The Best Basic Outfits For College Guys
Knowing some key and adaptable basic outfits are essential if you want to make a good first impression when going to college. When you meet classmates and potential friends for the first time, one of the first things they will notice is how you’re dressed so make sure to dress for success! Here is a breakdown of some basic outfits and clothes that you can incorporate into your wardrobe this year!
Crewneck sweatshirt with jeans or shorts
One of the most versatile and basic outfits that you can wear is a crewneck sweatshirt with your choice of jeans or shorts. What is great about a crewneck is that it is comfortable but doesn’t look sloppy. During the winter you can pair your crewneck with some blue or black jeans to be warm and look well put together. For warmer weather, you can wear grey or black shorts with your crewneck too, but make sure to roll up your sleeves so you don’t get too warm.
Since you’re in college, the crewneck also gives you the ability to represent your school. All universities will have a crewneck with their name and logo on the front in their student store, so make sure to buy one once school starts. Aside from your school logo, brands like Patagonia, Columbia, and Champion make nice and simple crewnecks that can go with pretty much anything.
Black Out
A simple color scheme that goes very well for everyday outings like going to a lecture is just all black. Having a baggy black shirt for your top, with slim fit or skinny black jeans is one way to look nice and stylish without being too uncomfortable. Some shoes that go nice with this outfit are the classic black and white converse, as well as any other fully black or white shoes you have. You probably shouldn’t wear this outfit in the summer because all the black will attract too much heat, but it is perfect for winter.
This is about as simple as basic outfits go, but wearing all black also follows streetwear trends which are popular all around the world. I have seen many students, both domestic and international, wear this style of outfit and their fashion never fails to impress.
Black goes with everything, so you probably already have the necessary clothes in your closet to put this outfit together.
Preppy
If you want to look preppy and seem more like a “classic” college student, then look no further. While dressing up like this looks like it’s complicated, it is actually a very basic outfit when broken down. All you need to have is a dress sweater and a button-up shirt that has a collar. Wear the sweater over the button-up shirt and pair it with tan or any dark-colored pants and that’s it!
While not everyone dresses this way, this style is popular for those involved with Greek life. Especially when there is an important Greek life event going on like rush week. But a fair amount of people who are not involved in Greek life dress this way too. This is also a great way to look sharp for important moments like interviews for jobs or internships.
The Button-Up Shirt
Another classic and basic outfit that you can wear at college is just a button-up shirt with dark pants. Button up shirts are particularly useful because depending on how you wear them, they can be casual or more dressed up (like in the case of the preppy outfit). Wearing just the button-up shirt alone is great for everyday use like going to class or eating with friends.
Button up shirts are also easy to find and can be cheaper than other clothes. You can find these shirts at common secondhand clothes stores like Goodwill or Savers. I’ve seen nice and clean looking button-up shirts going from four to ten dollars in cost.
If you want to find nicer brands of button-ups and still save up, you can go to nicer thrift stores like Crossroads. However, they will definitely not be as cheap as the ones found in Goodwill or Savers.
Flannel Outfits
Flannels are great ways to accentuate your fashion during the colder months. These shirts are similar to the button-up shirts previously mentioned, but flannels keep you much warmer.
Pairing a flannel with a white undershirt or t-shirt and pretty much any form of pants will look great. You can fully button up the flannel if you’re especially cold, and it keeps you looking good still. But a way to elevate the flannel outfit a little bit more is by keeping it unbuttoned in order to show your undershirt. This way you can show simple designs or logos you may have on your t-shirt, and show more layers in this basic outfit.
T-Shirt and Shorts
The most basic outfit of all time for guys is, of course, a t-shirt and shorts. Even though this outfit is incredibly simple it can go a long way, especially during warmer weather.
The t-shirt and shorts should have some basic and lighter colors for the summer. Pick a patterned pair of shorts to wear with a plain colored shirt, or a patterned shirt with plain colored shorts. But avoid wearing both a patterned shirt and shorts as this might be a little too much pattern (this goes for pretty much all outfits).
For the shorts, go with something that is slightly above the knee cap. This is the ideal length to look fashionable and youthful because going below the knee cap is outdated nowadays.
And you can wear pretty much any color or style of shoes with this outfit as well. Flip flops can also go with this outfit during the summer or at the beach.
