I don't have many clothes and I am worried

I'm starting uni in September but my family is really very poor, I have a jacket, 2 jumpers and 2 pairs of jeans I alternate between whenever I must go outside but I wear my uniform whenever I have to go to school.

I've been coping with not having much to wear because of my uniform but I'm concerned about university. I've been saving some money from my part time job but I haven't got an idea how many clothes or shoes or whatever I should have? How often do people buy them? I went to a shopping centre recently and honestly I was overwhelmed by the choices and prices.

I really don't want to feel embarrassed and I want to dress like others but I'm confused as I'll have to be building it from scratch.

(edited 12 months ago)

Reply 1

lildannys95

10

Original post by Weloelo

I'm starting uni in September but my family is really very poor, I have a jacket, 2 jumpers and 2 pairs of jeans I alternate between whenever I must go outside but I wear my uniform whenever I have to go to school.

I've been coping with not having much to wear because of my uniform but I'm concerned about university. I've been saving some money from my part time job but I haven't got an idea how many clothes or shoes or whatever I should have? How often do people buy them? I went to a shopping centre recently and honestly I was overwhelmed by the choices and prices.

I really don't want to feel embarrassed and I want to dress like others but I'm confused as I'll have to be building it from scratch.

I can really empathise with you, I used to practically live in my school uniform all week.

Really don't feel concerned or embarrassed, I would personally get essentials what can mix with any situation and style is always a personal choice, you aren't going to stick out at all or anything. Find things what you feel comfortable in and like the look of. I've even walked about uni in my fav Marvel hoodie before, and I had friends turn up in just PJs lol.

I would say to start with, try for 7-8 of each, so maybe a mix of Tshirt/Polo, Jumpers or Hoodies, Socks/Undies so least you got something for every day of the week and can wash your clothes once a week. You can get away with wearing jeans a few days to be honest, and jumpers and hoodies etc depending on the weather. Plus you can take the clothes you already have too, doesnt need to be all new :smile:

I would suggest buying at sale times of the year when things begin to change seasons so end of summer is great for tshirts etc. Sale times are when I can afford new clothes.

Reply 2

siocrystal

12

Original post by Weloelo

I'm starting uni in September but my family is really very poor, I have a jacket, 2 jumpers and 2 pairs of jeans I alternate between whenever I must go outside but I wear my uniform whenever I have to go to school.

I've been coping with not having much to wear because of my uniform but I'm concerned about university. I've been saving some money from my part time job but I haven't got an idea how many clothes or shoes or whatever I should have? How often do people buy them? I went to a shopping centre recently and honestly I was overwhelmed by the choices and prices.

I really don't want to feel embarrassed and I want to dress like others but I'm confused as I'll have to be building it from scratch.

as soon as i saw the title of ur thread i immediately clicked. i honestly know what that feels like. when ever id go to school i wouldnt have clothes like others because we were struggling and i didnt want to nag at my parents lol. i remember people would look down on me for having literally one jacket while others had cool clothes and like 10 different sweatshirts and hoodies to style them with.i still remember these girls for making fun of these cheap shoes i bought from primark (that i loved and was so excited to wear) and i just wanted to bawl my eyes out. Honestly 3+ years later we arent in the most stable financial situation but things are getting better and 100% they will for you. i did want to make a suggestion that you shop on shein. the clothing on there are literally so cheap and stylish.(trust me no one will make fun of u if u shop of there i still do and its my go to clothing website) u get amzing deals and coupons to reduce ur total .also id say go for more simple clothing so u can style them out in a variety of ways.

Reply 3

Weloelo

OP

2

Original post by lildannys95

I can really empathise with you, I used to practically live in my school uniform all week.

Really don't feel concerned or embarrassed, I would personally get essentials what can mix with any situation and style is always a personal choice, you aren't going to stick out at all or anything. Find things what you feel comfortable in and like the look of. I've even walked about uni in my fav Marvel hoodie before, and I had friends turn up in just PJs lol.

I would say to start with, try for 7-8 of each, so maybe a mix of Tshirt/Polo, Jumpers or Hoodies, Socks/Undies so least you got something for every day of the week and can wash your clothes once a week. You can get away with wearing jeans a few days to be honest, and jumpers and hoodies etc depending on the weather. Plus you can take the clothes you already have too, doesnt need to be all new :smile:

I would suggest buying at sale times of the year when things begin to change seasons so end of summer is great for tshirts etc. Sale times are when I can afford new clothes.

Thank you so much, that's reassuring I'll definitely keep this in mind :h:

Reply 4

Weloelo

OP

2

Original post by siocrystal

as soon as i saw the title of ur thread i immediately clicked. i honestly know what that feels like. when ever id go to school i wouldnt have clothes like others because we were struggling and i didnt want to nag at my parents lol. i remember people would look down on me for having literally one jacket while others had cool clothes and like 10 different sweatshirts and hoodies to style them with.i still remember these girls for making fun of these cheap shoes i bought from primark (that i loved and was so excited to wear) and i just wanted to bawl my eyes out. Honestly 3+ years later we arent in the most stable financial situation but things are getting better and 100% they will for you. i did want to make a suggestion that you shop on shein. the clothing on there are literally so cheap and stylish.(trust me no one will make fun of u if u shop of there i still do and its my go to clothing website) u get amzing deals and coupons to reduce ur total .also id say go for more simple clothing so u can style them out in a variety of ways.

Omg that's so relatable, especially in secondary school, kids can be pretty ruthless. Thank you for sharing, I wish you the best of luck in your financial situation ❤️ and I'll definitely browse shein, online shopping sounds less stressful.

University of Kent Reps

Official Rep

16

Original post by Weloelo

I'm starting uni in September but my family is really very poor, I have a jacket, 2 jumpers and 2 pairs of jeans I alternate between whenever I must go outside but I wear my uniform whenever I have to go to school.

I've been coping with not having much to wear because of my uniform but I'm concerned about university. I've been saving some money from my part time job but I haven't got an idea how many clothes or shoes or whatever I should have? How often do people buy them? I went to a shopping centre recently and honestly I was overwhelmed by the choices and prices.

I really don't want to feel embarrassed and I want to dress like others but I'm confused as I'll have to be building it from scratch.

Hi there

I know it is difficult not to worry but one thing I can say is that uni is very different to secondary school/sixth form. You will find that there are a lot of people and you really do have control over who you hang out/associate with. From my personal experience I found uni to be a lot less judgemental then in school, there is a such a mix of people that the environment is often really diverse and inclusive. That being said, I can understand wanting to get some new clothes. My honest advice would be to shop online not in store. It is so much cheaper and there are many websites that sell cheaper clothes and have lots of discounts. Try and avoid big brands who often charge a stupid amount for basic items. You also have access to a wide range of discount codes as a uni student such as uni days, student beans etc so try and use those where possible to your advantage. My other suggestion would be to stick to basics when buying clothes as it's often a lot easier to mix and match/ create different variations of outfits. To be honest jeans are a lifesaver as they pretty much go with everything and you can dress them both up but also wear them casually so maybe take a look at getting something versatile that you can wear with them. I can understand wanting to buy new clothes but please don't feel pressures to buy lots of things and change the way you look for uni. It really isn't worth it. My flatmates and I honestly spent most of our time in pyjamas/casual clothes and no one really cared. At the end of the day there is no dress code for uni so you can pretty much get away with wearing anything. My friends and I also shopped in charity shops as you can find great bargains there! Trust me when you get to uni, it becomes a competition on who can get the biggest discount/save money so you are definitely not alone!
If you are struggling financially I would look into any schemed that you uni may run such as the cost of living scheme or a bursary. Here is an example of one of the schemes at Kent which any student could apply for - https://www.kent.ac.uk/student/cost-of-living-support

Hope this helps
Have a lovely time at uni!

Joanna
-Uni of Kent Rep

Reply 7

LoveVigilante

2

Charity shops are great for this, as you can get mid-range/high-end quality for Primark prices. I would recommend looking around- e.g. Oxfam is sort of overpriced, but Scope and the British Heart Foundation are far more reasonable (in my experience).

Online used shops are also pretty good- think Depop, ThredUp, or Vinted. They usually have measurements (e.g. 36 inch bust, 30 inch waist, 38 inch hips), so you can get a rough idea of whether they'll fit you.

Reply 8

kclmedic2004

10

Original post by siocrystal

as soon as i saw the title of ur thread i immediately clicked. i honestly know what that feels like. when ever id go to school i wouldnt have clothes like others because we were struggling and i didnt want to nag at my parents lol. i remember people would look down on me for having literally one jacket while others had cool clothes and like 10 different sweatshirts and hoodies to style them with.i still remember these girls for making fun of these cheap shoes i bought from primark (that i loved and was so excited to wear) and i just wanted to bawl my eyes out. Honestly 3+ years later we arent in the most stable financial situation but things are getting better and 100% they will for you. i did want to make a suggestion that you shop on shein. the clothing on there are literally so cheap and stylish.(trust me no one will make fun of u if u shop of there i still do and its my go to clothing website) u get amzing deals and coupons to reduce ur total .also id say go for more simple clothing so u can style them out in a variety of ways.

primark shoes “that I loved and was so excited to wear” 🥺 bro reading that made me feel so bad and empathise sm with that. I can’t believe people made fun of u for shoes and u were excited to wear it too awwwh 😭😭

Tbh uni people are so much more chill that secondary skl kids so I think it should be calm with whatever u wear hopefully! :smile:

What sort of items do you feel you need? What is your gender? What is your budget?

Regardless of how you answer the above questions, I would suggest to start with basics. I mean that it every sense of the word. I bought this 5-pack of t-shirts for £26 when I was on UC and needing to buy work-appropriate clothing ahead of starting in a new position. They're not fancy but they're soft, they're different colours, there's one for every day of the work week, and bonus my girl thinks the fit is hot. I'm wearing the white one right now. Multipacks of basics like this are a good way of filling up a wardrobe quickly while on a budget.

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 10

Noname2chat

1

Original post by Weloelo

I'm starting uni in September but my family is really very poor, I have a jacket, 2 jumpers and 2 pairs of jeans I alternate between whenever I must go outside but I wear my uniform whenever I have to go to school.

I've been coping with not having much to wear because of my uniform but I'm concerned about university. I've been saving some money from my part time job but I haven't got an idea how many clothes or shoes or whatever I should have? How often do people buy them? I went to a shopping centre recently and honestly I was overwhelmed by the choices and prices.

I really don't want to feel embarrassed and I want to dress like others but I'm confused as I'll have to be building it from scratch.

Get on ebay or vinted to get very cheap decent used clothes, get several t-shirts and a couple more jeans and 3 hoodys or jumpers You can get them for a few pounds on ebay. Or go to tk maxx plenty of bargains there. Dont worry most people are pretty scruffy at uni.

When I was a kid & teenager, I'd say a good 80% of my clothes were bought for me by my mam from charity shops. You can find some real bargains in shops like Oxfam or Help The Aged. Just go and have a look, nothing to be ashamed of.

I don't have many clothes and I am worried

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