How to make your student wardrobe working world ready

Susie Boylan is style coach and creative director at Susie Styles - a bespoke image and style consultancy offering practical, friendly and affordable advice. Susie has spent the last decade working as a professional communications specialist, implementing global and local communications campaigns across sport, fashion, lifestyle, consumer and community on both agency and client side.

Spent the last few years cultivating and perfecting your take on student chic? Whether you’ve spent your time at university carefully following trends, relying on weekly Primark staples to get you through or rocking up to lectures in your pyjamas and a hoodie, the time has come to revamp your image as you take those first few tentative steps out into the working world…

Often when you don’t have a significant work history, personal image can play a really important and powerful role in conveying your professionalism. Research suggests that within five seconds of meeting someone, potential employers have made assumptions about our personality, trustworthiness and competence – with a whopping 55% of this judgement based purely on visual perception. Plus, we all know that looking good boosts your confidence.

If you’re reading this and thinking: “Uh oh, how can I possibly afford to upgrade my wardrobe from comfortable student to empowered career girl?” – don’t panic! There’s no need to take out an extra loan or max out your credit cards, but do take proactive action now and invest in your work wardrobe. Use your student loan and the discounts you get from brilliant high street stores, as well as items you already own to build yourself a career-ready closet on a budget. Here’s how…

Foundations first - Whatever your job, industry or work culture, using classic essentials in monochrome, khaki or black as the basis of your outfit will help you to look timeless and elegant. Reuse the basic black and white tees, black skirts and trousers that you may already have in your wardrobe and experiment with dressing them up. Here are some ideas…

The blazer - Unless you’re entering a very formal or corporate workplace, there’s really no need to fork out on a suit. A blazer is a key item you’ll probably already have in your wardrobe from your student days, and as long as you wear it in the right way in the workplace, it will convey professionalism and a polished image. Black is always a good basic and is the number one item I would recommend spending some money on. Once you understand your working environment a little bit more i.e. what is appropriate, you can transition into a more laid-back style with a splash of colour or prints and patterns – a great way of letting your personality shine through. Here are some affordably priced high street blazers from H&M (£29.99), Warehouse (£65.00), New Look (£24.99) and ASOS (£55.00)…

The classic white shirt - However you feel about the white shirt, you can’t deny that it’s an essential wardrobe item. While you may have used it simply as fancy dress at university, (hello pirates and school girls) it’s definitely worth investing in a quality one that you can wear over and over again at work.

Tailored shirts are flattering as they are fitted at the waist, so they show off your curves if you have them and help create them if you don’t. Plus, you don’t need to feel all buttoned up and stiff when you wear one; you can bring it right up to date with a statement necklace, wear it under your blazer for a more formal look or with skinny jeans to achieve a simple, smart and modern style. Prices and quality vary, but you can find a decent one on the high street from around £12.50. Options below are from Austin Reed (£69.90), New Look (£22.00) and Next (£26.00).

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize - One of the best and most affordable ways to transform and stretch your wardrobe and be current is to use accessories; they’re an easy way to add colour and update older or classic clothes. Accessorizing well is important as it’s a sure-fire way to bring out your personality, and accessories enable you to share a little bit about who you are and your personal style, plus it shows creativity and attention to detail.

Skip the trends and fads and go with what works for you, but don’t go crazy – just one or two simple pieces. When you have a limited budget, the more accessories you have in your wardrobe the better, as it allows you to create multiple looks using the same clothes. It’s worth digging around in your jewellery box and in the back of your wardrobe to see if there’s anything you can resurrect from your student days, but also invest in a variety of necklaces, bracelets and earrings as well as belts, tights, a watch and a brooch or scarf. Here’s some great ways to accessorize basic outfits…

Keep handbags professional looking as they give you a good entrance; they’re often one of the first things people notice about you. Go for a quality bag large enough to hold a laptop or folder and try to find the happy medium without looking like a bag lady. Don’t worry too much about colour – handbags are another way to show off your personal style. Here’s some student discount friendly ones from Oasis (£40.00), Topshop (£42.00), Mischa Barton at ASOS (£69.00) and Warehouse (£38.00).

I believe that whether you’re in a corporate or indie culture, appropriate and stylish footwear is vital. Just remember that you may be on your feet a lot, so comfort is essential; a pair of basic, clean, un-scruffy court heels, smart flats or brogues are your best options and steer clear of nightclub-esque super high heels or sexy strappy sandals.

Coats A smart coat gives you a good entrance because it has an air of formality that shows you mean business. In summer, a well-cut trench is worth considering, and team with a scarf to incorporate colour. In the colder months, a tailored winter coat will serve you well. It’s worth investing in a decent one, and I’d suggest opting for classic cuts and shapes as they can last you a few seasons and can easily be updated each year with a pashmina or brooch. The sales are a great place to find one, and you’ll often spot some brilliant options at TK Maxx. Here’s some from Warehouse (£85.00), ASOS (£60.00), Austin Reed (was £375.00 now £199.00 in the sale) and Helene Berman at House of Fraser (was £180 now £90 in the sale).

So when you’re getting ready in the morning, take the time to look put-together – just throwing on black trousers, a nice top and flats does not make an outfit. The benefits are worth it, we promise!

Student discount info:

- Oasis – Get 15% off online and instore with NUS extra

- Coast – Get 10% off with NUS extra

- ASOS – Enjoy 10% discount with NUS extra

- Miss Selfridge – Get 20% off the hottest seasons trends

- Warehouse – Enjoy 10% with NUS extra

- New Look – Enjoy a 10% discount off in-store and at newlook.com with NUS Extra card

- House of Fraser – 10% Off Online with Facebook

- Austin Reed – Dress for Success with 15% off

For further workwear inspiration, check out our recent post: How to upgrade your workdrobe.

Image credit: sparklerawk

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