The outfit equation: solving ‘I have nothing to wear’ at university

So you’re looking inside your wardrobe (which is, evidently, full of clothes) and thinking you have nothing to wear at uni. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered!

A capsule wardrobe will be your best friend. Find a solid pair of everyday jeans, linen trousers for when its warmer, and tracksuit bottoms to round out every occasion you may come across at university. Hollister is always a good go-to! Get some plain t-shirts or tank tops that you can wear with anything and everything, or even to layer on top of each other and find jumpers to wear too. Find a couple staple jackets for the nine months of rain a year and you’ve got a solid foundation of basics. From there, just mix and match absolutely everything - you should end up with at least a months worth of different combinations.

Don’t ever be afraid to wear an outfit twice. Remember, you may be an outfit repeater, but the outfit rememberers are so much worse!

Now, statement pieces. For when you walk into a lecture hall like the main character in a coming-of-age TV show and everyone silently gasps. Buy a jumper with a funky pattern. Statement jewellery - big earrings, belts, bracelets and necklaces. Glasses that you absolutely don’t have a prescription for. Cool coloured shoes or cowboy boots.

Throw in a couple skirts, some scarves, a few formal outfits and you have everything you need to survive your year at university. Mix it, match it, I promise everything will go together.

If you’re looking to go beyond the basics and want a challenge - welcome to the rule of seven! Each piece of basic clothing you wear is given one point, and every statement piece is assigned two points. The goal is to get above six points and under ten, with seven being the ideal number to hit. It’s a great way to structure an outfit from scratch and gives it a more intentional and ‘finished’ look. Creating a perfect combination is supposed to be fun and not stressful, anything you wear is perfect.

Lastly, here’s a secret. After week one, I promise nobody will care what you wear. Even with this perfect formula, you can throw it out of the window as long as you show up to classes and have fun at uni!