Can has a bad shopping habit

When Can (18) is late, he runs about a kilometre from Beurs metro station to Erasmus University College. So it’s important for him that his shoes are sporty. His black trainers have a springy white sole and a bright yellow stripe.

Can is in his second year and studies international law. He has just come from a class in which a documentary about decolonisation was shown. There was a bowl of spiced biscuits and he took the last of them. He nibbles thoughtfully as he talks about his clothes: “I like the colours yellow and red.”

According to him he is wearing a ‘basic’ outfit today. “It depends on how much energy I have to get dressed. Today I didn’t have much, because I slept very little.” This morning he put on yesterday’s socks again. His shirt is a white collarless polo, made from a thin fabric. Can bought it when he visited friends in New York. In the department store Macy’s his eye fell on the button at the neck. Now it’s his favourite T-shirt.

He wears black-and-white checked trousers. He actually bought them because he wanted baggy trousers, but they shrank in an overly hot wash. He also bought the trousers in a red version, because he likes how ‘unique’ the design is. “I love shopping so much that it’s a problem”, admits Can. “Last year I lived near Lijnbaan, and then it was really bad. All the shops are there: Uniqlo, H&M, Bershka. I used to go there often and always bought something.”

“My mother also loves shopping, so I think I get it from her.” Can has mainly collected T-shirts and jackets, and it’s difficult to store all those clothes in his student room. “In my first year it was really a drama. The wardrobe I have now is still not big enough, but I can just about cram everything in.”