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.
How to Develop a Classical Fashion Style
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
There often comes a time that you realize the trendiest items simply aren’t well suited to your body shape or your position in life. It is about this time that you begin to realize the value of a classic wardrobe. Developing a classic wardrobe takes time and should never be rushed.
Determine Your Version of Classic Style
Classic style doesn’t have to be boring beiges. Take a look at Banana Republic clothing or Abercrombie and Fitch clothing to see just how elemental style can be, but with stylish elements as well. A well fitted pair of pants with a classic shirt can be easily dressed up with accessories that are a bit more colorful. That same white shirt can be worn over a brightly colored tank and the pants look great dressed up or dressed down. Flip through catalogs and websites until you find the style of clothing you’re comfortable with.
Work Slowly
Building a classic wardrobe means finding pieces that will be classics. This doesn’t happen in a single shopping trip. Start by finding outfits you enjoy and possibly a few variations on that top and bottom piece. If you find a new outfit every time you shop, your pieces should begin to blend together if you’re buying the same basic style each time and the same level of quality.
Classical Quality
Classical pieces should be made with higher quality items than trendy items. In fact, buy cheap trendy pieces to supplement your more expensive items if you’d like, but splurge on quality fabrics and a great cut. After all, you should be wearing these items for years to come.
Fit Matters in Classic Style
The fit of your clothing is one of the most critical elements to a classic style. Be sure your clothing fits the largest part of your body well and then have the pieces altered to fit the rest of you correctly as well. Altering a pair of pants can be as little as $5 – not much on a fashion basic you’ll be wearing for a decade or more.
Easy Step By Step Instructions
- Determine what sorts of classical styles you enjoy
- Work slowly to build up a wardrobe one outfit at a time
- Look for high-quality items that can last for decades.
- Fit your clothing well and use alterations to ensure the perfect draping
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
Classical clothing is not tight. If your clothing feels tight or is pulling, go up one size. Size doesn’t matter when building a fashionable wardrobe – fit does.


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