Every College Student Should Have These 5 Outfits In Their Closet

By Amanda Cohen on October 12, 2016

Packing for college can be a real struggle for a variety of reasons: (1) lack of closet space, (2) seasonal changes in the weather (dependent on the school you attend), (3) the prevalence of themed parties and mixers, (4) job interviews, and (5) how often you plan on doing your laundry.

Now, this process can be even more difficult if you are traveling to a different continent for school. Lucky for you all, I am here to help! Read on if you are desperate to learn how to pack the perfect bag (or in my case, the perfect 10 bags) for college!

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Dress to Impress

Dress to impress attire can be worn for a variety of different occasions, like going on dates, your first day of classes, attending events with university officials, and so on. Since dress to impress clothing can be used for many situations, you want to make sure you have a decent amount of options in your arsenal.

Women

Let’s start with young college women and what they should pack. Dressing to impress is all about looking nice, but keeping true to your own personal style. I would definitely bring two or three skirts (one mini, one mid-length, and one maxi) that are pretty neutral in color so you can match them with tons of blouses. Also, bring a pair of nice and/or fun pants that aren’t jeans.

Go for the flare-legged party pants as well as a pair of simple, fitted black slacks that could be used for a date or a university event. Now, what should you wear on top? Definitely bring a few blouses (a couple long-sleeve and a couple short-sleeve), a cardigan, a leather jacket, and/or a pea-coat. With these tops you can get more creative since most of the bottoms I am suggesting are pretty neutral in color. Lastly, bring a pair of booties, wedges, trendy sneakers, flats, and fun sandals.

Men

Dressing to impress for young men is a little bit easier (sorry ladies)! First, you need a total of three types of pants: jeans, corduroys and khakis. I would definitely suggest buying at least two pairs of each, especially for jeans because you want a pair of light-wash and a pair of dark-wash.

Second, you definitely need to bring a few collared shirts (both long-sleeved and short-sleeved). Since you can wear collared shirts for just about any occasion, definitely consider purchasing three short-sleeved and three-long sleeved (make sure that you have a white option in each of the two categories).

Last, but definitely not least, shoes. There are three types of shoes that every college man should have in his closet: dress shoes, trendy sneakers and Sperry’s.

I know this may seem a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry because I have a list of stores that you can look at to purchase some of this clothing!

Urban Outfitters
Nordstrom
South Moon Under
Tommy Bahama
J.Crew
Bloomingdale’s
Tommy Hilfiger
Revolve

Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sundays do not solely apply to just Sundays (but I guarantee Sundays are the day that you will wear these clothing items the most). Packing for lazy Sundays is definitely less complicated because the attire is very similar for guys and gals.

Basically, all you need to have for the perfect lazy Sunday is a pair of comfy joggers and a couple of long-sleeved and short-sleeved t-shirts. Oh, and definitely bring a pair of Ugg slippers to walk around in (a staple in every college student’s closet). I am currently wearing my favorite lazy Sunday outfit as we speak, and I could not be more comfortable.

Here is a list of websites to buy your lazy Sunday outfits from!

Nike
Urban Outfitters
Nordstrom
Revolve
Wildfox
Adidas

“Adulting”

I know adulting is not technically a word in the dictionary, but I promise you that you will use this word more often than not. When I refer to adulting, I am talking about preparing for the real world outside of college (you know, the world where you have to pay rent, do your own taxes, and find a real job). When you’re in college, preparing to be an adult revolves around interviews and career fairs. You can’t just wear any old thing to these events; you need to make sure you are dressed in business-casual attire!

Women

Ladies, business-casual clothing may sound boring, but you can actually do a lot with it! You definitely need a pants-suit and a nice A-line mid-length skirt with a blazer, but you can do so much more than this. You definitely need to purchase a few semi-fitted button-downs to wear with your pants-suit (go for neutral colors as well as a few fun colors, like light-blue or pink).

If a pants-suit sounds too constricting for your taste, go for a nice, modest, mid-length dress. This dress should be neutral in color, so I recommend that you buy two, one for the winter months and one for the spring and summer months. You want to make sure that the neckline is not too showy and I recommend wearing a blazer with the dress, no matter what the weather is. Lastly, you want to have a pair of closed-toe black and/or tan medium-height heels. Pointed toe is always recommended for job interviews.

Men

Once again, dressing for job interviews as a young man is a lot easier. All you really need are two or three suits in the following colors (black, blue, and/or grey). You also need a couple of white button-downs and three or four ties. You can get creative with the tie patterns and colors, but you don’t want to be too outlandish. In addition, you need a couple of pairs of neutral-colored dress shoes.

Here are some stores to check out to purchase your “adulting” attire!

Nordstrom
Revolve
J.Crew
Bloomingdale’s
Neiman Marcus
Express
Asos

Game Day Central

Dressing for game day is honestly so fun, but can also be a bit overwhelming depending on how “spirited” you wish to look. There are some staples that every sports fan needs in his/her closet: (1) school sweatshirt, (2) school sweatpants, (3) school t-shirt, (4) school long-sleeve, and (5) school socks. Keep in mind that these items can be used for more than just game day (there is never a wrong time to represent your school)!

Depending on the school you attend, tailgating attire differs. If you are going to school in the south, you will most likely be wearing dress to impress attire to game days. However, for most schools, you deck yourself out in school-store attire (I even wore a tutu for one of the games). Game days are also the perfect days to accessorize with crazy headbands, face tattoos, socks, jewelry and makeup!

Check out your local school store to purchase your game day attire (or even go online and type in your university on Google and search clothing)!

Workout Wednesdays

Whether you love to work out or just like athletic clothing, everyone needs athletic attire in their closets. The best part about workout clothing is that you can really purchase it from anywhere and the options are so simple.

Women

For girls, you definitely want some yoga-pants and shorts in your drawers (and you will be wearing these items not just for exercise, so bring a lot of choices). In addition, racer-back workout tops, sports bras, and tight-fitting long-sleeve running tops are always good to have in your closet!

Men

For boys, basically all you need are sweatpants and shorts with a t-shirt (your workout outfits are not as exciting to be honest). Make sure, for both men and women, you have at least two pairs of sneakers (one for working out, and one to wear while walking to class).

Here are some of my favorite places to purchase workout clothing!

Lululemon 
Nordstrom
Revolve 
Athleta 
Carbon 38
Gilt

I wish all of my readers the best of luck in college!

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