Halloween has long gone, ghost and scary pirate costumes put back into the wardrobe until next year, and yet the flurries of white lace have not left the streets of St Andrews. If anything, white lace has only become more of a staple in the St Andrews it-girl's wardrobe.
Usually, white lace is reserved for summer, light, airy and perfect for the Mediterranean vacation aesthetic we all strive for, but in an autumn/winter outfit it can work perfectly. Paired with some slightly formal trousers – think pinstriped or corduroy, a classic winter boot and a knitted scarf – suddenly you’re a model off duty. And, if there is one type of style the girls of St Andrews try and achieve, it’s the model off duty look.
Perhaps, white lace is so popular because of its exact association with the free-spirited, travel look. The students here at St Andrews are often globetrotting, telling stories of great travels and weekends abroad. Thus, a girl walking around with a white lace blouse on looks like she’s just come off a flight from somewhere where a storm doesn’t hit every week, and there’s more vibrancy than the St Andrews grey.
The options possible with a white lace blouse are endless. Think of a Free People blouse – baggy, slightly reminiscent of a 70s boho chic look. Or a more fitted Urban Outfitters type, paired with an oversized leather jacket, to really amp up the grunge look. It is this variety which is essential to why it is such a staple, it matches the aesthetics of so many niches. Grunge, boho, hippy, maximalist, coastal grandma all work with white lace.

From its popularity in Victorian nightdresses and Gothic horror culture, white lace illuminates the undressed, the vulnerable and sometimes the scary. Often associated with cults, it has a huge history in fashion. It spans the ultimate paradox: virginal and pure, yet also scary. It highlights the extremes of society.
Whilst I’m sure that the average person wearing white lace in St Andrews isn’t trying to emulate those who were in a cult in the 80s or Mother Mary herself, I think the versatility of the white lace is what makes it so essential in people’s wardrobes. It makes an outfit look more relaxed and casual yet still polished.
And, as the winter season really kicks off, the relaxed nature of the white lace blouse will probably become a staple present in the library this exam season. It will, however, most definitely be paired with many layers both under and over as the temperatures drop lower and lower.
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