Do you want to dress trendy and make a huge impression on your first day of college? Your heart can scream make that happen! Your bank might not be as thrilled, especially after you fork over all that dough for textbooks and supplies.
The term poor college student is thrown around in regular conversation for a real reason. Luckily for you, there is a way to look trendy no matter what you have in the bank. Wouldn’t it be awesome to look good without spending money at all?
Here are a few tips for being stylish on every student’s strict college budget.
1. Buy a Nice Pair of Shoes
If you don’t exactly have a huge budget to work with and can’t buy a ton of brand spanking new clothes, buy shoes instead.
Shoes are the bread and butter of any good outfit. Not to say you should wear a pair of sneakers with your formal dresses, but if you have a pair of shoes for every occasion it can keep you on trend.
Keep in mind, these can be shoes you’ve gathered over time and are just hibernating in your closet. You don’t have to buy 12 pairs of new shoes before your first day of college. Go through your closet and see what you can find.
2. Water Proof Them While You’re at it
If you buy a pair of cheap shoes and they let water in because you couldn’t spring for rain-resistant shoes then this is a hack for you.
All you have to do is grab some bees wax lubricating compound and rub it on the surface of the shoe. Once you rub it in and it dries, you’re all set to go!
It’s a great alternative to wearing grocery bags over your shoes or an ugly pair or rainboots when the campus floods.
3. Shop After a Season is Over
During the winter, stores will put their fall stuff on sale and vice versa. It’s like the day after Halloween when all the candy goes on sale, except its clothes.
When you go to a brand name place hunt out these racks that are full of last season’s stuff. Once you find the sale rack, go through everything. You’re bound to find some really cute stuff for a reasonable price.
You can put away any clothes you bought in the off-season for next year. Then you’ll have a new wardrobe for the new season.
4. Go for Versatile Clothing
If you go through your closet you can probably find something that you can make into a million different outfits.
If you’re rummaging around for something to wear to a formal event, grab that white cami that’s sitting there, put on some dark jeans, and top it off with a colorful sweater or jacket.
You want to invest in neutral colors because you can pair these with other clothing options easier.
5. Get in Touch with Your Inner Creative
There are tons of DIYs you can find online to help you turn old clothes that you never wear into things that you will.
That old grey shirt sitting in the closet? Slap some buttons on it to put some flair back into it.
That old, oversized t-shirt your ex gave you? Take your frustrations for him out by cutting it up into a muscle shirt you can wear to the gym.
You would be surprised at how much money you will save by making gym clothes rather than dishing money out for them.
6. Accessorize
If student loans and other expenses really have your college budget in knots just pick up the right accessories.
Something as simple as adding a scarf to an outfit can make you look warm and sophisticated. Add a statement necklace to a neutral outfit to give it some personality.
Keep in mind that accessories can bring attention to any outfit but they can also be a little overwhelming. Embrace the term less is more or you will just look gaudy.
7. Be a Smart Shopper
Always bring your college ID to stores with you.
Many stores, especially the cute family owned shops offer discounts to students. If you aren’t sure who does student discounts, look for signs outside the shop, or just ask.
Again, make a beeline for the clearance racks and sift through them. This will help you stay on a college budget and find great stuff.
8. Thrift Shops Are the Best Friend of the Broke College Student
Thrift shops are glorious if you’re a broke college student! You can stumble on goldmines if you look hard enough. The only issue with them is you have to look hard.
It can take patience to find stuff that you like. It takes a lot of time and rotating through racks. You need to make a day out of it and just spend all day treasure hunting.
If you’re really lucky, you can even find designer stuff.
9. Shop in Someone Else’s Closet
If you’re really close to your roommate and they will let you do it, you can hunt through their closet and vice versa. They might have some really cute stuff you can wear and it will help you avoid buying new clothes.
You can also hunt in your mom or sibling’s closet. They might have some stuff you can take back to school with you. The best part about this option is, if they’re related to you, they might have a similar sense of fashion.
Look Great Even as a Poor Student on a College Budget
There are fashion options out there that can fit any college budget.
Throw on some cute accessories, shop in a sibling’s closet, bring your college ID everywhere, hunt the seasonal racks, and hit up thrift stores. You don’t have to give up fashion for textbooks!
For more ways to look trendy when you go back to school this fall, check out our blog!
