All the Leeds stereotypes that are so true it hurts

It starts with an innocent night at Fruity wearing high street brand ‘jeans and a nice top’, and maybe that leads to dipping a toe into Sticky Feet, and before you know it you’re waved at Beaver Works with the best of them. Anyone who goes to Leeds will call themselves ‘edgy’, everyone else will precede that description with ‘wannabe’. There is common ground, the edge is too strong to deny. They’re called stereotypes for a reason, and in Leeds there’s a spectacular venn-diagram of pretentiousness in which to categorise these crazy kids.

Everyone looks like something out of ‘My Little Pony’

Heart Shaped sunglasses? Check. Brightly coloured cropped fur jacket? Check. Potentially toxic glitter to skin ratio? Check. They all have insanely luscious hair, a mini cooper/ ford fiat, and an enviable Instagram full of roof top bars and Dubai holidays. Check out her Depop to uncover an array of 00s boob tubes and Motel sequin dresses. Just your typical Russell Group gal with about 50% more glitter.

Tech is life

Tech is life, kets not just for horses and skinny trackies are a staple. Find this not-so-rare breed of Leeds student at literally every event held at Church and Mint Warehouse, and observe as they wrap their Adidas track jackets like a sash of honour around their sweaty, convulsing bodies. These ‘Lads’ tend to travel in packs, often walking around the grounds of your accommodation with a portable speaker blasting anything from Patrick Topping to Solardo.

Shabby chic is everywhere

Easily identified by her grown out, effortlessly stylish beached hair, nose ring and the plaid shirt permanently secured just above her mom jeans this Red Stripe drinking, scrunchy wearing Leeds girl still thinks Morrissey is life. Her wardrobe consists fully of Blue Rinse, Urban Outfitters and Kilo Sale attire. She swears that Fuzzy Logic at Wire is the best night out in Leeds. Most importantly, she never really stopped idealising Effy from Skins. Her cat-eye liner game is probably extremely strong though.

No one ever stops talking about their ‘incredible gap yah that was so totally life changing’

If you think typical privately educated rugby player, then add a hint of ‘woke’ and a hell of a lot of cultural appropriation you’ll probably be able to picture this one. Maybe its the opportunity to relive those legendary Full Moon Parties at Canal Mills and Beaver Works, maybe its because they didn’t get an offer from Bristol. Never the less, they’re here now, flooding the refectory with boastful tunes of finding themselves in Cambodia, which is “literally a less mainstream Thailand”, and we all hate them for it.

So many daddy’s girls

Of course theres a considerable amount of the most common of Russell Group stereotypes: the Rah Poshkid. To be considered a member of this self proclaimed ‘elite squad’, just wear exclusively gilets, chinos and pastel shirts, slap everyone on the back a lot, and make some kind of ignorant Beckett joke. Luckily for these Ralph Lauren clad lot, Leeds can accommodate the lifestyle they have become accustomed to and keep them separate from the riffraff: Charles Morris and Devonshire are havens, asylums even, where Moet and Grey Goose can be drunk, Ocado can be delivered and inheritance tax can be moaned about with absolutely no judgement.

The totally unoriginal sadboy

Heres a little magic trick to try: half close your eyes, allow things to go slightly blurry, and then look at Yung Lean’s Instagram. Watch in amazement as you begin to see about half of the boys you’ve encountered in Leeds magically appear on your phone screen. While his dedication to the bucket hat is admirable, the Sadboy’s originality is not. Don a bucket hat or Ralph Lauren Polo baseball cap, vintage sports anorak and poorly bleach your hair and you, too, can join the movement. As common as the Urban Outfitters green puffer jacket, the Sadboy can pretty much be found anywhere in Leeds.

The nice guy

Effectively one of the only groups who don’t try and live and die by the ‘edge’, these girls and boys like to bake together, cuddle up and watch Made In Chelsea (no Mint Mondays thanks), gossip about the person in their seminar who matched them on Tinder, sing their hearts out at Beirkeller, ‘treat’ themselves to a Dominos every two weeks and absolutely love Fruity. The height of their wild youth was reached in #Zantz/ #Maga/ #Napa/ #Malia and they’ve been on a steady, responsible decline ever since. They have enviable self control and sensibility when it comes to money, and always are the ones to buy the Fairy Liquid and toilet paper. You probably have one of them in your flat, and they’re probably the nicest person ever.