Fashion

10 Things You'll Never Wear After Graduation

by Erin Mayer

Graduating college this spring? Get ready: so many things are about to change. And that includes your wardrobe. You might imagine you'll wear those Forever 21 body con dresses and sorority letters well into your twenties, but think again. In college, the goal is to avoid putting on actual pants at any cost, but once you hit the Real World, you'll suddenly get the itch to start shopping at J. Crew and looking presentable every time you leave the house. No more yoga pants outside of the gym. All of a sudden, you'll appreciate tailored trousers and crisp button-down shirts. And guess what? That's okay! It means you're becoming an adult who takes pride in looking good and — dare I say it — professional.

I'm not telling you to start dressing like an Ann Taylor catalog, but graduation gives you an opportunity to adult-ify your closet a bit (read: a great excuse for a shopping spree with your graduation money). So toss those ratty t-shirts from your first year on the college dance team and those $10 skinny jeans that sag in the butt after you've worn them for two hours. You're an adult now — start dressing like one! Here are ten college closet staples to donate when you move out of the dorms. I promise, you won't miss them.

The Inexpensive Body-Con Dress

This is the dress you wore out every weekend in college because you figured tight automatically equaled sexy. Now that you're a grown-up, you'll want to invest in some better quality outfits for hitting the town.

Ugg Boots

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Why is anyone still wearing Ugg boots? After college you'll definitely want to save your Ugg boots-yoga pants-college sweatshirt uniform for sick days — or never.

Tube Tops

here's a big difference between a chic bandeau that you wear under sheer clothing to make a fashion statement and the leopard print tube top that you wore with jeans to every frat party since freshman year. College graduates know that difference.

Sorority Letters/Frat Jerseys

I went to a school with no Greek life so I don't know first-hand, but my boyfriend's frat jersey sits in the closet untouched. I can only imagine the case would be similar for your t-shirts/sweatpants/fleeces decorated with sorority letters. Maybe hold on to one tee for the gym but otherwise? Nope.

Pleather Anything

The overly detailed "fancy" blouse is a college girl staple. Pleather versions are the worst and should immediately be donated to your sixteen-year-old cousin the second you flip your tassel from one side of the graduation cap to the other.

$1 Rubber Flip Flops

Adulthood is a post-shower shoe world (hopefully). If you love flip flops, there are waay nicer adult versions. Allow me to introduce you to Havianas. You're welcome.

Anything With the World "LOVE" On It

A stack of rings that spell out "LOVE" seemed like a great idea when you were a broke college student browsing H&M for quirky-cheap accessories, but adult you thinks they are so sophomore year.

College-Logo Apparel

I know you bought that apparel with your university name on the front from the campus bookstore because you thought it'd help you remember college forever. All of that stuff will sit in your "hanging around the house" drawer for the rest of adulthood because you're too sentimental to give it away and too grown-up to wear it outside. You've been warned.

Those Horrible Stilettos You Can't Walk In

You know the ones. They cost you $20 and are pretty, but the second you put them on your feet you are reminded that they are actual medieval torture devices disguised as stilettos. You'll be amazed how much less painful shoes that cost just slightly more cash will feel.

A Butt-Suffocating Skirt

Okay, you'll probably still wear this. You might feel a little bit guilty about it, but you shouldn't. These skirts go with literally everything and stretch forgivingly to accommodate that round of 4 a.m. drunk fries. Some things don't change after college, after all.

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