Yes my dear readers, the new school year is upon us. Most of you probably aren’t that excited about getting your study on, but look at the bright side: the first days of a new school year are the perfect moment to make a (new) first impression. When getting ready for your big day(s), there are a few pointers you should keep in mind.
1: try to leave the heels at home. The last thing you want to do when getting ready for class in the morning after sleeping as many hours, minutes and seconds as humanly possible without missing your bus, is trying to decide whether your feet and back will survive an entire day of tiptoeing around campus. Flats make it a whole lot easier to lug around the shizload of books, laptops, pocket microscopes (seriously, the stuff you kids need these days. In my time, we only had to bring some pencils and an apple to bribe the teacher!) etcetera. And if you’re still in highscool: your body is still growing and developing, do NOT wear skyhigh heels for an entire day! You have years and years of time ahead of you to ruin your feet. This is why I’ve mostly included heel-less outfits in this article. Of course you are free to decide for yourself, but I only wear heels to class if I know I can hitch a ride with my boyfriend instead of having to walk all the way to the trainstation.
2: want to make a big impression? Go for it like QsDaydream because your classmates will accept a your quirky style a lot easier if you confront them with it from day one. Don’t get me wrong, you DO need some backbone to carry off a strong look in a conservative environment, and you WILL get stares. Whenever people stare at my weird outfits, I just think to myself “gosh, they must think I look pretty”. Some statistics may tell you that people ARE in fact thinking you look pretty most of the time! I won’t vouch for those statistics, but I will vouch for this piece of advice: by worrying about what other people might think, you are only enabling others to bring you down. Don’t. If you don’t love your look, no one will. Also, a more openminded place like art school or a big city campus might allow you to take more risk!
3: want to showcase your style but keep it safe? Take a hint from AiB and wear a typical outfit – tanktop, denim cutoffs and flip flops – but with a twist. AiB’s hippie headband and crochet vest add boho flair to the look, while the sock sandals are just flipflops with a bit extra: just the way we like it! Urbantease is basically wearing a sweater and jeans, but the fit and the detail give this look a tiny bit of retro flair: I can just see her going Back to the Future in the Delorean with Michael J. Fox!
4: I can’t stress this enough: LAYERING paves the road to redemption. starryeyed spikes up her cute skirt+T combo by wearing a denim shirt and some awesome tights that keep her lovely lady limbs warm. When walking from class to class in fickle fall weather, you’ll thank yourself for putting on layers in the morning. Shed some layers when in class or on the bus, put them back on when you go outside. Beside the obvious practical appeal, layers also make you look COOL. And who doesn’t want to look COOL in school? Constance_victoria is in a basic hoodie+jeans combination, but her blazer adds some sharp city chic to the look, pulling the pieces together and adding loads of COOL. Most of us have blazers and hoodies, so this is a definite tip to put into action straight away!
5: enjoy being YOUNG! This tip is my personal fave. A lot of young people can’t wait to be all growed up and serious, but you’ll regret missing your monkey years when you’re trapped in office-casual limbo. NOW is the time to do all things that only young people get away with! Dye your hair pink, wear your dad’s old jacket, put on some socks in your sandals, mix plaid with florals and stars with stripes. Enjoy being cool! You will probably not be able to wear over the knee socks when your life gets all professional, so take a cu(t)e from BellaBella and rock them now! After all, youth is wasted on the young. Be a kid. Deny responsibility and look damn good doing it.
Still not sure what to wear? Try and imagine what kind of person you want to be perceived as. If you don’t want to be the geek: DON’T. If you DO want to be the geek: DO! Just be who ever it is you want to be, and dress accordingly. People are shallow, they judge books by their cover. Use that to your advantage.
THE STYLING DUTCHMAN
