Wardrobe Needs for the Female College Student

You can only fit so much clothes in a college dorm. For this reason, you should bring no more than enough clothes to last 2 weeks at which point, you should do laundry. Remember you will probably be provided 4 drawers, and enough space for 20-30 hangers and room for a few totes under your bed. Here are the items a typical female college student will need.

Underclothes: Underclothes are a given for the female college student, but you need to make sure you have enough to get you to laundry day. Start with 10 bras, 20 underwear, and 2 Spanx.

Tights, leggings, socks: Get a about 5 of each. These take fall and spring outfits through the winter due to the added warmth.

Swimwear: Two suits and cover ups if you are going to college somewhere warm or with beach access.

Jeans: Get five great pairs of jeans: Your jeans should fit very well. You can get a couple of trendy pair like skinny jeans or wide leg jeans. The other jeans should have a classic fit, and one pair should be dressy.

Skirts: Ladies that like to wear skirts should have about five. Try to cover all styles. Get classic/business like skirt such as a pencil skirt and an a-line skirt. Also get some casual skirts such as a short denim or long flowing cotton.

Sweats: Yoga pants with matching jackets are great for weekends and lounging.

Dresses: You should have one or two dresses. for college. One can be fun and flirty for date nights. The other should be more business like or classic. They can be black or another basic color like beige, navy or brown. More importantly your dresses need to be versatile so you can wear it with different accessories for a different look. Technically, you could wear the same dress every day and never repeat the same look.

Tank tops: You should have at lest five tank tops to wear alone or for layering, they will keep your wardrobe fresh. I suggest, a black, a white, and a few bold colors. You may want to add a few l ong sleeve t-shirts are great for layering under your clothes during cold seasons.

Casual tops: Get a pile of graphic T-s and knit tops for daily wear. Eight to ten shirts will do.

Sweater and light jackets: Three sweaters or jackets can add variety to your wardrobe while keeping you warm.

Dressy tops: Bring two of your dressiest tops along for parties and special events.
Coats and jackets: Bring a light weight coat for fall and spring weather. Consider a trench coat, a light pea-coat, or a classic leather jacket. Also bring a winter coat for adverse weather, and a fancy coat for dressing up.

Sleepwear: Drawstring pajama pants, hospital scrubs, basketball shorts, or more yoga pants are great for sleeping. Also bring some of your old favorite t-shirts from home to sleep in. Bring a bathrobe if you have to leave you room to go to the bathroom.

Accessories: Necklaces, scarves, bracelets add a bit of punctuation to your college wardrobe. Bring a dozen of each, but leave your most expensive items at home. Accessories also make great wall decoration.

Shoes: There are essentially 8 pairs of shoes every female college student should own: Rubber flip flops are needed for dorm use and shower. You may want a back-up pair in case they break. You will need a pair of sneakers for exercise and walking. Classic pumps and wedges and great for height with a bit of extra stability. (Don't bring stilettos to college. The chance of getting injured in them is too great. Ballet flats are necessary when your feet need a break. You will also need a quality pair of leather fashion boots, such as high heel boots, riding boots, or cowboy boots. Finally, you will need a pair of cold weather or rain boots. Try not to bring more shoes than can fit in a hanging shoe bag and the floor of your closet.

If you feel that this is not possibly enough clothes to get you through a semester, remember you can swap out clothes when you visit home. Just bring an item home for every new item you plan to add to your college wardrobe, and you won't run out of space.