Prost! Biergartenzeit in St Andrews
If the sun is out, all bets are off. That essay you’ve been meaning to write? Actually, it can wait. That exam you really need to study for? Suddenly you’re an expert on the subject and don’t need to! That lecture you should really be attending? Meh, you can watch it online later (you won’t).
When the sun is a scarce resource, we utilise it while we can. And what better (and more British) way to soak up the sun and actual bearable temperatures than outside with a drink? Using the term loosely ‘biergartens’ in St Andrews are one of the most popular spaces for students taking advantage of a sunny day.
In Germany, biergarten season begins with gardens opening anywhere from late winter to mid spring, for some kicking off with National Beer Day on the 23rd of April. In the UK (or at least St Andrews), it seems, biergarten season is any day that is sunny and/or uncharacteristically warm, with many pubs keeping their gardens and outdoor seating open year round.
Either way, the arrival of spring is an occasion to celebrate, through action and through dress; in any case with a trip to a sunny biergarten and an aptly celebratory outfit.
Like much of St Andrews style, biergarten apparel strikes a delicate balance between casual and dressed up, youthful and mature, playful and put together. Oftentimes, biergarten visits are impromptu occasions, coming straight from class or the library to embrace the welcome surprise of the sun and enjoy a cheeky pint. Even still, outfits are often extra fun and spring-y to celebrate the sun and warmer temperatures.
Taking advantage of the nicer weather, skirts and dresses – both long and short – are a sunny day biergarten staple. Particularly paired with a casual pair of riding boots or ballet flats, sundresses, flowy and denim skirts make for an especially festive, summer-y biergarten outfit.
As always, however, jeans dominate the landscape of St Andrews fashion. Casual, timeless, and versatile, their status as a St Andrews staple remains uncontested. And, as the weather gets warmer, the heavier sweaters and thicker coats can be exchanged for summer blouses, light sweaters, and even tank tops. Lighter jackets, too, become possible – with heavy wool overcoats and the quintessential North Face puffer falling out of use, replaced by lighter spring trenches or denim jackets.
Especially popular this spring in St Andrews is the Canadian tuxedo, a love letter and testament to the longstanding relationship between St Andrews students and denim.
Best of all, however, is when the temps are warm enough to forgo the jacket altogether. A light sweater, cardigan, or blouse is quintessential to biergarten attire. And, when the weather is really (seriously uncharacteristically) warm, tank tops are an especially festive option, and not uncommon to see among those trying to make the most of the scarce resource that is the sun. Feminine and light, biergarten style in St Andrews embraces the spring – its aesthetic and its warmth.
Continuing with the classically feminine aesthetic dominating St Andrews this spring, and most of all celebrating the lack of rain and subsidence of the seemingly perpetual wetness that settles over our town’s sidewalks and lawns, biergarten fashion this spring has especially featured ballet flats. Whether it be a classic Chanel-esque ballet flat or the more controversial Maison Margiela, ballet flats have taken over spring footwear in St Andrews; perfectly emblematic of the delicate balance of effortless, elevated casual that St Andrews does so well.
Biergarten style in St Andrews is not dissimilar to the general style of St Andrews, but it certainly reflects the joy and spirit inflicted by the presence of the sun, embracing the season in a casual yet playful way. Here, the sun is always a reason to celebrate. Prost!
Photography by Caroline Hellie