It’s time to think about your back to school outfits, and I am here to help you with that.
If you love Italy, Milan fashion, or just want to do things slightly different this year, it’s always good to look for inspiration in new places.
And that’s what this post brings to you – fresh inspiration from real looks Milanese students wore around the city or on campus.
I have kept it fairly casual, but the kind of casual Italian students are used to. And I am showing you looks for both genders, so you’re invited to share this with your friends.
Table of Contents
15 Back To School Outfits With Versatile Capsule Wardrobe Pieces
I am starting with one of my favorites, which leads me to say that if you’re not a student and you’ve stumbled on this, I am positive you’ll find at least one outfit to wear, even if it’s on your casual days.
The Mac Coat
A pair of great fitting jeans, a white shirt, a mac coat and loafers sounds like a very Milanese outfit to me, even though I am aware that the Mac coat was born in Glasgow. Yet the Milanese do it so well, whether it’s for work over their suits, or with jeans for a more casual chic look.
Isn’t this the perfect student outfit?
It features jeans, comfortable shoes, and a roomy bag.
It comes with different layers, perfect for regulating your temperature as you move from outside in, and vice versa.
And most importantly it looks put together.
They say dress for the job you want right?
Well, why not start doing that when you are still in university/college?
That could open doors that you might have never imagined possible, help you make friends outside your circle.
And yes, it all starts with just one outfit, because first impressions matter.
But it’s your personality that’s going to keep you inside those rooms and friend groups.
If you are not afraid of looking too chic for school, and actually love it, here’s a more elevated look I also adore. The leather back pack gives it a very student feel, but still feels well thought out.
PS: This post includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I have or would personally buy.
Now, let’s see the male version of the mac coat outfit.
This one is more casual and cool, but still very put together.
It features a mac coat color I love on men, because it feels more masculine and less perfect.
There’s nothing particularly exceptional about this outfit, other than the mac coat really elevates it, and all the other basic pieces look like they are good quality and have a good fit.
The simple color palette also helps.
This brings me to my first tip of this post.
If you’re building or perfecting your back to school capsule wardrobe, consider investing in pieces that can elevate your outfits.
I am referring to pieces like a mac coat that you can wear with your favorite jeans, tshirts, and shoes, and make your outfit look different and better.
By investing, I don’t mean you need to splurge on a designer mac coat, far from it.
Just look around, even in streetwear brands, and focus on the fit and overall quality feel.
Go around and try different ones until you find the one that beats them all.
The Blazer
If your style if super casual and relaxed you might not relate, I get that. However, the girls and boys who love that balance between casual and comfortable, put together and expensive looking are going to enjoy these looks. You’ll see they all feature a blazer but they are, nonetheless, very different.
Look one is the coolest, and it’s not just the baseball cap that’s adding to that vibe. The undone shirt layered on top of the white tshirt and under the blazer in such an effortless manner does that too.
The male version of the cool blazer outfit is really simple but it works. The baseball cap and the backpack give that casual student look. The jeans’ light wash are surely helping. On the other hand, the cashmere jumper and the classic navy blazer add that slight preppyness we know works well with school outfits.
If you’re intrigued by idea of wearing a blazer for school but want to keep it simple, here’s a great first outfit to recreate. If black is not your color, or you think it’s too dressy, switch it to any other color you like.
Read this to find your colors: Simplified Color Analysis For Clothes + Steps To Do Yours
On the other hand, if you’re into your fashion era and love that cool modern edgy look leather adds to an outfit, consider the leather blazer. Who knows?.. You might actually find it in your mum’s closet.
The black on black with the grey look is very edgy chic. If you think that’s too professor-like, swap the black pants for jeans, and the loafers for a cool pair of chunky sneakers. It will soften it and relax it instantly.
BACK TO SCHOOL CAPSULE WARDROBE TIP N.2
None of these outfits is groundbreaking, yet they feel perfect for back to school.
You’ve likely noticed that many of the pieces are simple, casual, and similar from outfit to outfit.
They are indeed, and that’s essential, especially for students who might live in small rooms with limited storage space.
Think less is more, choose your pieces carefully, and they will work for you daily.
If you like these outfit ideas, here are the pieces to focus on:
🡢 one to three pairs of well fitting jeans – straight slightly wide fit leg is the perfect Italian style, and you can add the famous crop;
🡢 a couple well fitting good quality tshirts – white, black, and your favorite colors; the fit could be more snug, although I prefer a slightly roomier tshirt that can be tucked in nicely and feel tailored:
🡢 a white and blue shirt, or any other colors that fit your color season and personality:
🡢 a cool chic jacket like the mac or trench coat; an oversized long coat could be the perfect alternative for when it gets colder;
🡢 one or two tailored blazer that feel more relaxed – think slightly oversized, wool fabrics, and less structured lapels;
🡢 a pair of loafers – black or brown, depending on your favorite color palette (black for a more edgy cool look; brown for a more old money timeless style);
🡢 a pair of sneakers – either cool chunky or more sleek and chic;
🡢 a couple leather belts;
🡢 one or two tote bags – they could be leather, nylon, or even fabric.
Jeans and Jumper Outfits For School
If you’re thinking these outfits are too much for your casual college days, how about a jeans and jumper outfit, but elevated like an Italian would wear them.
Let’s start with one that feels very curated and chic, one you could work for the office, traveling, and for a fall brunch with friends.
It’s still a jeans and jumper outfit, right?
Yet, why does it feel so polished and special?
It’s that perfect jeans fit – just barely flared, not too tight but neither oversized, and perfectly high-waisted.
Let me show you the most casual one.
It’s probably one you are used to wearing and feels the most comfortable.
If it does, I invite you to consider these tweaks:
- keep a simpler color palette
- focus on the fit of each item
- add a little leather
- make sure everything is spotless clean, especially those white sneakers
Before we move to the next section, I’d like to show you another jeans and jumper outfit which feels a little more classic, and has a third layer.
It’s a collarless sherpa jacket that will keep you warm without the bulk of a puffer jacket.
It’s pieces like these that totally transform your daily outfits.
Imagine wearing the regular collar sherpa jacket.
Wouldn’t that look too casual and same same?
Instead, this collarless lighter version elevates your outfit and makes it look more unique.
That’s something you can slowly do with each of your favorite comfort clothing pieces. Take one by one, and elevate each of them. That’s how you transform your wardrobe.
More Men Back To School Outfit Ideas
I promised I haven’t forgotten about you. It’s just that these outfits didn’t fit in the sections before, so let’s dedicate this one to the last three outfits I’d like to show you.
They are really simple, but sometimes it’s the simpler outfits you are really forgetting about.
They are the ones they are going to feel so comfortable you want to wear them again and again.
And they are also the easiest to add your personality to.
Bomber Jacket
If the mac coat is too fashion-forward for your style, I get it. It can be intimidating, especially for men. But it’s the better place to start, especially if you’ve considered wearing trench coats before. Mac coats are less structured, cooler, and more manly, in my opinion.
If you’d like to scrap both of them, you might instead like bomber jackets.
They are definitely casual, but still have that Italian style you might also appreciate.
Here are two simple ways to style them like an Italian student would.
I chose very simple and not too polished outfits, which means they are super easy to copy.
If those color palette seem too boring, you’re welcome to add some color, with the jacket or any of the other pieces.
The Coat
A classic wool coat is not the piece you like associate with school, is it?
Well, it should if this is your scenario.
Medical faculty, architecture, fashion, law.
Nothing more than these fields screams “dress to impress”.
Don’t wait until you’ve graduated to build the image you’d like to have in your future.
If that image comes with the chic dressy clothes, you can start now.
When I saw a student at the Politecnico in Milan wearing this, I initially thought that’s too dressy for a student. And then it hit me. That’s how you stand out, how you look yourself, instead of one in a thousand.
Whether you wear the coat or not, take that to inspire you.
Dress like yourself, not like everyone else!
Two more outfits for the girlies..
I have two looks that don’t go in the above sections, but I still want to share them with you.
If I had to find a common denominator, it would be classic denim.
The first one features a pair of darker denim pants, the ones we usually perceive as more classic and polished.
If you’ve been afraid to wear yours for school, worried they might look outdated, pair them with a cooler piece.
This outfit doesn’t feel cool, I know.
It’s casual but chic.
Yet, that coat is a little cool, or at least modern.
The cropped version makes it feel more modern and youthful, and makes this outfit very back to school.
Do you agree?
I couldn’t leave you without sharing a denim shirt. While that’s not very Italian, it is a staple for many students, so here’s a look that feels very Milanese cool girl.
It’s oversized and relaxed, but still polished enough for an Italian to wear it.
It’s all in the fit!
TIP N.3
If you love wearing oversized clothes, but your mum and chic friends are telling you your clothes are drowning you, they might have a point!
You can do oversized, but you need to find the right oversized for your body frame.
This one is a little oversized, but we can still see the shape of the woman wearing it.
More Back To School Outfit Ideas
While this is my first back to school outfits post, I do think you can get a lot of inspiration from these other ones, so go check them out.
15 Blue Jeans Outfits From Milan
What To Wear In Rome (Rome it’s more casual than Milan, so you might love the cool vibe for school)
If you love Italian fashion, food, and going to Italy, you might like to receive my Italian newsletter. You’re welcome to join Buona Settimana. Sign up through one of the boxes on this page.
Please like and share. Thank you so much.
A presto,
Alessia
