No duh! 80s Fashion is Back In St Andrews

Words by Lydia Wilcox, Writer

Iconic tribe: The power-suited, champagne-quaffing 80s professionals that became known as yuppies

80s fashion trends are making a comeback, just take a look at the students passing down Market Street on their way to class or glance around your 9 AM lecture. Don’t be surprised if it looks like you’ve made your way onto the Ralph Lauren Fall 1984 campaign set. From the preppy to the denim on denim, St Andrews students are saying the 80s revival is totally tubular. 

The yuppie style is particularly popular amongst students this fall; Yuppie being short for “young urban professional”. The yuppie look traditionally consists of a close-cropped haircut, a pair of pleated chinos, a tie, and a dress shirt. Tatler Asia noted in an article from 2023 when the yuppie trend also saw a resurgence that many chose to wear a modified yuppie look stating, “yuppie style takes the formal suit as the starting point, but only keeps the tie, the blazer, and perhaps, the white shirt, pairing these with jeans and sneakers”. Some St Andrew’s students remain faithful to the original 1980s yuppie look, choosing to fully lean into the aesthetic, suit jacket, chinos, black trench coat and all. However, a number of students inspired by the yuppie style opt for the modified version, typically adding a baseball cap or a shaggy haircut to their ensemble. However, despite these modifications, the Patrick Bateman look-alike comments will not be withheld. 

The preppy look, not to be confused with yuppie fashion, is also a popular aesthetic this fall in St Andrews, in particular preppy equestrian style. As noted by The Guardian, this may be a result of the Rivals effect. The Rivals is a TV adaptation of the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel of the same name which is set in 1986 and follows a rivalry between two TV companies and contains themes of class, power, money, and sex. According to Asos, “Searches for riding boots on the website are up 260%” and John Lewis reports a 74% increase. Barn jackets, tweed, and tartan have become popular amongst students this fall. A preppy style trend that has seen a revival this fall in St Andrews amongst non-rugby players is the rugby shirt and you don’t need to know what a scrum is to properly execute this style. Rihianna showed us the correct way to sport this style in August when she wore that Loewe striped wool polo top cropped. As Chloë Sevigny told Harper’s Bazaar, “It’s warm and it’s easy and it's casual. It’s basically a nicer version of a sweatshirt. I mean, it has a collar!”. 

If you need inspiration for Barn Bash just take a look at the slew of denim on denim looks in town. If you’re looking for denim on denim inspiration just take a look at photos of Madonna or Bruce Springsteen from the 80s. If you look like the lost fourth member of A-ha you’re doing it right. 80s animal prints have become a go-to for a night out in St Andrews whether it be on shoes or clothes. Zara’s summer collection included a myriad of animal prints, leopard, cheetah, and snake prints in particular. In town, oversized 80s sweaters decorated with bold, eye-catching geometric patterns and colors have made their presence known. Double breasted leather blazers have become popular as the weather turns, taking inspiration from supermodel Bevery Johnson. 

The stylistic goal for a number of St Andrews students this fall seems to be to look like you're running late to meet the rest of the Brat Pack for drinks. The beauty of 80s fashion is its versatility. There are a plethora of subcultures to garner inspiration from so there’s something for everyone.