I am one of those random girls who will wear dresses and skirts and too pretty/impractical shoes to class more often than not. Don’t get me wrong - I will absolutely show up in my gym clothes on occasion, but for the most part, I just prefer dressing up. Strangely enough, what I wear elicits quite a wide range of reactions and people often feel more than comfortable sharing their opinion of my clothes with me.

Here’s the general breakdown:

Pro: Being known as the fashion plate. I like that after a meeting with my cool, young English Prof she said, “I love your style. I was waiting to see what you’d wear to our meeting.”
Con: Being perceived as the girl who tries too hard. No, I actually didn’t wear this dress to impress any of the lame guys in our poly sci class. Really.

Pro: Compliments abound. I’m not vain but it is nice to hear people say that they like what you’re wearing.
Con: Criticisms abound. My best friend will never let me live down this exchange:
BF: What are you wearing?
Me: What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?
BF: Other than the fact that you’re wearing sequins at 10 am? Nothing.

Pro: It’s a conversation starter. I feel like I don’t have enough female friends/acquaintances in my life and I can be sort of shy, so if my shoes get a girl to start talking to me then that makes me happy.
Con: People thinking that you did the walk of shame to class. Someone asked me once if I was wearing last night’s outfit. Um, no. Very embarrassing. Read More »

Wake up at 7:45. Throw on sweats, a hoodie, and flip flops. Throw your hair in a messy bun. Check Facebook. Grab your bag and get to class by 8 AM.

Does this at all resemble your morning routine? I know how tempting it is to get that last fifteen minutes of sleep and run out the door looking like you just rolled out of bed. Fashion is probably the last thing on your mind when you’re trying to remember things like, Where on earth is my physics book? And, Why can I only find one shoe??? However, it is important to put at least some effort into the way you look before class.

The way you dress affects the way people perceive and treat you, whether you care or not. It can also affect your attitude and level of performance in class. If you are wearing pajamas, you aren’t going to feel awake enough to fully participate in a class discussion. If you look like you don’t care, people are going to think that you don’t care (including your professors).

Obviously you aren’t going to head to class decked out from head to toe in your Sunday best (unless you never made it home, you dawg), but there are easy ways to update your outfits so you look a little less messy and … sleepy.

10 Easy Style Updates For Class This Fall

1. A scarf - throw on jeans and a plain colored fitted t-shirt. Add a scarf and voila! Instant fashion. Scarves are really in this year and there are tons of cute ones out there to pick from. You can’t get an easier shortcut to style. Find them at American Eagle, H&M, or Limited Too (yea, it’s for little kids but they have a lot of cute scarves that are only $10!). Read More »

Remember the days of the LL Bean backpack? You really weren’t cool unless you had one; and you were even cooler if yours had your initials embroidered on it. I had the deluxe size. Which not only made me cool, but it also most likely permanently damaged my posture and caused me to knock over any small child who crossed my path.

In high school, I went through the, “I’m too cool for a backpack” phase and I carried my books everywhere, stopping at my locker in between every class. But that wasn’t really feasible in college. Walking across campus to class, it was impossible to juggle my books, laptop, cell phone, snacks, Venti Latte and various other staples.

Unable to carry it all - and completely unwilling to pick up another LL Bean monstrsity - I needed something cute and functional.

I searched high and low. The good news is: there are tons of cute bags out there. The bad news is: I bought them all.

5 Hot Bags For College:

1) Kate Spade Belle Meade Cana Tote- Kate Spade will have you actually feeling excited to gather your books and head to class. The Belle Meade Cana Tote is made from tumbled cowhide, which pretty much just sounds awesomely luxurious. Of course, the tote packs a pretty price tag at $425, so you may not be able to afford your books after purchasing it. But hey, you can always throw in a few sheets of loose-leaf paper and borrow a pen from the kid who sits next to you. This tote is worth it.

Read More »