You’ve seen it in Milan, you’ve seen it in Paris, but have you taken a catwalk through the Meadows recently? From North Face puffers to outgrown mullets, it’s safe to say Edinburgh has made a name for itself as the new fashion capital. Its signature style? The ‘Rah’ aesthetic.
So, what is the ’Rah’ aesthetic? If you really want to know what the ‘Rah’ aesthetic is, simply take a stroll onto Princes Street and follow a chorus of southern English accents and the strong scent of ‘baccy.’ You’ll then find yourself in the nearest Urban Outfitters, most likely in front of a pair of parachute pants. Call me a hater, but I think we can all agree, you can’t go five steps without being confronted by a sea of girls with tote bags, reminiscing about their private school days back in London. It looks like the ‘Rah’ aesthetic won’t be leaving anytime soon, so what trends do we think are here to stay in the library looks of 2022-2023?
Skinny scarves
With Edinburgh’s average winter temperature being a whopping 1 degree, a warm winter scarf is considered essential by most. However, ‘Rah’ girls say overwise, as they’re ditching chunky knits and going for a more fashionable alternative: skinny scarves. As we know, fashion history repeats itself, and, with the resurgence of the Y2K aesthetic, get ready to welcome back this essential accessory: think 2000s Kate Moss and Hilary Duff. Want your own? You know where to go. Urban Outfitters can provide the goods, which will only set you back £25 (*cries in student*). Although, I must admit, what they lack in functionality, they make up for in style. Catch me rocking one while going to collect my iced latte from Pret.
Birkenstock clogs
You can pretended not to, but we all know what I’m talking about: the infamous Birkenstock Boston clogs. That’s right, if you want to dress as a Dutch maiden for Halloween, then these shoes are the perfect match for you… just kidding. If you’ve been in Edinburgh recently, you’ve probably seen this shoe roaming the Royal Mile. The Boston clog was introduced by Birkenstock in 1979 and was originally chosen as a house shoe. However, in these recent years, and with thanks to the Edinburgh ‘Rah’ aesthetic, they are making their way into becoming the fashionable shoe for everyday wear. These shoes are a comfortable and coordinating match to any outfit and, at around £90, are reasonably affordable for the quality you get. They’re even quite cute when you look at them more! And, what more could you want then being able to technically wear slippers to that 9am lecture without being judged?
3) Overhead headphones
Headphones? Fashion trend? The answer is YES. More and more people are ditching their boring old accessories and adding headphones as the staple piece to their outfits. In fact, I don’t blame them. I predict a headphone domination will come to Edinburgh very soon. I can also predict half of the people wearing them don’t even play music. I mean, earmuffs are so 2010! You can find a cheap pair of overhead headphones all over Amazon, they even sell them in Primark. So, if you’ve spent hundreds of pounds on Air Pods, I regret to inform you the retro headphone look is back, and here to stay.
Image credits: provided to The Student by Nylah Maerz.