Simon wears the cap he got from his girlfriend

The campus can sometimes feel like a catwalk. Students talk about what they wear and why. This time: Simon draws inspiration for his clothing from motorcycling and boxing.

Simon (24) has just had lunch. Now he is reading an article about corporate governance. In his ears are pink earplugs. They help him concentrate. He is sitting on the third floor of Polak and is wearing army green trousers, an orange T-shirt and a grey hoodie. These are his ‘everyday’ clothes, the only clothes he still has here, as Simon is moving back to Aachen.

Bad hair day

“At the moment I don’t have many things in Rotterdam, my room is quite empty”, he says. After his master’s in management at RSM, he will live on his own in his hometown. Until then, he is living out of a suitcase with only essential items. Such as his shoes, black Asics trainers. “They are comfortable, I like how they look and I can even wear them for sport”, he explains in his deep, raspy voice.

His cap may well be his most essential item: a gift from his girlfriend. “She had bought it for herself, but never really wore it. Then one day I had a bad hair day and she gave it to me.” Since then, he has worn the white Nike cap almost every day, combined with his stainless steel chain and ring.

Urban

Compared with Aachen and Maastricht, where Simon did his bachelor’s, people in Rotterdam pay more attention to clothing. “In Maastricht people are chic and in Aachen they are more nerdy. Here people make an effort to be unique with their outfits.” Simon has a theory about this: “In the countryside, people show their personality in their house and garden, but here people don’t have the space for that. Clothing style is something urban.”

Simon describes his style as ‘hip-hop’, or preferably as ‘outlaw’ or ‘authentic’. This means he would never wear skinny jeans, because he cannot be himself if he cannot move freely. He gets clothing inspiration from his friends and his hobbies, motorcycling and boxing. “I also just wear my sportswear outside when it is warm enough, combined with my jewellery.”

Boxing does not only inspire Simon aesthetically. “The mindset and discipline I get from boxing, I always keep in mind: everything you put in, you get back out.” He also brings this mentality of reciprocity to university: “I am at university because I want to learn, not to get high grades. That is not the same. I am satisfied when I do my best and gain more knowledge in return.”