Uni kid problems

It's pretty basic, and an age old problem...
What the hell does one wear to uni!!!???


I've recently moved from Swinburne Lilydale to Deakin. The contrasts between the two institutions and campuses are profound. At Lilydale, being a country campus full of country kids, it was perfectly acceptable to wear trakkies-once I even saw a girl in pajama pants, but that was taking it a bit far. Even though it was acceptable, it still took me nearly all of first semester to bring myself to wear my 'good' trakkies (black, light floaty fabric, the comfiest pants I own, other than my jammies). I felt like I'd achieved something by wearing as close to trakkies as I was gonna get. Unfortunately it was the same day I saw pajama pants girl...she won in the comfort stakes. The standard dress code at Swinny was jeans or leggings, a comfy knitted jumper and ballet flats or high tops. There was the occasional hipster who dressed to stand out, but they were rare.
Moving to Deakin was a big change. Luckily for me I had a friend who took me there the week before classes started and I got to scope it out. Let's just say I won't be wearing trakkies there! Being a bigger, more diverse and more urban campus, the standard of dress is much higher. Now, I actually have to think about what I'm going to wear (being the new girl, I'm not super keen on being stared at for not dressing 'properly'). Whilst I'm wandering around between class (and by 'wandering around" of course I actually mean doing homework and studying), I watch people. Make careful notes of what majority of people are wearing, try to guess what faculty they're in based on how they're dressed (it's pretty easy, the sports kids wear skins and runners, arts kids wear, uuumm...well, I think they dress with their eyes closed), and see how far one can push the boundaries.
However, whilst this shift to an urban campus could have been a bad thing for my (dismal) wardrobe, it's also a good thing. Being about four times the size and population, diversity is more accepted. Sadly for me this means more hipsters, happily it means I can dress in what I'd wear for coffee with the girls and get away with it.


My observations from uni so far:
- Elastic sided suede boots are IN. Big time.
- Some people have decided that since they saw *insert celebrity here* wearing a crimped faux fur vest, they can. They are wrong, it looks dumb and like they're trying too hard.
- Apparently sky high heels are ok. Personally, I prefer a maximum of two or three inches for daytime wear, but hey! short girls gotta to what they can.
- Where does everyone get their jeans!? I want more than one pair in different colours too!
- Layers are great in a Melbourne winter. It's a hard skill to master, but an essential one. My standard layering is singlet+knitted jumper+jacket+scarf (with jeans and converse).
- Ponchos...I think I want one but I'm not sure. I stole one of my friends' the other day and used it as a blanket whilst I was flopped on a couch in the library. This is the main reason I want one, so I always have a snuggly blanket with me.
- As one heads into third and fourth year of ones degree, one is encouraged to dress as one would in ones professional field. This means there's a contingent wearing dressier clothes, mixed with current uni fashions. This impresses me, because it's be really hard for someone doing, say...Law to dress professionally and semi-casually at the same time.


Here's to hoping my poor, sad wardrobe can withhold my assault over the next couple of years!


M xo