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One of the great parts of living the college life is that pretty much anything goes-especially when it comes to fashion and style. Because you are spending nearly a third of your life in class, the library and student lounges, comfy sweats, leggings, oversized greek tees and hoodies have taken up about 90% of your wardrobe. Factor in the other 10% which consists of trendy and affordable clothes you acquired during your weekly trips to Forever 21, and that pretty much sums up your entire closet for the past four years.
Upon graduation though, and after you land your first job in the real world, your excitement over securing your first job as an adult can go from zero to 100 real quick and turn into panic, anxiety and a series of expletives once you come to the realization that you have nothing to wear and only $1.27 and a piece of gum in your wallet. Before you can get some cash to start adding to a more professional and work appropriate wardrobe you’re now stuck with the task of trying to figure out to make your Casual Friday clothes work for you every day for the next couple of weeks.
So how exactly do you turn your casual college clothing into work appropriate attire? Take a look at how to make these five staples work for you.
Leggings
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With leggings taking up most of your drawers, leggings have become so popular that the whole “leggings-as-pants” trend has become more of the norm and something you can totally pull off in the workplace. Many stores now carry super luxe looking and professional looking leggings making it super easy for women to coordinate tons of outfits for work. Save the basic sheer black leggings (that may or may not have a hole in them) and leopard print jeggings for the weekends and opt for your black jeggings that look more professional. (Leggings and jeggings in basic dark colors with pockets work great for the work place) You can also try wearing them with a cool oversized sweater or boxy jacket and heels or sleek boots to dress them up more.
College Hoodies
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Not only are college hoodies BEYOND comfy, but they were a great option back in your college days to throw on over your PJs when you overslept and were running late to class and it keeps you nice and warm during those all-nighters in the library. Despite them appearing to be pretty useless post-graduation, you can make those comfy things work for you in the real world. If you pair your hoodies with elevated pieces, you can pretty much make all hoodies look uber stylish. Try pairing them with fitted pants, small sunnies, and a cool pair of sneakers for a trendy streetwear vibe, or you can tuck it into a leather mini skirt and pull on some heeled booties for a look that’s a bit more polished. If you want to get crafty and don’t mind a little DIY, you can cut it into a crop top to wear with high-waisted bottoms.
Greek Shirts
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Earning your letters for life is a huge accomplishment and privilege so it makes sense that you’re gonna wanna show them off after you graduate right? Well, when it comes to incorporating these into your wardrobe, remember that pairing them with classic, structured, or streamlines pieces is key. By doing it this way, it will allow your look to still be playful and youthful thanks to the tee but also grounded. A boxy tweed pantsuit would look killer with a tee tucked in, as would a fitted printed skirt. Get creative and play around with layering them over collared shirts and under scarves as well.
Tevas or Chocos
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It’s no secret that sporty sandals have gone high-fashion thanks to the athleisure trend. To pull this trend off in your post-grad life, try wearing them with fancier leather skirts, structured dresses, or cropped pants and pretty much anything that strays from super sporty. By doing that they’ll balance one another out perfectly.
Oversized T-Shirts
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