In every lecture, library visit, Spoiled coffee and Toppings trip you are only a maximum of 3ft away from a Longchamp bag. You might not think that you know what one looks like but trust me you do. The classic canvas bag, chic and understated. The most variety in bags you see in St Andrews is what colourway the wearer has chosen. Most popular by far is the navy, on the rise a baby pink, perhaps a red, sometimes adorned by a bag charm, certainly worn with a Samba shoe.
The rise of the Longchamp is something particular to St Andrews’ campus, walk around the campus of nearby universities or perhaps venture further south to an English university and you’ll find a variety of bag choices, maybe most popular a tote bag or trusty backpack.
So why are we so obsessed with Longchamp? Well, I theorise it’s down to who exactly makes up our student body.
Stereotypes of extreme wealth, private school pupils and international students mar our university. Some of those stereotypes, however, are not entirely false. It’s hard to deny that our campus is significantly contributed to by international students, this is one of the things that in fact makes our university so special, the varieties of cultures and backgrounds represented create a rich and diverse community, often reflected in the style of students.
Credit: Somebody/ Unsplash.
The number of international students, especially those who attended international school is the reason for our love as a campus of the Longchamp bag. According to my conversations with international students who attended international schools, the Longchamp was a constant staple in classrooms.
Perhaps it’s simply down to the fact that it’s hard to damage the bag or that it perfectly fits a laptop. Perhaps it’s the timelessness of the bag, the epitome of silent luxury whilst having a relatively low price point for students.
The exact reason is to be left unknown, what is definite is that it’s ingrained in the culture. That culture is reflected in our own community.
And whilst countless jokes can be made about the monoculture present in St Andrews fashion, the bag serves as an emblem ultimately of the tight knit, small community we have. So long may the reign of the Longchamp continue.
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