Suggestions for college student sprucing up the wardrobe?

[Rianu]

Hello! I am new to the forum, and hopefully it can prove useful! I am a college student studying engineering. Right now I'm looking to make some signficant changes to the way i dress. As far as what I am doing now, I look fairly good, but I would like to convey a nicer more "sophisticated" appearance befitting where I am going in life and what kind of person I would like to be.

I am looking to maximize how much I am spending in this jaunt of mine ($250-$300). So far what I need and what I am thinking of buying is

1. 
   1. Jeans,maybe a pair of khakis. thinking express for jeans?
   2. Versatile pair of shoes. No idea what to do here. I am normally a nike/air jordan type of guy.
   3. Shirts/polos
   4. Accesories I currently don't have and need, a.e. sunglasses, watch
   
   If this helps I am 5 10 and am in quite good shape (very muscular and trim, but as stated a little shorter). Thanks a lot for all the help while I am researching! I sometimes can be quite clueless when it comes to smart shopping especially for a change in dress.

 

[pvrhye]

Shoes are the killer and likely to gobble up your whole budget here.

 

[Liquidus]

I was in a similar situation and I got some Levi 514s in rigid, a pair of Clarks DBs (upgraded to Loake Kemptons now) and some polos from Land's End.

 

[pvrhye]

Originally Posted by Liquidus

I was in a similar situation and I got some Levi 514s in rigid, a pair of Clarks DBs (upgraded to Loake Kemptons now) and some polos from Land's End.

Those Clarks are probably a good choice. They're not overly expensive and look sharp.

 

[Rianu]

Clark DB's? I can't exactly find which ones you are talking about. Is that an abbreviation?

 

[Liquidus]

Clarks Desert Boots, there's a long thread in the Streetwear forum about it too.

 

[Knucklehead]

If you really want to look good you won't binge shop. You don't want to buy too much up front until you know what you're doing. You should lurk about this forum for a while. You'll learn that most people here take style very seriously and have a budget that surpasses yours by far. I, however, was recently a college student, so I think I can help you here.

1) As far as jeans, I'd recommend either Gap slim straight jeans (~69 dollars) or slim straight levis (should be about 40 dollars). These fit your budget and, most likely, your body type. Your jeans should be dark. I don't think you need more than one pair of jeans to start. In general you probably don't want to shop at Express. That brings us to khakis; perhaps you can try some traditional khaki colored chinos as well as olive colored chinos. I recently purchased some pretty good chinos from Club Monaco on sale for 9 dollars. College students get a 20% discount on sale items at my local Club Monaco. I'm not sure if that is the case elsewhere. I've heard Gap has good khakis for the price, but I have no experience with them.

2) If you want some nice versatile shoes you should go with some wingtips. I would go for some brown florsheim imperial veblens (~140 dollars). Brown wingtips are very versatile; they can be worn with jeans, chinos, slacks, etc. Another good shoe to have would be a burgundy penny loafer: very versatile shoe. Maybe try Bass or Florsheim for penny loafers. I believe Bass loafers shouldn't cost you more than $60. You may also consider a dark brown or sand colored desert boot by clarks. you can purchase these on Amazon for 60-80 dollars.

3) Just go for some white oxford button-collar shirts. You can then branch out to plaids, ginghams, striped, etc. Make sure your shirts aren't too baggy. You can try H&M for these since you're on a college student's budget.

4) You only need a black leather belt, a brown leather belt, and maybe a casual belt eg a canvas or braided belt. You can go to an army surplus store for these. You can also pick up wool socks, scarves, and gloves at an army surplus store. Its a great place for a student to purchase inexpensive essentials.

 

[Mr. White]

Spring is upon us, so I'd just concentrate on summery clothes. You have half a year to make plans for fall/winter. Besides, it'll still be hot when the fall semester starts.

You'll want a couple of white, button-down shirts. OCBDs are fine. Maybe a couple more in light solids and a couple in stripes. You'll need several polo shirts for warmer days.

If you can find some on sale, get a few of those short-sleeve, loose, button-front vacation shirts in tropical patterns. They'll probably be a big hit in the week or two before finals.

It sure wouldn't hurt to get an interesting pair of sandals. Nothing expensive, just eye-catching leather work. You'll want to find a belt that's somewhat similar, so look through outlet centers and malls to see what's available and cheap.

Light cotton jackets can be found for as low as $20 if you're not picky. I mean the types of "jackets" that look like the top half of a suit. Light blue and khaki jackets will go with many light-colored chinos. Cotton jackets do wrinkle, though. A little ironing fixes that.

You probably have several pairs of blue jeans already. No reason to get more now. Besides, faded jeans are lighter colored and have that "late in the season" look you want for the end of the school year. New blue jeans give that high school start-of-semester look. I'm no fan of blue jeans anyway. Having said that, a lot could be done to express individual style with blue jeans if it weren't for the fact that everyone else is wearing them like a uniform.

I'd suggest boat-shoe types of sneakers rather than basketball or running shoes. Serious sports equipment doesn't strike me as easygoing.

 

[roryben]

This is already a great thread. I'm not a college student but I'm on a college budget.

Originally Posted by Mr. White

I'd suggest boat-shoe types of sneakers rather than basketball or running shoes. Serious sports equipment doesn't strike me as easygoing.

Have you got an example of a boat-shoe type of sneaker?

 

[Master-Classter]

H&M has $12 polos in a rainbow of colors, pick up a few of those for summer. Got to GAP or Club Monaco and look at the sales section for a pair of Chinos and dark wash denim (under $70). Get a pair of black or white Jack Purcels and Desert Boots ($70-80 max), maybe a light grey sweater or navy cardigan or something, replace the watch idea with a leather band/bracelet or something, get some ol' cheap plastic retro sunglasses if you must from H&M or whatever... I wouldn't build things like sunglasses or a watch into your 'spruce up' budget since you could easily spend the whole $250-300 on either one.

 

[dasai]

Originally Posted by roryben

Have you got an example of a boat-shoe type of sneaker?
How about a boat-shoe type of boat shoe? Some will protest that serious yachting shoes do not strike them as easygoing, but they're easier to wear barefoot than most sneakers, at the very least. Good for summer.

 

[acridsheep]

Don't buy Gap jeans, they are cheap and fall apart too quickly. Stick with the Levi's. Someone mentioned the 514's, and I'll second that suggestion. Also the Clark's Desert Boot suggestion was a good one.

 

[cptjeff]

To add to jean ideas, there are heritage makers other than levis. Lee's regular fit jean is a nice straight cut (very similar to the 514). They come in a bunch of colors and washings too, though I would tell you to just get the darkest ones and wear 'em out yourself.

Wrangler makes a slim straight (slimmer than the lee or the 514 but not as tight as the 510 or 511). It's the slim fit cowboy cut, 936 is the numerical designation they use on 'em. The cowboy cut, which is the 13MWZ- a jean they've been making for ages and the one rodeo guys wear, is a little bit looser of a straight fit- 505ish in levis terms.

Neither pair should run you more than $40.


As for the rest of it, I agree with those above. Focus on spring/summer. Polos, short sleeve sport shirts, some nice leather sandals. Casual shoes. Boat shoes with canvas portions, canvas sneakers, something along those lines. Save the wingtips someone mentioned earlier for fall.

In terms of specific brand recommendations, realize that polos are glorified versions of tee shirts. they may cost more in some stores, but just as with a tee shirt, the odds are pretty damn good that they aren't better in any meaningful way. Stick to 100% cotton, and you're set.

 

[Azzurri]

For shoes, you may want to consider "dressier" alternatives to sneakers such as suede/leather loafers. They come in many variations (e.g. tassel, penny, etc) and colours so you have plenty of options.

For bottoms, I would recommend khakis/chinos over jeans as they have a slightly more "refined" look over jeans. Get them in basic colours like olive, mustard, navy, grey, etc.

For casual shirts, gingham or checks is usually a safe choice (leave the stripes and solids for work or formal events). If you are feeling bold, you can experiment with floral or paisley designs but they do not suit everybody's tastes.

 

[Trompe le Monde]

Originally Posted by Rianu

Hello! I am new to the forum, and hopefully it can prove useful! I am a college student studying engineering. Right now I'm looking to make some signficant changes to the way i dress. As far as what I am doing now, I look fairly good, but I would like to convey a nicer more "sophisticated" appearance befitting where I am going in life and what kind of person I would like to be.