College Days

So how do you dress for school? I'm stuck with uniform and it definitely has its advantages. With uniforms, you don't have to fret about what to wear everyday. It can be less stressful for some who are very self-conscious to be relieved of the burden of worrying about your sartorial choices everyday.

But in university, casual clothes take over.

In Singapore, uni undergrads tend to wear a cookie-cutter garb: micro-mini skirts, cheerleader skirts, loose baggy tshirts, bermudas, flipflops, polo shirts, lycra spaghetti straps, tube tops

I'm not against that. The weather is hot, you've got the figure so I'm good. And really, university is not about clothes.

But, to those who are interested, I think Preppy meets Vintage would be a great style choice for university students. The boho look is dime-a-dozen because of the very limited types of clothes available (how many gypsy skirts are there?) so I would suggest to lay off the tiered skirts and boho-anything for school.

Rememeber my previous post on Paul and Joe? Their fall collection had a good line of Preppy meets Vintage styles and another line to introduce today would be the lovely Karen Walker. She made a trip to Singapore recently and even made it to the papers.

This fall, she has many prep-tage or vin-py styles I like which can be worn in school or in town.

Firstly, instead of wearing jeans all the time try other pants. Wide-legged pants are more comfortable and can be quite stylish too.

A fancy knit pullover like the one on the right is perfect. I love these pullovers because they are very comfy and can be worn comfortably without layers in tropical countries like Singapore. They are also very versatile!

That sweatshirt and pants look might be tiresome in the US but since it is so comfortable, why not? Instead of wearing those ugly university logo sweats, try something that looks more modern and trendy, like this blue sweat that has a little adidas-sporty meets high-fashion shearling interior. I'm not a fan of the brown sweatpants but if worn with a feminine blouse inside, it makes the look much less sloppy.


Instead of wearing those micro-mini denim skirts, why not try something less revealing? (You don't want the lecturers seeing more than necessary, do you?) Knee-length skirts with an A-line silhouette have been quite trendy this year and paired with a preppy striped polo, the look is comfortably stylish and not too OTT. The striped socks, maybe not. But the shoes are lovely to complete the look.

And instead of those candy-coloured, nauseating cheerleading ruffled skirts, try something more high-fashion like a knee-length black skirt, also with ruffles and that flouncy volume, but much more sophisticated.

And for those who like shorts and bermudas, why not try something more tailored? A pair of well-tailored bermudas can last you your 4 years of university and more. The colour and silhouette is a little safari but worn with bright cute top, it makes for a perfect casual outfit.

And who say's you can't wear dresses to school? I love Karen Walker's dresses for their vintage appeal. The one on the right is so adorable and yet a little sexy with the corset top but layered with a polo shirt, it immediately gets more toned down and school-friendly.

Or maybe when you are giving one of those important presentations and want to look smart and chic, try wearing a blazer over your dress. Blazers should be a must-have in everyone's closet, not just those who live in cold countries. If bought in a comfortable cut and material, it would make your look very trendy instantaneously. Moreover, when all the clothes are in the wash and all you have are those Britney (ie gross) terry cloth sweats, a blazer can salvage the whole look, though I won't suggest you try this very often.

For those who are even more experimental, how about this colourful flouncy dress? It looks kind of retro, which is very popular amongst students nowadays. I'm not sure about layering it with a Tshirt or wearing green pumps and stockings to school, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, why not?

And for your school's dance, gowns are so passe. Try a lovely cocktail dress in a simple black colour. This dress is so versatile. You can wear it with a square-toed loafer and sling over a book bag for another school day, or pair with stockings and heels and accessorize with diamond jewellery for that girl's night out or prom night.

The best thing is, these outfits can bring you to school and to town in the same day.