the edi magazine sets out to document Edinburgh's quintessential style, interviewing its people and seeking advice for its newcomers.
One Saturday morning, we set out in search of the most stylish Edinburgh individuals, strolling through the Meadows and into George Square to spot who caught our eye. We looked for colours, textures, and creativity that stood out in the hysteria of Freshers’ Week. Dozens of photographs later, we have curated what we think to be the perfect selection of what Edinburgh fashion represents.
It’s striking to see the change that Edinburgh’s people have undergone from a pre-Covid world; the impact that national lockdowns and isolation have had on what we value in fashion and self-expression was easy to see in the outfits and responses alike that we got around the city. We noticed just how prominent thrift shopping is in Edinburgh, and the importance placed on ethical, sustainable shopping by its students and other residents alike.
Throughout our search for style, we asked each person a few questions about where they source outfit inspiration, where they buy their clothes, and any advice they have for incoming Edinburgh students. We met a range of people, from first-years to graduates, to tourists visiting the city, all of whom contribute to the collage that is Edinburgh.
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Imo Hacking, 4th Year, The Meadows
My inspiration...
"I love Cher, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks; they’re my three. My main thing is never shopping fast fashion. I only ever go for charity shops, Depop, buying individual pieces, because I like thinking I’m the only one with something. I go for uniqueness."
Where I got it...
"Charity shops. Newington, Morningside, Stockbridge charity shops are all my go-to's. I also have a few Edinburgh-based Depopers that I buy from, like Tamara Hawkes and Fifth Season vintage. They’re so great."
My advice...
"For me right now, I dress however I want to dress, and I don’t care if I think I’m too dressy; the dressier the better. If I want to wear a dress, I’ll wear a dress. I used to dress just for convenience, whereas now I dress for confidence. Every time I leave the house, I want to feel my best; fuck no to trakkies, do you know what I mean? They make you feel a bit lazy, and sometimes that’s great if it’s what you’re into, but I want to feel like a bad bitch all the time. Dress for confidence, not convenience."
Olivia, 3rd Year, Mid-Meadow Walk.
My inspiration…
"I’d have to say Pinterest at the moment; I had a lot of time over summer to look at outfits and everything and see what I liked. My style’s also changed a lot since moving to Edinburgh, so I’d say [I draw inspiration] from walking around the city and from Pinterest, mainly."
Where I got it...
"Literally Vinted, that’s where I get everything from, all my clothes."
My advice...
"During Freshers, what I didn’t do was go to every single society event or every single pres that I could, so I didn’t make the most of the social opportunities that I had, so I’d say go to everything you can, and try and meet as many people as you can. Really."
Ross, 4th Year, Mid-Meadow Walk.
My inspiration...
"Ooh. I go around charity shops quite a lot and anything that just stands out from there I try and pick up, because they’re quite cheap and sustainable, so that’s fun. And then obviously being queer, I have a lot of queer friends and they inspire my fashion a lot because they do great things! So it’s probably friends and charity shops and secondhand places. I mean, the fashion that Billy Porter wears is just incredible, and I very recently got into skirts after seeing Billy Porter and all the fabulous embracing of the feminine and things like that. A lot of drag queens as well, like Bimini, Alice Rabbit, Rayna Destruction, and all those people; queer artists are fabulous."
Where I got it...
"When I first came to uni, it was high-street shops, and then as I got more comfortable, it moved towards charity shops and secondhand shops. I get a few bits from Armstrongs, too; they’re quite fun and have some nice pieces. With jumpers and stuff, I tend to get them off the Facebook ads; they have some fun jumpers, if more pricey and rare."
My advice...
"I’d say you’ve just got to wear what makes you feel confident. If you’re not comfortable in it, that’s going to come across and people are going to see that. I think you can kind of wear what you want, so long as you’re confident in it and you look like you’re enjoying yourself."
Louis, 2nd Year, George Square.
My inspiration…
"I’m from France, and I grew up in France, so it’s probably what people in France wear compared to the UK. I wouldn’t dress more like English guys wearing things like Nike TNs. It’s probably mostly that, to be honest."
Where I got it…
"I love Carhartt. Where I live in France is Biarritz, on the sea, where there is this fat Carhartt outlet and you can buy anything for dirt. There and Depop, maybe. Oh, and Stockbridge."
My advice…
"Umm... I need probably more advice myself than I can give, but I’d say just get stuck in."
Jasper, 2nd Year and Rosie, student, Mid-Meadow Walk.
My inspiration…
Jasper: "Oh man, whatever is eyeing in my wardrobe."
Rosie: "I think sometimes just the fit of things or how I feel in them. And then also I just really like secondhand shopping, or, you know, if my mates are like: ‘Do you like this, do you want it?’ Or even getting things secondhand and then seeing how I can change them."
Where I got it…
Jasper: "My brother… my older brother quite a bit, and then other random places around here.
Rosie: Probably just charity shops, mates, family, my gran, you know, random stuff like that. I do enjoy shopping sometimes, but it’s usually trying to shop on Vinted or Depop. If I do go to the shop I usually try to look up the shop; there are different websites you can look up where there are different ratings, like Good For You. I use that. "
My advice...
Jasper: "This neighbourhood [the Meadows] is pretty good for meeting people, and getting to know people here is pretty fun."
Rosie: "For people moving to a new place, it’s so easy to just go for everything and be involved in everything, but also just take care of yourself. Take that time for yourself to kind of figure out what you like rather than what everyone else is liking. I find that helpful because I remember when I started uni how there was absolutely everything on; people are doing this, people are doing that. I just kind of burnt out a bit, and it just gave me space to figure out what I am about and what I care about. I’d say don’t wait till burnout; incorporate self-care from the beginning."
Laura and Cem, Edinburgh Locals, Grassmarket.
My inspiration…
Cem: "I like Vintage stuff. We’ve just been into Armstrong's, so anything vintage really for me.
Laura: I’m the same, anything secondhand or vintage. And 70s rock stars for sure."
Where I got it…
Cem: "From Armstrongs."
Laura: "Or Vinted, this jacket is from Vinted."
My Advice…
Cem: "If you’re coming to Edinburgh, it’s a student city, so there are lots of people to make friends with; that's my experience, anyway. And then go and try all the thrift shops."
Caroline, Edinburgh Graduate, and Georgia, London Art Student, Mid-Meadow Walk.
My Inspiration…
Caroline: "I think my style kind of changed quite a bit over the years. I’m currently really enjoying outfits that can be worn by anyone. I wore this outfit the other week and my friend and I swapped clothes, he’s a boy, and he looked so good in it that I realised, wait, I quite like this. So I’ve just been leaning towards things that anyone can wear."
Georgia: "I’d say I’m similar, like kind of androgynous. I quite like boxy cuts and things that are flowy. For me, it also comes from being a girl and just not wanting to attract the wrong kind of attention."
Where I got it…
Caroline: "So, this shirt was thrifted, and the trousers are my mum’s. I get a lot of clothes from my mum, a lot. But otherwise, when I really need stuff or even staples, I’ll go to Asos. It’s more that if I need something specific I’ll go to Asos, but if I’m just having fun looking for clothes I’ll go to charity shops."
Georgia: "Probably just random vintage shops and charity shops. I am not really into anything expensive. All of what I’ve bought is thrifted."
My advice…
Caroline: "I think uni is quite a great thing to find yourself in, and I am a different person from when I started. I think that when you’re a teenager, you think you’re all grown up, and then you get to uni and go through the four years and realise, ah, actually I’ve learnt a lot more about the world and myself now."
Georgia: "I feel like when I went into uni because I’m at art school in London, I went wanting to look a certain way, and to be perceived as a certain person. But then you kind of find who you are and what you like. So just wear what you want, it doesn’t matter; don’t dress with the idea of what other people are gonna think. Just whatever makes you feel good and comfortable."
Spencer, non-student, Grassmarket.
My inspiration...
"I feel like over the pandemic I started doing a lot of thrifting, and I think thrifting means that you have to be decisive because you have so many different options in terms of clothing. You have to know exactly what you want. In terms of choosing a garment, when I put it on I have to have that feeling immediately; I’m not going to spend money on something unless I’m feeling that it’s doing something for me, you know?"
Where I got it...
"I’d say mostly thrifting."
My advice...
"You’re at an age where you’re so susceptible to so many different influences, so really ride on that and don’t try to dress like anyone else. University is a perfect time to find your style, and, honestly, I think that looking different is a good thing. Even if you feel crazy, just leave your house and do it for a day as an experiment. You never know what could happen the next day - you’ll feel more empowered to try something else out."
Patience, non-student, Grassmarket.
My inspiration...
"I’ve been listening to a lot of Mazzy Star and that kind of era music. I’m an illustrator so [I get inspiration from] a lot of illustrations."
Where I got it...
"There’s a really good row of charity shops on Newington High Street that I get a lot of clothes from. I moved from London three months ago and got a lot from there."
My advice...
"Roll with it. The people that you live with will probably not be your friends next year, so you don’t have to get along with them the whole time."
Thea and Anna, 1st Years, George Square Campus.
My inspiration...
Thea: "I follow a lot of people on Instagram that I like - there’s a girl called Olivia Halle who I like, and also Iris Law. I’m from Manchester, and when I walk around the Northern Quarters there are loads of cool outfits. And my friends as well, I always copy what they wear. "
Anna: "I’m from Brighton, which is very fashion-obsessed, so I think that’s the main thing for me. Depop, also, is the best place ever."
Thea: "Before lockdown I bought most of my stuff from Primark, but now I feel like I’ve done a full 180 in what I wear. Lockdown made you look at yourself more, rather than looking at other people, and I think I gained a lot of confidence. Now I just wear what I want."
Where I got it...
Thea: "A lot of my stuff is secondhand. I like Depop and vintage shops. I don’t buy that much stuff firsthand, anymore. It’s quite nice because I usually find a piece that I like that’s a bit cooler, and then I build stuff around that."
Anna: "I completely stopped buying fast fashion two years ago, so literally, everything I buy has to be secondhand. I go on charity shop crawls, and use Vinted and Depop."
Thea: "I love donation stuff, where you can go and donate stuff and pick other bits."
Anna: "Loads of car boot sales, too. Always the cheapest!"
This article was written by Ana King and Frankie Moses. All pictures were taken by Anna Bentham Wood.
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