Thousands of students battled the rain in all things mini skirts, biker boots and mesh this past Saturday for the biggest event of St. Andrews’ Fresher’s Week: Starfields. A faux-music-festival meets outdoor club, summoning students from every corner of the bubble.
The St Andrews Charity Fashion Show (FS, as we all know it) transforms the Lower College Lawn into a Coachella-esque music festival every year for a few hours. The event is 100% student-led and 100% impressive. Confetti machines, lights, a huge stage, and DJs from all over Europe are simply some of the few aspects that make Starfields a showstopping start to the academic year.
Starfields, though, not only transforms the university, but it also transforms the student body. Every year, Starfields allows students to not only embrace their true selves, but to engage a new form of stylistic confidence to the party. It is the first event of the academic year where you are allowed to dress in outfits that only your Pinterest board would approve of, embrace your most confident self, and leave a lasting impression on St. Andrews’ fashion world. As a fresher, the feelings of intensity may heighten, but for both freshers and returning students, this event marks the time to embrace and become who you want to be. This may sound dramatic, but trust me, a glittery top and a couple of drinks later, and you will feel the same way.
This year, I attended the event as a fourth-year student, the years of experience behind me making my most feasible top option a scarf. Topped off with cowboy boots and glittery sunglasses, I knew I would be ready to make a statement: one that speaks to how I feel all the more confident to be daring and exciting. The rest of the attendees evidently had the same thought process as me: the venue was a sea of micro shorts, glitter, and fur. It was going to be a great night.
Unlike other years, I was not put off by the dreaded bar queues. I was ready to embrace the whole experience, act nonchalantly, and enjoy every part of the event. I made friends with the girls in line and together we fended off those trying to jump ahead of us, (an experience akin to the bonding that takes place in the women’s bathroom at a trendy cocktail bar). For an event of this size, the drinks were not particularly expensive, but I was definitely thankful for having PRE-pared in advance.
The dance floor is always my favourite. It is the perfect place to meet new people and mingle with old friendships, plus the photo opportunities are excellent (I’m always here to plug @hercampus.standrews on Instagram if you do not believe me). I am not a fan of house, techno, or any music style without lyrics, but whether it is the neon lights or thigh-high boots, there is something about Starfields that gets me dancing every time.
While brainstorming the title for this article, I knew that music was the only way to bring together the essence of what makes Starfields the fantastic event it is. Techno Meets Rock and Roll perfectly captures Starfields: embracing your most daring and exciting self. That is the true definition of Rock and Roll (I checked), and no matter how loud the techno at Starfields is, the feeling of excitement is much louder. So, despite the mild hangover and the black dust coming out of my nose the day after, I would return to Starfields every year if I could.