Bowler Hats, Umbrellas, and Tuxes. Oh My!

St. Andrews is certainly a unique place.  A couple nights ago my housemate Mary and I were walking down North Street when we were passed by a young man sprinting... in a toga.  On a Tuesday evening.  I didn't even bat an eye, but Mary must have made a face because the young man responded saying "I know, I know!  This is a bit unusual!"  I didn't miss a beat and shouted after him: "Not in St. Andrews!"  To which he simply nodded and smiled while disappearing around a corner.  Mary just looked at me like I was nuts.  Poor girl.  She's new to town.  She'll get used to it soon enough.

There is a fashion culture here that is decidedly unique to the town in term time.  The undergrads--as much as their drunken singing in the wee small hours of the morning, their milling about on the streets, their crowding into coffee shops, and their generally obnoxious behavior (tossing water balloons) may irritate me--certainly bring life to the town.   Their clothing alone is enough to color the town with character and flair that is unrivaled, often drawing the response of a simple head shake and a "only in St. Andrews..."

Scarlet robes (see post for 26 June) can be seen fluttering down the street, worn over street clothes during the day, and possibly concealing a tuxedo or formal kilt in the evening.  Any given weekend (starting on Thursday) it is not uncommon to round a street corner and find yourself in the midst of a group of tuxedoed young men and dolled-up young women on their way to a soiree. 

Balls, formals, and fancy dress (the British term for "costume") parties aside (of which there are many here), St. Andrews has its own sense of style.  I wish I could include photos to give you a visual idea of what I encounter as I traverse the cobblestones every day, but alas, I don't have the nerve to take pictures of random people on the street! So you will have to use your imaginations...

There are the really posh, private-school, wealthy types (sometimes called "Rahs"), with their expensive designer clothes, double popped collars, body warmers (which Americans would call "poofy vests"), perfectly coifed and gelled hair, and Abercrombie and Fitch looks. (To my readers out there who are fans of Twilight,  think Edward Cullen's style...) 

Then there are your typical, well-groomed, understated, British types, with their tweed or corduroy jackets paired with jeans and leather shoes, with button-up shirts and sweaters.  Sometimes they have trim, neat hair, but usually its a floppy "Hugh Grant-like" look.  (My housemates and I watched Notting Hill the other day, and one of them commented that she saw a younger version of Grant's character walking down the street that afternoon!)

(Speaking of Mr. Grant... I actually did see him in St. Andrews, at the Dunhill Links Golf Tournament held at the Old Course a couple of weeks ago.  I also saw Samuel L. Jackson, Huey Lewis, and Tim Henmen.  My housemate, Lisa, got hit by a ball tee-d off by the heavyweight champion of the world--Wladimir Klitschko--and lived to tell about it!  And for those of you who actually follow golf, I saw Justin Rose, Colin Montgomery, and Paul Casey.  I WILL include a slide show of the Dunhill Tournament at the end of this post!)

Ok, back to St. Andrews fashion....

We've also got the fashionistas who look like they took one of everything in their closet and wore it all together: a dress over skinny jeans, with a button-up shirt, a cardigan, a jacket, slouchy boots, 3 scarves, and hair that looks like a flock of birds made a nest of it...  And nothing matches. OR, they look like they are wearing nothing at all--wearing dark tights, and oversized shirts like they are dresses (that aren't really long enough to be dresses...) , with big belts and slouchy boots.  Or teeny tiny mini skirts with tank tops, cardigans and eight scarves... in the below 40 weather...  I foresee a  cold and flu epidemic coming.   Now don't get me wrong, there are certain pieces of these outfits that I love individually, or paired together; like the scarves, cardigans, big belts, and jackets.  Its just when they wear EVERYTHING at once...  But college kids will be college kids, and you can't fault them for keeping up with the latest trends, even if this old geezer doesn't get it!

But my favorites, and I mean this with all honesty and sincerity, are the guys who look like they stepped out of "Goodbye Mr. Chips," "Dead Poets Society," or "Brideshead Revisited".  You'll be walking down the street, and suddenly you'll feel as though you've momentarily stepped into 1937!  Loafers, khaki trousers, tweed jacket, sweater-vest, proper tie or even a bow-tie, wire-rim glasses, and 40/50's era hairstyles...  Some even carry briefcases instead of backpacks. I wouldn't be surprised if they are wearing cufflinks!  Last week I saw a pair of them walking past St. Salvators Chapel wearing loafers, khaki trousers, crested sports-coats, with shirts and ties, topped off by bowler hats!  Their look was completed by proper black umbrellas, complete with bamboo hook handles.  And holding those umbrellas?  White gloves.   These guys make me smile.  

A couple evenings ago I encountered all of the styles mentioned in a 5 minute walk to the grocery store!  I love being back in St. Andrews!

(Oh! I received the mark for my MLitt dissertation last week.  I got a "distinction"!  Which is a very good thing!  So this means that when my folks come to see my MLitt graduation ceremony in November, I'll be receiving a degree ranking the equivalent of "summa cum laude"!)