Stylish students: from frumpy to fashionable
Clothing tips for students on a budget
Wardrobes sometimes fall to the wayside while UCC students study and worry about midterms and grades. However, affordable ways to look stylish without breaking the budget are in sight. With minor upgrades to a wardrobe, anyone can look stylish, feel comfortable and make a better first impression.
Fashion faux pas
Styles for Women
The women’s casual wear of T-shirts and jeans can be spruced up by changing out the T-shirt with a button up flowing shirt. The jeans can also be traded out for some khakis or a flowing skirt for warmer days.
T-Shirts
T-shirts on a woman should not be oversized. The fashion magazine Glamour cautions women from wearing oversized T-shirts because they do not show the curves of a woman. A fitted shirt looks best for women with hourglass figures while women with apple shapes should wear more patterns and flowing shirts to draw attention from the midsection.
Red is a great color to use in the shirt in order to stand out from the crowd and be the centerpiece of the outfit. Also, V-neck shirts are a great way to add femininity to a solid colored T-shirt because the V of the shirt draws the eyes to the smallest part of a woman’s waist, thus emphasizing her curves.
Jeans
Jeans can be a girl’s best friend but only if they fit properly. The waistband of the jeans should not tug. Ideally, a person should be able to fit two fingers into their pants comfortably. Women should not wear skinny jeans if they are uncomfortable with the snugness. A positive alternative to the skinny jean would be a straight jean or boyfriend jean.
If jeans are too tight on a woman, the tragic “muffin top” appears. This is where the skin of someone’s waistline rolls over the jeans creating what looks like the top of a muffin. The muffin top appears most often with leggings or “jeggings.” Leggings can reveal a bit too much of the shape of a woman and betray what her underwear looks like. Women should check the mirror before leaving the home to see if their underwear is showing or if they have a muffin top.
Buying a pair of jeans that are bit loose around the waist is a better alternative because a belt can be used to fit the jeans to any shape. Women should also buy looser jeans because the jeans could potentially shrink. However, women should not buy jeans that appear baggy because it can give the impression of carelessness or even low self esteem. According to a study conducted by Karen Pine, author of Flex: Do Something Different, “[Baggy] jeans can signal that the wearer hasn’t bothered with their appearance. People who are depressed often lose interest in how they look and don’t wish to stand out, so the correlation between depression and wearing jeans is understandable.”
Shoes
A pair of Keds or Toms with any casual outfit can add a feminine touch. Keds are more feminine than sneakers and can be found at thrift stores for reasonable prices. Sandals and flip flops should be avoided for the winter months. Accessories that work with the casual outfit could include a chunky infinity scarf, a necklace with a pendant on the end or a colorful headband.
Interview Dress
For women, a good go-to interview outfit is a white blouse tucked into a black knee length skirt or black pants. If an interviewee wears a black skirt, it should be coupled with black pantyhose.
In an interviewing situation, women should wear two to three inch black heels. However, if the woman is uncomfortable in black heels, she should wear black flats. When a woman wears high heels that she is not confidant in it is apparent to everyone.
Fashion faux pas
Women do not have to wear just black and white to an interview. They can match this ensemble with a colorful scarf or bag. The scarf should not, however, take up too much attention and the bag should be professional looking.
Styles for Men
Men can wear a fitted or skinny jean with a shirt for a casual look. The shirt should not be too distracting. Colors should be limited to a maximum of two and shirts with enormous logos, or distracting designs can be overwhelming to the eye. A basic T-shirt can be swapped out with a flannel button down, a polo, or a sweater.
Jeans
Men’s jeans should not be worn with holes and the jeans should not be too short or too long because ill fitting clothes often indicate that a person is self conscious of their body. Likewise, shirts and pants with stains gives the appearance of laziness on behalf of the wearer.
Accessories
With the casual outfit, men look great in a pair of leather boots or shoes. Sandals with socks should not be worn under any circumstances because every fashion and style magazine lists this offense as the number one worst mistake. Likewise, flip flops are impractical in the winter. Scarves and pea coats are in style now for when the temperature drops.
Interview Dress
When interviewing for a job, men and women need to make their wardrobes simple. According to theUnderCoverRecuiter.com, when interviewers meet candidates, 55 percent of the first impression is based off of what the candidate is wearing.
Men’s interview outfit can consist of many different suits and button up shirts and ties. The one outfit that is a standard is the white button down shirt, black pants, and leather dress shoes. Men can pair this outfit with a tie that can add color to the outfit. However, the tie should not be too busy—singing ties or holiday type ties should not be worn to an interview. Ties with one color or a pattern are encouraged.