How to Dress For a School with a Formal Dress Code
When you start school, or at the start of a new semester/term, follow these steps to ensure you have all the right clothes and can make enough outfits., The most important thing to do is keep your head up., Throw open your wardrobe doors and look at...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: When you start school
Don't let all these formal wears alter your perception of style
- if you're a goth, you can be a smart goth! You can also be a smart tomboy, and a smart fashionista.
Get your head on straight.
Just because you have to brush up a little for school doesn't mean you have to lose your individual style. , If it helps, pull them all off the hangers and lay them out on the bed or floor.
Separate them into two piles: school suitable, and not school suitable.
Then put them back in the wardrobe in this way
- suitable on the left, non-suitable on the right.
This creates a clear division between your school and home clothes and also lets you see how many suitable clothes you have
- so you know what else you need to get! , It helps to get an adult's perspective on your 'suitable' clothes as it'll be adults at school telling you off! They may disagree with some of the things you have chosen as school wear.
Don't argue with them and start shouting, just take on board what they have to say. , Copy down the things you don't have.
Look in catalogues, websites and stores to find the items you need and work out a total cost.
If it's too high, then work out a budget, and find clothes that will fit in it! An alternative is to discuss a budget with parents
- maybe you could go halfway.
They probably won't mind because these clothes are allowing you to be smart at school.
They're EDUCATIONAL! , If there's an item that you need to complete several different outfits, (eg blue shoes or a pink cardigan), then make sure you get it! , The more outfits you can make form one piece, the more variation you can have.
It's no good buying a certain smart skirt if it only goes with one of your pairs of shoes, or only matches non-suitable tops.
You need to have enough outfits to look different everyday, and only have to repeat outfits once every few weeks.
Otherwise people recognise your outfits and think you're boring. , Identify things it doesn't specify.
It may say specifically no flip-flops or no jeans
- BUT that doesn't mean you can't wear strappy sandals (flat ones for school, don't be a tart!); or coloured denim.
White and black jeans are easy to disguise as non-denim, as long as they don't have holes in and you wear them with smart boots or shoes, however you do need to be careful about this as some schools ban denim completely, so check if this is the case before you wear them.
Similarly, no hoodies means no hoodies
- but hooded tops and jackets are allowed and create the same look.
Vest tops banned? You can still wear them!! Just make sure to always keep your cardigan or jacket on over the top! , For example, a good smart outfit would be flat ballet pumps, a mid-length skirt, a blouse and a jacket.
Once the teachers are satisfied you're a smart dresser, replace the blouse with a t-shirt with a cool design on, like a comic book character or slogan.
Or, swap the pumps for ox-style converses.
Wear a funky belt.
In this way, you build up the confidence of your tutors by dressing by the rules, then introduce your own thing gradually to make sure you retain your individual style.
Chances are, they won't look twice! You'll get away with it! -
Step 2: or at the start of a new semester/term
-
Step 3: follow these steps to ensure you have all the right clothes and can make enough outfits.
-
Step 4: The most important thing to do is keep your head up.
-
Step 5: Throw open your wardrobe doors and look at your clothes with an open mind.
-
Step 6: Get a parent to look at your decisions.
-
Step 7: Look at the 'Things you'll need' list at the bottom of this page.
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Step 8: Once you have acquired your clothes and have a plentiful smart wardrobe
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Step 9: you can identify missing pieces by thinking up outfits.
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Step 10: Make sure that all your smart clothes make multiple outfits with your other smart clothes.
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Step 11: Now look at the dress code.
-
Step 12: As school progresses
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Step 13: try adding your favourite items from the home clothes section of your wardrobe to your smart outfits.
Detailed Guide
Don't let all these formal wears alter your perception of style
- if you're a goth, you can be a smart goth! You can also be a smart tomboy, and a smart fashionista.
Get your head on straight.
Just because you have to brush up a little for school doesn't mean you have to lose your individual style. , If it helps, pull them all off the hangers and lay them out on the bed or floor.
Separate them into two piles: school suitable, and not school suitable.
Then put them back in the wardrobe in this way
- suitable on the left, non-suitable on the right.
This creates a clear division between your school and home clothes and also lets you see how many suitable clothes you have
- so you know what else you need to get! , It helps to get an adult's perspective on your 'suitable' clothes as it'll be adults at school telling you off! They may disagree with some of the things you have chosen as school wear.
Don't argue with them and start shouting, just take on board what they have to say. , Copy down the things you don't have.
Look in catalogues, websites and stores to find the items you need and work out a total cost.
If it's too high, then work out a budget, and find clothes that will fit in it! An alternative is to discuss a budget with parents
- maybe you could go halfway.
They probably won't mind because these clothes are allowing you to be smart at school.
They're EDUCATIONAL! , If there's an item that you need to complete several different outfits, (eg blue shoes or a pink cardigan), then make sure you get it! , The more outfits you can make form one piece, the more variation you can have.
It's no good buying a certain smart skirt if it only goes with one of your pairs of shoes, or only matches non-suitable tops.
You need to have enough outfits to look different everyday, and only have to repeat outfits once every few weeks.
Otherwise people recognise your outfits and think you're boring. , Identify things it doesn't specify.
It may say specifically no flip-flops or no jeans
- BUT that doesn't mean you can't wear strappy sandals (flat ones for school, don't be a tart!); or coloured denim.
White and black jeans are easy to disguise as non-denim, as long as they don't have holes in and you wear them with smart boots or shoes, however you do need to be careful about this as some schools ban denim completely, so check if this is the case before you wear them.
Similarly, no hoodies means no hoodies
- but hooded tops and jackets are allowed and create the same look.
Vest tops banned? You can still wear them!! Just make sure to always keep your cardigan or jacket on over the top! , For example, a good smart outfit would be flat ballet pumps, a mid-length skirt, a blouse and a jacket.
Once the teachers are satisfied you're a smart dresser, replace the blouse with a t-shirt with a cool design on, like a comic book character or slogan.
Or, swap the pumps for ox-style converses.
Wear a funky belt.
In this way, you build up the confidence of your tutors by dressing by the rules, then introduce your own thing gradually to make sure you retain your individual style.
Chances are, they won't look twice! You'll get away with it!
About the Author
Carol Coleman
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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