by Jess Atkins, Stylebook Co-Founder

Here's what to wear for class, college life, internships, etc. In high school, every day is super casual, but college is the chance to make the transition to a better wardrobe. You probably won't have time or the budget to shop a lot, so I'm going to teach you how to get the essentials so you can mix and match them into different outfits. I'm going to help you get the perfect closet, so if an opportunity to network, intern, or socialize comes up - you'll be ready.

When I was a college student at NYU, I lived in NYC and had internships at Vogue and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I learned a lot about how clothes influence opportunity, and I want to share my experience with you so you can learn from my mistakes! Surprisingly, college life is filled with new events that will require a more grown-up wardrobe. Of course, you won't need to dress up every day, but there will be a few new types of situations, like college mixers, networking events, theatre performances, and work/study jobs where it helps.

Photo Credit: @needforless , @blazeannmed

What You Should Wear to College

Every school has a different culture, but no matter where you are, looking put together can help you not look like a freshman. The key to transitioning from your high school look to a more grown-up style is to wear real clothes that are comfortable but cute. A side bonus is that dressing well can make you seem more responsible, which is weird but true in my experience!

Stylebook

What To Pack For College

There’s no need to bring everything in your closet to college! Below is the perfect college capsule wardrobe, with a list of clothes and college class outfit ideas. You probably already have similar clothes, so look in your closet and see how many pieces from the list you already own. You don't need the exact items; use my list as a general guideline. The key is to pick items in a coordinating color palette, which makes mixing and matching your clothes easier. Try to stick to 3 or 4 colors plus neutrals, so almost anything you grab will go together. Decide on your color palette first and then search your closet for items in the list below. All of the class outfit collages in this story use the clothes from the capsule.

cardigan , cami , button-down , ruffle top , t-shirt , jacket , blazer , green coat , dark jeans , jeans , floral pants , black pants , shorts , green dress ,
black dress , tote , dangling earring , necklace , earrings , belt , sports bra , sweatpants

College Packing Checklist

Get a checklist of everything you need at the bottom of the story!

Outfit Ideas For College

Mix Casual with Dressy Try wearing dressy items with your casual clothes to create a more grown-up look. Pairing a graphic t-shirt with trousers can look very Parisian when adding sneakers and simple accessories.

Mix and Match Try every top with every bottom you plan to bring and save your favorite combinations. If something doesn’t have a good match, don’t bring it!

Create a Uniform Don't worry about trying to wear a completely different outfit every day. Plan at least three outfits for class and three dressy event outfits and save them on your phone with Stylebook. This way, you always have something to fall back on. It's ok if you repeat outfits every once in a while; the important part is looking put together. Using your phone to plan your outfits will also help your actual closet stay neater since you won't tear through it every morning.

Balance To look more grown-up, only wear one standout trendy piece per look.

Winter If you're traveling to a colder place, bring a warm, cold-weather coat and winter accessories. You'll be walking more than you think, and it will be colder than you're expecting if you're from a warm climate! I also recommend layering tights under your jeans to make your outfit warmer when it's below freezing.

Photo Credit: @malibucampbell , @malibucampbell

Going Out Outfits Instead of wearing a dress to every event, try to mix and match separates. If you bring things in coordinated colors, you can fake a dress or jumpsuit with items of the same color. This technique will give you more variety with fewer clothes.

Play With Accessories Jewelry, belts, scarves, shoes, and bags are the easiest way to get more variety in your outfits without cluttering up your closet. You'd be surprised by how different a simple outfit can look! Some accessories can be versatile; an oversized satin scarf can also be a top or swim cover-up.

closet , ila foundation , nyx brow pencil , mascara , claw clip , color pop

7 Tips For Looking Put Together

Here are a few tips I learned from experience that will keep you look good, even if you wake up late or are just running behind because your roommates are taking over the bathroom.

Create a Go-to Quick Beauty Routine On days when you don't have anywhere to go, practice a reliable, quick hairstyle and makeup routine that you can finish in 10 minutes. Trust me; this will save you when you start an internship or if you find out last-minute about an event. I put my hair in a bun with a thick black headband and throw on some earrings if I'm out of time or if there's bad weather. For makeup, I use The Lip Bar's 10 Minute Glammakeup tutorial for everyday makeup.

steamer , mirror , clothing rack closet , basket , shoe rack , wallpaper

Bring a Steamer or Iron Wrinkly clothes can ruin the best outfit, so try to bring an iron or steamer. I prefer steamers since they don't require an ironing board and are usually faster than ironing. I also find steamers much less likely to accidentally melt or burn synthetic clothes, which is surprisingly easy to do with an iron. If you hate ironing, try to find clothes that don't wrinkle easily, like rayon or cotton jersey.

Easy-to-Wash Clothes Avoid dry clean only clothes at all costs when going to school. It'll just waste your money, or the clothes will wind up at the bottom of the hamper for months.

Plan Your Outfits For the Week On the weekend, look at your upcoming schedule and plan what to wear, especially if you're particularly busy. If you use Stylebook, you can do this anytime you have free time because you don't have to be at home. Planning will take clothes off your mind, and you'll still look amazing.

Avoid Clutter Only bring clothes you'll realistically wear, shoes you can walk in, and a limited number of accessories. You won't have a lot of storage space, so be selective. You'll be able to find what you need faster if you can see it.

cami , cardigan , button-down , blazer , dark jeans , black pants , tote

What To Wear To Your Internships

When I was interning, I was afraid of wearing clothes that looked too boring or old. Over time, I realized having just a few wardrobe staples could allow me to be office appropriate when necessary, but still express my personal style.

Here's a plan to help you build a super affordable wardrobe that can be worn for work or casually by getting just three things a year while in school. If you do this, when you start your first internship sophomore or junior year, you won't have to struggle to put together outfits when you get a position. Don't worry; you don't need an entire internship wardrobe freshman year, but I recommend slowly trying to find a few classic wardrobe staples over time.

Photo Credit: @dressingthemasses

Below, I listed the clothes I recommend in the order you might want to search for them. I'm also going to show you how to put together work and casual outfits using the same items. One good thing about classic items is they can be dressed up or down, so you should be able to use them more than you think. Here are a few items that may help you look put together at all of the events. Here is a list so you can look through your current wardrobe.

How to Slowly Build Your Internship Wardrobe, 3 Items at a Time

If you want to try to build a wardrobe for your internships and post-graduation job, here's a plan to help you slowly achieve your goal over time. You'll have everything you need if you buy just three things a year!

Photo Credit: @dressingthemasses , @allexlouis , @blazeannmed

Freshman Year

During freshman year, you won't have to dress too formally, but you want to be ready for casual dressy events like special lunches with department faculty, awards ceremonies, and club events.

Tote bag You'll need a bag for class, and if you pick a classic style, it can become your internship work bag later, so you don't have to buy another one. I recommend looking for one with sturdy straps (just in case it gets heavy) and a few internal pockets to organize small stuff like pens.

Solid color jeans with no distressing You can wear these with a nice top for daytime events, class, and your internship, if the dress code is casual.

Colorful dress A bright color dress is super versatile. It's great for nice dinners with your family, theatre shows, award ceremonies, and formal greek life events. If it's a solid color, you can easily swap the jewelry, accessories, and shoes to make it look different.

Sophomore Year

Button-down I like to buy the silky rayon button-downs because they are easy to dress up or down and are usually machine washable.

Camisole A plain silky cami is a life saver! You can use it as a layer so you can't see through your tops, wear it under a jacket for work, or as a going out top for parties.

Black dress LBDs are a classic for a reason. Look for a style that fits you well but doesn't have much embellishment. It may feel slightly dull, but choosing a plain one will help you restyle it in many ways.

Junior Year

Black Pants Wide-leg black pants are an awesome staple. They can be easily worn to dinner, events, and casually.

Closed-toe Dressy Shoes It's likely this is the year of your first significant internship in an office. Even at creative and causal jobs, you'll need closed-toe shoes. Open toes just aren't worn in most offices, trust me. I didn't believe it either and sadly learned the hard way. Loafers, pumps, or ballet flats all work well and have stylish options. I recommend picking whatever you feel comfortable in and considering how much walking you'll be doing. While I interned at fashion magazines, I was on my feet all day and had to carry heavy garment bags up and down stairs. There is no way I would have survived in heels.

Sweater A cardigan will go with many outfits for class and can add some variety to your internship outfits - plus, offices are often too cold.

Senior Year

Long-sleeve print blouse Printed blouses can easily be worn casually and give you more work outfit variety.

Blazer You'll need this for job interviews, and if it's a cute style, you might even want to wear it with casual outfits after graduation.

Nice Coat A pretty coat makes every outfit look better and can even hide a bad outfit in certain situations.

How To Build a College Wardrobe on a Budget

If you need to buy a few things for school, here's how to get the best deals!

Sales Taking your time is the best way to get the best price. Save a little extra money, and then keep an eye out for deep discount sales on expensive items. This shopping technique works incredibly well for things that look the same every year, like denim shorts and ankle boots. Don't rule out stores you think are too pricey because even the most expensive department stores occasionally offer 70% off sales. I use the app ShopStyle because they have a sale filter that allows you to search for clothes that are more than 50% off.

Shop Secondhand Secondhand stores are the best for clothes like blazers, sweaters, coats, and classic work pants. I find online secondhand shops easier to browse, but brick-and-mortar thrift stores have some fantastic finds too. I've bought new $200 designer jeans for $25 on sites like The Real Real and ThredUp. The only downside is designer pieces are often dry clean only, so read the label.

Inventory Your Closet You might have what you need already, so check your current wardrobe and document it with Stylebook! You'll avoid accidentally making duplicate purchases, and you'll be able to see what can complement what you already have without digging through your closet. Knowing what clothes you have will help you plan outfits and will save you money as you try to build your wardrobe.

Affordable Stores I wouldn't say I like fast fashion, but Uniqlo sells wardrobe staples at excellent prices, and the quality is better than some other fast fashion brands. If you're buying tons of fast fashion, buying fewer better pieces is better. Please try only to use this as a last resort if you can’t afford better quality, and use it as a stepping stone to supplement your wardrobe unit you can afford more sustainable clothes.

Shop Your Closet Don't forget to look through your current closet and see if you already have anything from the list above. That boring sweater your aunt gave you three Christmases ago might be what you need! You never know what you might find that could work.

Wardrobe Organization Tool

Stylebook Closet App

Sweaters

pullover sweater
cardigan

Tops

3 neutral t-shirts
3 graphic t-shirts
button-down or flannel top
2 dressy tops
school color tank
black cami
silky cami

Outerwear

casual jacket
blazer or dressy jacket
heavy winter coat

Bottoms

printed pants
dark-wash jeans
light-wash jeans
wide leg pants
2 pairs of shorts
skirt

Dresses

2 casual dresses
little black dress

Bags

small cross-body bag
school bag or tote

Shoes

ankle boots
going out heels
sandals
flats
sneakers

Workout Clothes

3 workout tanks
yoga pants
leggings
bike shorts
tapered sweatpants

Jewelry

pendant necklace
delicate necklace
statement necklace
stud earrings
hoop earrings

Sleepwear

sweatshirt
pullover sweater
t-shirt
2 tank tops
tapered sweatpants
PJ bottoms

Scarves

heavyweight knit scarf
neutral lightweight satin or gauze scarf

Accessories

belt
sunglasses
swimsuit

Underwear

3 sports bras
strapless bra
5 everyday bras
5 wireless bralettes
14 panties
5 pairs of black opaque tights

Workout Clothes

3 workout tanks
yoga pants
leggings
bike shorts

Extra Items

old Halloween costume (just in case there's a Halloween or costume party)
tights
swimsuit (for spring break or the gym)
game day pieces (bring a cute top or dress in your school's colors)