How to Buy Clothes for College
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
If you’re ready to head off for higher learning, you might need to revamp your wardrobe a bit. Shopping for an experience you haven’t tried yet can be daunting, but buying a few basics now and saving some of your fashion budget for must-haves down the road is a clever way to be sure what you have fits in with everyone else.
Buy Comfortable Pieces
Life on a college campus includes walking outside most often between classes, strolling the grounds with friends, sitting for hours at a time and then walking back to your dorm or car. All that walking and sitting means you’ll want to find pieces that are functional, comfortable and stylish.
While you’ll see some students in pajamas and other sleepwear, you would do better to try more affordable yet comfortable options from options such as H&M Clothing or Zara clothing. Look for shorts and pants that are loose enough to move in easily, but that are still flattering. Buying shirts that are comfortable is just as important as buying basic shirts that you can throw on and walk out the door to class.
Buy Layering Pieces
In the fall and spring especially, you’ll be walking to class in the heat only to find yourself sitting in a freezing classroom. One or two of your most basic pieces should be hoodies, sweatshirts or a sweater to throw on over your tank or tee. Keep it in your bag or tie it around your waist while you walk and pull it on when you sit down ready to do some learning. Look for warm, yet light pieces to avoid extra bulk.
Buy Walking Shoes
Flip-flops and mules might be adorable, but if you’re hoofing it from one corner of campus to another in fifteen minutes, you’ll want something a bit sturdier underfoot. Look for shoes that you feel fit your style but that are also supportive and won’t let you arrive at class with blisters and dirty feet from the dust outside.
Buy Fun Pieces
A lot of the fun of college life is heading out on the weekends to dance or visit parties. You’ll want to buy pieces that are fun to wear, but consider the tone of the college you’re attending and the city you’ll be living in. New York colleges will likely have a different sort of evening wear than ones in tiny rural cities. Always opt for basics you can mix and match and go for things that are easily washed in a dorm washing machine. There are rumors of beer and other easily spilled beverages at college parties.
Easy Step By Step Instructions
- Put some money aside to buy clothes on campus – you’ll want logo and college wear anyhow
- Buy comfortable, functional pieces – loose and easy are your motto here
- Buy layering pieces such as hoodies and sweatshirts for cool classrooms
- Buy walking shoes to replace flimsy shoes you might have worn inside a school building
- Buy fun pieces to wear on the weekends or to parties
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
Bring the basics the first few months of college and when you head home for Thanksgiving or a long weekend, grab more of the clothes that suit your new college style. This keeps your closet from becoming cluttered.


(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
(4.86 out of 5)