The only difference between a student who has got to dress on no money and a secretary who has got to dress on no money is that the student can afford to look scruffy.
Most students’ first clothes problem is general budgeting; the second problem is keeping warm and cheerful in draughty digs, draughty buses or draughty lecture halls. Achieving this on a sensibly balanced budget means buying cosy clothes that last, rather than a bottle of whisky which doesn’t.
A good coat is an essential investment because that is what you wear most and what you are most seen in. As long as the outside looks good, people don’t suspect there’s a safety-pin in your grubby bra. Some think it’s essential to choose a coat that won’t bore you fast, some think it silly not to buy scarlet on the grounds that it’s first impressions that count and you want to make lots of those.
The next essential garment is a good basic jacket which can be thrown over trousers, skirts and nightgowns. If you can afford suede, you have no fashion problem, but otherwise it’s difficult to improve on a classic but well-cut reefer jacket.
The best-cut jeans are Levis, and you will need two pairs. Black are almost impossible to track down, so settle for navy and sludgy beige. Wear your jeans when your aunt takes you out to lunch (not dirty, or you won’t get taken where the food is good and expensive). If she disapproves of them, a helpless shrug should result in a reasonable tip.
You’ll need at least two dresses, one a tent dress which will allow for layers of warming underwear on chilly days. You’ll need two shirts and two sweaters to team with two skirts and your Levis.
Don’t take too many clothes: you probably won’t have anywhere to put them. You’ll need something grand only if you’re going up to Oxford or Cambridge. Anywhere else we reckon you can borrow or improvise: students were, after all, the first people to dress out of junk shops.
