 20 mile radius in Surrey. Beggars can’t be choosers”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Georgia: “I think we support each other in wearing what we actually want to deep down, and at times perhaps aren’t confident enough to wear. We fuel each other’s love for socks and earrings and are constantly sharing”

India: “Georgia is definitely supportive of the androgynous vibes I go for and I’m constantly sending dresses and stuff that I know Georgia would look good in. Georgia definitely inspires me to go for a more feminine look at times, especially over the summer. She also pushes me to branch out as much as I can instead of chucking on the same trackies and hoodies!”

Would you say you have similar style?

Georgia: “I think there’s an overlap of our styles on most days, but we also have extremes of our own styles that the other wouldn’t necessarily wear. I think we’ve pushed each other to play with style more and experiment with clothes”

India: “We do have quite a similar style on the whole, in that we both take influence from current fashion looks, but there’s always a little bit of individuality in there. For example, I’ve always been a beads and jewellery person from a young age so that’s something I bring to my own outfits. Georgia has always had this bohemian princess vibe that she can sprinkle in all of the current fashion trends”

James and Sam, Master’s (Politics, Marketing) @hammo_6 @samxalexander

We’re impressed to see two pairs of Nike shoes that aren’t Air Forces here. With them, Sam wears Levi’s jeans and a Tommy Hilfiger jumper, an Exeter classic. James reps Topman trousers and a t-shirt based on his favourite film, La Haine. Cultured.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Sam: “We’ve been stuck in a housing contract for three years”

James: “Sam is one of the only people in my house who isn’t my ex-girlfriend”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

 James: “Sam has definitely tried to dress more like me this year”

Would you say you have similar style?

James: “Sam’s wardrobe is mine but taller”

Antony and Amelia, second and third year (History and International Relations, English and Film and TV) @antonyjj1 @ameliasothea

This fashionable couple seem to hold the key to a good relationship: jewellery. Antony’s pendant was made by a family friend, whilst Amelia’s was a gift from Antony, bought and made in the Czech Republic. Amelia also wears a bee necklace from Olivia Burton. The dedication to wearing a variety of incredible accessories does not stop there. They both have an extensive ring collection, with Antony’s rings from a place called No Entry, based in Bristol. Amelia’s ring was made by Antony’s family friend and gifted to her by his parents. Very cute.

Antony layers his Carhartt jacket, bought in a John Lewis sale, over his SlowThai merch t-shirt and a Depop sweatshirt. The bottom half of his look is made up of Levi’s 501 jeans from eBay and Nike Air Force 1 shoes, also from Depop. He completes his outfit with an unbranded beanie from Amazon and a bag from Noah on Dover Street Market. Amelia’s earrings were a cop from Vivienne Westwood and her sweatshirt is from Urban Renewal. Her skirt is Adidas, a piece that she found in Exeter’s Parade Vintage. To complete her look she wears Buffalo shoes – gifted by Antony – and a Chloe Bag from Selfridges. Now this is a stylish couple.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Both: “We’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend for nearly seven months now”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Both: “We think there is nothing sexier than being comfortable and showing personality. We both really like cats and think the matching sweatshirts are really cute and unique”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Amelia: “As shown, we buy each other clothes and accessories for special occasions. We both love shopping together, especially charity and vintage shopping. Antony describes our styles as ‘the duality of the Instagram explore page’ as he enjoys vintage workwear such as Carhartt, Dickies and Levi’s”

Antony: “Amelia is a fan of trying new trends. However, she loves certain garments such as cardigans (she has about 10) and luxury bags”

Would you say your styles are similar?

Amelia: “Our styles are pretty different as I’m more brave and love bright colours, whilst Anthony tends to stick to the formula of sweatshirt, straight dark trousers and trainers”

Antony: “However, what unites us is our love for comfort”

Isabella and Scott, second years (English, Economics) @izzyjayham75 @scott_llew

Isabella and Scott might win the crown for the most sustainable couple. Scott’s entire outfit is from Depop, with the Places + Faces top, Carhartt cargo trousers and Air Forces being absolute steals. We need to start looking harder on second-hand clothing apps. Isabella’s outfit is just as trendy, with her YSL jumper she borrowed from a housemate keeping her warm. She wears a white turtleneck underneath and finishes off the look with perfectly fitting flares from a charity shop.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Both: “We have been together for two and a half years now, and it’s our six month anniversary two days before Valentine’s Day”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Both: “It’s just something comfortable to wear so it’s easier to eat ourselves into a Domino’s induced coma”

Would you say your styles are similar?

Scott: “I love wearing streetwear brands, but often source them second hand on eBay or Depop”

Isabella: “I also love vintage or more dated pieces, so I tend to go charity shopping a lot. We don’t have an incredibly similar aesthetic, but we both put a lot of effort into trying to find clothes we like in a sustainable way”

Romy and Liv, second years (Geography) @romy.mccutcheon @oliviarmcdonald

The neutral tones of Liv’s outfit balance out the bright colour of Romy’s funky jumper, which was an eBay cop. Liv’s look is made up of a leather jacket, dress and turtleneck, with all pieces from trusty Urban Outfitters. Romy pairs her jumper with some flared jeans that a friend gave her as a hand-me-down (spoiler – it was one of us).

Romy tells us: “As someone with a phobia of fast fashion, it takes a lot for me to buy new garms”.  She recommends an app called Good On You which rates brands based on how ethical and sustainable they are. Liv seems to be hopping on board as she wears her vegan Veja shoes which are made of eco-friendly materials. We can tell these guys study Geography.

Why is this person your Valentine?

Liv: “Romy is my emotional rock”

Romy: “Liv felt sorry for me (she’s got a boyfriend)”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Romy: “I’m trying to bring the snow to Exeter with my jumper”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

 Liv: “We bond over not having the funds to recreate the Exetah fashion but I converted Romy to turtlenecks”

Jemima and Tom, second and fourth year (English, Physics with Astrophysics) @jemimaunsworth @acetorterra1

Jemima and Tom say they have different styles, but their love means they support and encourage the other to wear what they feel best in. They don’t necessarily influence each other, yet Jemima says: “I definitely like to wear pieces I know Tom likes on me.”

Jemima’s favourite element of her outfit is the cut of her gorgeous green dress, which she bought from the Clothing Warehouse, which is a second hand store in her hometown. Her shoes are from H&M and might be one of the first times heels have featured on Looks in Lockdown! They perfectly complete the stylish look. Tom’s outfit brings a splash of colour to the image. The pink shirt and the braces, which were a Christmas present, add a touch of sophistication to his look, whilst the jeans are from House of Fraser. 

Why is this person your Valentine?

Jemima: “Tom is my Valentine because he has made me smile every single day since we have met. There is no one I would rather spend Valentines with”

Tom: “Jemima’s my Valentine because we have been together for just over a year and I think she’s the prettiest, kindest and most loving person there is. Especially in a year of lockdown and distance, every year we get to spend together is a gift”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Jemima: “As Tom and I will be having our Valentine’s date on Zoom, I will definitely be wearing something like this. Comfort is key! It’s also nice to dress up in lockdown as it makes a change to the jogging bottoms I’m normally wearing”

Tom: “It’s my Valentine’s look because I only own a couple of shirts and I think pink really suits me. We both enjoy dressing up a bit for Zoom dates to make them feel special, so putting on a shirt and braces makes me feel very stylish”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Jemima: “We don’t usually influence one another’s style. I love Tom and love whatever he chooses to wear. The only way we possibly influence each other is through compliments”

Tom: “I don’t think we influence each other that much. I think we both wear similar styles to what we wore before we met, but Jem definitely makes me feel comfortable and good looking in whatever I wear”

Would you say your styles are similar?

Jemima: “Tom likes to wear clothing that is quite traditional and classic, whereas I tend to be a bit more experimental with statement pieces and accessories”

Tom: “Jem likes bold clothing, bright colours and various accessories and they really suit her, but I tend to wear a t-shirt or polo shirt day to day. I’m nearly always in jeans but I wear a shirt for special occasions”

Oscar and Lucy, second years (Medical Science, Biology) @littlemore3 @lucyheenan 

Lucy and Oscar’s outfits are practically carbon copies of each other. We love to see a couple so in-sync and matching, they are the Beckhams 2.0. They are both wearing black North Face puffers – an Exeter staple – and Nike Air Forces. Lucy’s jeans are from Monki and Oscars are from Levi’s. Perfect outfits for a wholesome winter beach walk. 

Why is this person your Valentine?

Lucy: “This person is my Valentine so I can steal his clothes”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Both: “It was cold on the beach and we wanted to stay warm”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Both: “I mean, just look at the picture”

Would you say your styles are similar?

Both: “Ironically, very different”

Hector and Anna, second years (English, Management with Marketing) @annahewitt12 @hector_lea

This photo of Anna and Hector shows humour is the most important aspect in a relationship. Both of their jackets are from charity shops, with Hector finding his leather jacket on Sidwell Street. Impressive. They are also a fan of high street brands, as is clear from Anna’s black Berksha jeans, a contrasting white jumper from N.Peal, and Zara shoes. Hector wears River Island trousers which he has paired with shoes from Russell and Bromley. He adds a hint of colour by layering a turquoise Hackett jumper over his wax corduroy shirt. Another thing this couple has in common is a love for winter accessories. Hector wears an Archie Foal scarf and Anna showcases her London Cashmere Co. gloves, keeping her warm in the cold. 

Why is this person your Valentine?

Hector: “Best of a bad bunch”

Anna: “Lockdown has prevented me from finding a better one”

Why is this your Valentine’s look?

Both: “It’s too cold to function in anything else. Our house is 10 degrees today, INSIDE”

How do you influence each other’s fashion sense?

Anna: “We don’t much. I bought Hector some Beaufort and Blake cheese themed boxers for Christmas. He loves cheese more than me”

Hector: “I haven’t bought Anna any cheese themed underwear…yet”

This has been  your Valentine’s edition of Looks in Lockdown, we hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you want to be in our next (slightly more traditional) edition of Looks in Lockdown, please let us know via our Instagram page @thetab.exeter!

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• New year, new garms: The best Looks in Lockdown this week

• Charity shop and Depop queens: The sustainable edition of Looks in Lockdown