What to Wear to Class (The Malaysian Guide)

I was really bored last night, so I was surfing up on 'What would students wear to college/university' but all I found was things Americans would wear to university. With boots and fur jackets and trench coats, I found it not very informative. With Asian weather and culture, we're totally on another side of 'what to really wear'.

I came up with a guide, for particular Asian students in hot countries, but being stuck in cold lecture theatres. Following the culture this is what I find most appropriate to wear to class.

Maybe if you're stuck in your boyfriend's t-shirt, or the gym sweatpants, it's time to get out of that look, take an extra effort to look a lil' more chic. Nothing beats dressing up a lil'. But always bear in mind, do not go OTT (over the top that is) because Asian students have the tendency to snicker and gossip about you being show offs.

Follow my guide closely, if you want to. If you feel that you have other suggestions, drop by my comment section! Would really love other constructive criticism as I am itching to try on new stuffs.

Baby-tees or fitting tees are total comforts. With a cute design, anytime we can pull it off for a day. Pairing it up with a denim mini or shorts if you wish to, if you usually ain't comfortable to have minis on. Remember, comfort is really the key. We concentrate better if we're comfortable.



Do bear in mind, everyday wear baby-tees are not that chic though. Maybe you can make this your choice for lazy days or days where you really have no time to gather what to wear. Imagine walking into class everyday in baby-tees.

Throw on a funky sweater for that pop of colour, this beats any cold lectures huh? And flats for comfort. I usually always have flats on because heels are beauty but pain! Urgh. And comfort is of utmost importance to me.

Hobo bags with loads of space to throw over. Make sure you get a bag with enough space to fit your pencil case, calculator and other neccessities for class. (No matter how big a bag you give me, it will never be enough!)

Jeans are essentials to a wardrobe besides baby-tees. Why? Because we cannot deny how versatile are jeans. They go with everything and look good with everything! Plus it being comfy.

When getting a pair of jeans, fear not to splurge on a good one with great fit because it will sure to last you long enough. (To note, always remember to alter the bottoms of the jeans as we tend to step on long jeans, it is not cool and it spoils your jeans!) Great fitting jeans can be gotten from Levi's, Moto by Topshop, just to name a few in Malaysia.

Jeans can be paired up with a lovely stripey tank top for a soft but subtle look. Or again, a baby-tee! (Affordable but nice baby-tees can be gotten from FOS, flea markets.) If you're willing to splurge on a baby-tee, Forever 21's are very fitting and accentuates the body well, made of soft cotton.

Or if you still want to look all girly and chic, a great camisole blouse would do good. I love pairing up with babydoll tops as babydoll tops tend to hide all unwanted bumps & humps!

Do not forget your pop of colour, that is why I choose a red cardigan in my above combination! Red is daring but it stands out.

This next combination is my favourite combination as it explains me the most! For effortlessly chic days, I love to throw on a short dress/sundress with a black cardigan. Takes only 5 minutes to put on yet it seems like I took years to figure out on what to wear!

A sundress looks chic with charm necklaces which you can get from Diva at a pretty hefty price but you can opt for cheaper ones on online charm stores or flea markets. Heart lockets and butterflies or keys are really cute but nothing too much.

The above look, looks very very expensive. But really, it ain't that expensive to put together.

And oh, black cardigans are every girl's must have in the wardrobe because it goes with everything! So go on and splurge on one! I have an MNG one which my sister passed down to me (so FOC!!!), which I dearly treasure. MNG, Forever 21, Miss Selfridge, Zara, Pull & Bear are few picks where you can find nice cardigans but its price may not seem to fit a student's budget. On another hand, you can get really cheap cardigans online!

Another casual look I love and I think every other student in Malaysia loves would be the look with shorts. And I am going to tell you a secret, that I have so many shorts, I hide them away from my mum.

White shorts are really versatile and goes with whatever colour, so it is always good to invest in one. But if you hate thinking the fact of menstrual stains or dirty chair stains on your white pants, go ahead with a denim one or a pin-striped pair. Both will do justice to your wardrobe, just as versatile.

Shorts look great not only with baby-tees(note first combination), but looks very chic on girly babydoll tops!

Here in this combination, I paired it with a pinnie for a school girl look but yet nothing too schoolish by topping it over with a yellow eye-popping cardigan!

And there were the days where I want to look and feel smart for at least. Argyles are my pick! I know I am not in Harvard or Oxford but argyles do make me feel like an Ivy League student nonetheless. Argyles look smart but to pull off a not OTT look, you can do well with a denim mini. (Argyles can be gotten of shelves from Forever 21 and Zara, most of the time!)

If you hate the prints, get a plain pull over! It will do the same trick.

You can get great denim minis from Taiwan websites, which I usually pre-order.

But besides that, you can splurge on minis in Moto by Topshop, Pull & Bear (nice but really affordable ones), WH and Forever 21. Denim minis are my favourites! (I have one from each of the brands stated, but my personal favourite would be ones from Taiwan websites, Pull & Bear and cheap ones from online blogshops!! Bargain are good sometimes, trust me!)

I used to face a dilemma where seriously denim minis are too expensive for a small piece of clothes, but Pull & Bear ones are just RM100 or so, minis from Taiwan websites are usually RM60 after conversion and I got a nice white denim mini from an online blogshop for just RM27! Isn't that a steal??

So if you ask, what is the most stable look for a university/college student? I want to look chic but really I do not want to stand out: this is the look I'd opt for:

Invest in a good tank top (Topshop, RM29.90 from Zara TRF*i do not know if the prices changed!), a great hoodie jacket (Forever 21, Padini Concept Store or little stores in Sg Wang and Sunway Pyramid have affordable choices for you) and a great denim mini.

You can pull a chic but sporty and comfy look by throwing over a messenger bag (maybe you can pick coloured ones, but I usually pick neautral coloured ones so it matches all my clothes!). And do not ever forget your perfect pair of Converse! (I am still itching for Converse, I am stuck too long with my Adidas Stan Smiths!) When opting for chic sport shoes, I usually try not to get Nike Cortezes, because they're relatively uncomfortable and the soles run off fast (They're made of foam, yucks!)

So there it goes, my guide to looking good but not OTT at class!

Any constructive criticism or suggestions goes to my comment box. Have fun dressing up!!

Oh, I am an Economics and Finance student, so if you're a design student, how fun, I think you should go OTT all the way!!!=))