My Favorite Go-To College Outfits | How To Be Comfortable and Functional In Your College Clothing
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This post is about staple, easy, college outfits.
When you begin college, you might feel a lot of pressure to dress really trendy and look amazing every single day. The reality is, you probably won’t have time for that!
When you consider all of your classes, extracurriculars, and other social events, you’ll find that you definitely do not have time to wake up an hour before each class in the morning and piece together a complicated outfit.
While getting all done up every morning is really therapeutic for some people, it’s important to remember not to hold yourself to an unfair standard. This is where your staple, comfortable, functional college outfit choices come in!
In this post, I show you the staple items that I keep in my wardrobe at all times to help me put together an outfit when I’m in a pinch. Plus, these outfits are functional and can be easily paired with trendy pieces. This post shows you casual, comfy, cute outfits that are perfect for any college day.
Here are 11 casual, go-to college outfit pieces.
MY GO-TO COLLEGE OUTFIT STAPLES
BOTTOMS
When you pick the bottoms you’re going to be bringing to college, go for your most functional, well fitting, universal choices. I personally wear the bottoms shown below the most. Then, make sure that you invest in these staples. They’ll most likely last your entire college career!
HIGH-QUALITY BLACK LEGGINGS
Black leggings are really popular for good reason. They’re really universal, and super comfortable! If you don’t already, you’ll find yourself reaching for these pants frequently when choosing clothes to wear to your college classes. I really suggest getting one or two pairs of really well fitting, comfortable, high quality leggings that you can wear regularly. These may be more expensive, but they’ll last a lot longer. I’ve had 2 pairs of super high-quality leggings that I’ve worn for almost two years!
DARK HIGH-WAISTED JEANS
Having a pair of nice, universal jeans that go with tons of outfits is great for keeping in your go-to wardrobe. I really recommend getting high-waisted jeans, since they look great with a French tucked regular shirt, or a crop top. They’re also easy to dress down or dress up, for whatever you’re feeling. This is another item that’s worth investing in, although I’ve had the same pair of dark high-waisted $20 jeans from Target that have lasted tons of washes and a crazy amount of wear.
RIPPED MOM JEANS
Just like dark high-waisted jeans, ripped mom jeans should absolutely be a staple in your college dorm room (or apartment) closet. These jeans are trendy and can instantly turn a plain shirt into a cute, well-put-together outfit.
TOPS
Just like when you’re choosing bottoms, you’ll want to choose tops that are functional. However, choosing some tops that are more trendy won’t break the bank, and will keep you looking up to date. Here are my personal wardrobe staples.
LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRTS
I personally pick these up from the different places I travel. I love how they provide a small amount of warmth, and pair well with a pair of black leggings. In case you are looking for some suggestions, I listed a few of my favorites that you can buy online below.
FUNCTIONAL, HIGH-QUALITY SWEATERS
While the typical college hoodie is a great choice when thinking of comfort, you probably don’t want to be alternating the wear of the same two hoodies every other day. Some nicer, more form fitting sweaters are great to combat this. They look really nice, and they can be paired with a bunch of different bottoms depending on the style of the sweater. I included my personal favorites below!
PLAIN, UNIVERSAL CROP TOPS
These crop tops are super affordable, and come in a ton of colors. I love having lots of plain crop tops on hand, since you can pair them with any high-waisted bottoms for a trendy look.
PLAIN, UNIVERSAL T-SHIRTS
Just like plain crop tops, it’s great to stock up on some affordable plain t-shirts. I really like finding these in the clearance section at department stores! They’re also really popular at thrift stores, and usually for under a dollar.
LONG CARDIGANS
Long cardigans look wonderful when paired with high-waisted jeans and crop tops. It’s a great idea to have a few neutral colored long cardigans on hand! I personally like for them to come down around mid-thigh, but not go as low as my knees. I find that when they’re long enough to go down to my knees, they look kind of awkward and end up getting caught in stuff when I sit down.
SHOES
Except for special occasions, I would choose one of the pairs of shoes listed below to wear almost every day. All of these shoes are comfortable for rushing around the college, and they’re trendy enough that they don’t look out of place with my outfits.
CONVERSE
BIRKENSTOCKS
I go to college in a particularly cold climate, and I wore my Birkenstocks with socks pretty frequently. While this might be a fashion disaster in warmer climates, this was extremely frequent around my college campus. Birkenstocks are super comfortable, and they slip on really fast. They were great for keeping in my dorm, especially for running to the bathroom in my pajamas.
CHACOS
Just like my Birkenstocks, I wore my chacos with socks constantly. Again, this is totally acceptable where I live. If you don’t have a pair of chacos, I highly, highly recommend getting them. They can be worn in the water, taken hiking, or just worn to run to the grocery store. They’re probably the most functional pair of shoes that I own!
