Ultimate College Clothing Packing List

Packing for college is fun and exciting, but it can also be hard, especially when it comes to clothing. You might be clueless about what to bring and what things you should leave at home, and you’re not alone! I was totally clueless my first year, I literally spent hours on the internet trying to figure out what clothes to bring. And at the end, I brought my entire closet with me. Which made moving out really hard, and it also made me realize what I actually needed. So, with all my experiences from my freshman year, I came up with some tips for you. Also, this college clothing packing list has a styling twist, because I’m not only telling you what to bring, but I give you advice on what colors of clothes you should bring.

Here you’ll find a comprehensive list of clothing you should bring to college, a couple other tips about packing and some do’s and don’ts. I’ve tried to make this list as general as possible, because we are all different, and what I normally wear might not be the same as what you normally wear. Just as the closet of a gym addict isn’t the same as the closet of a party animal. So, use this list and adapt it to your personal style and lifestyle.

If you’re looking for a college dorm packing list, good news, I also have one! Click here ;).

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t bring your entire closet with you

I guess I kind of get separation anxiety when I don’t have all my clothes with me. Even though, I had a lot of clothes to mix & match and lots of different outfits, bringing my whole closet with me was a HUGE mistake. And while it didn’t feel like a mistake at first, because my dorm was big enough for all of my clothes to fit, moving out was really hard. Not to mention there were some clothes I never wore. So, please don’t make the same mistake as me, and don’t take your whole closet with you off to college. Just take with you what you know you’ll be wearing.

Also, remember that you can go home and pick up more clothes during breaks.

Leave things you never wear at home

College is supposed to be a fresh start, and maybe you want to change your style a bit. But don’t force yourself to wear clothes you otherwise wouldn’t wear just because it’s college. Maybe you have a couple cute clothes you like but never wear because well, it isn’t your style or you just feel weird in them. Don’t take them to college with you thinking you might want to wear them there. Because, thing is, if you don’t wear them at home, you won’t wear it in college.

Don’t shop like crazy

Before moving to college, I went dorm shopping with my mom and I don’t know how we ended up buying a bunch of clothes instead of buying a lamp (oops). So, without even realizing it, I had bought enough clothes to fit yet another big suitcase. Point is, don’t go crazy shopping. And if you already have tons of clothes, don’t buy more clothes, especially if you aren’t sure if you’ll wear them. Always keep in mind that traditional dorms are tiny. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy clothes at all, I’m just saying you shouldn’t go all shopaholic (like me).

Do bring LOTS of basics

And by basics I mean, underwear, socks, tank tops, and those other clothes you wear a lot or that are very versatile.

Don’t bring every halloween costume you own

This isn’t something I did, but I had a couple friends that literally brought an entire suitcase filled with halloween costumes. And at the end, they just wore a couple of them or ended up getting a new one. Don’t bring every old costume you have. Ultimately, you can always buy something cheap on amazon or just make your own costume.

Additional Tips

Pack seasonal clothes

This probably goes without saying, but just pack seasonal clothes. For example for fall semester, just pack summer clothes and a couple fall clothes, like a pair of jeans and a couple cardigans. And then during fall break or thanksgiving, go home, leave your summer clothes there and bring back with you your fall clothes + winter clothes. This is the best thing you can do, this way you won’t have any problems organizing your closet.

Start planning a couple weeks before move-in day

And by planning I mean figuring out what you’re going to bring with you and what you’re going to leave at home. As well as, figuring out what you wear and what you don’t.  Always keep in mind that if you don’t wear it at home, you probably won’t wear it in college.

Get drawers

If you’re going to have under bed space, I recommend buying some plastic drawers. That way you can place them under your bed and just put some clothes in there. Most dorms have just a tiny closet and a desk, which can make organizing your clothes a bit hard and challenging. I honestly don’t know how I would have survived without mine.

Ultimate College Clothing Packing List

Before we get onto the list, please note that this is my opinion. Sometimes, when moving to college you can be limited regarding of the amount of clothes you might be able to bring to college, which is why I’m suggesting quantities. Also, in this list, I give color suggestions, so that you can have a lot of options for mixing and matching your clothes, without having to bring your entire closet with you. Again this is just my opinion and I’m always trying to help you out.

Basics

• Underwear & socks (bring LOTS of those)
• Black, white and nude tank tops (you can never not need those)
• Pajamas
• Leggings

Bottoms

• Shorts – Try to just bring 3 or 4 pairs. One of those must be a denim, another can be a black one and the last one should be white. These are a must to style any outfit, because the colors are versatile.
• Jeans (only a couple pairs) – Again, one of them should be denim. White jeans/pants are always cute during the summer or just any season really, so maybe you can bring one of those too.
• Skirts (only a couple) – Since you already have 3 pairs of shorts of neutral colors, you can have fun with the skirts. Maybe some of them can have fun prints or be maxi/midi skirts.

Gym Clothes

I don’t know if you workout or if it maybe isn’t your thing, but having workout clothes (at least a pair) always comes in handy. Woke up too late for class and don’t have time to get ready? Put on some working out clothes and you should be just fine!

• Sports bras – I always try to keep the color of my sport bras neutral (black/white/nude). But there’re so many cute and fun prints.
• Shorts/leggings – Black leggings are a must!
• Tank tops
• Athletic/running shoes

Party/going out clothes

Again, maybe partying isn’t your thing, but you never know…

• A couple cute blouses – try to keep it simple, sometimes less is more.
• Tank tops (maybe try bringing 5)
• Cropped tops (maybe try bringing about 5 or so)
• Dresses – you can never go wrong with a black dress for a night out.

Related: everything you need to know about partying in college

Shoes

• Shower shoes!!!
• Sandals – You should bring black, brown and maybe nude sandals. These colors are always the most needed depending on the clothes you’re wearing. They’re also pretty versatile.
• High heels – If you’re an incoming freshman and you don’t know if you’ll actually wear heels this year, them you should bring just one pair of high heels. Maybe you’ll need them, maybe you won’t but… better be prepared, right? You can never go wrong with nude or black high heels. Because they go with every outfit and well, those colors are pretty versatile.
• Sneakers – If you have some white or black sneakers laying around, definitely bring them.
• Party shoes – if you’re the party type, I recommend having a pair of shoes designated for parties (frat parties), most people wear white converse as party shoes. And why should you designate an specific air of shoes? Well, frat houses aren’t the cleanest houses (for a halloween party at a frat house, the floor was covered by at least 1 inch of beer). So, designate a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.
• Fun shoes – The shoes above are basics, they’re shoes you should have, because they go with every outfit and they’re pretty versatile.  But, you should also add some fun to the mix, like some bright red sandals, or some yellow mules. Again, just add a pair of shoes that are super cute and colorful to your shoe collection.
• Athletic/running shoes

Accessories

You can bring lots of these, because they’re mostly small and don’t weight too much. Besides, accessories can make or break an outfit, right? And they also can completely transform an outfit.

Related: How to transform your outfit with accessories 

• Sunglasses – for summer these are a must, and there isn’t a better way of completing an outfit!
• Statement necklaces & earrings – these are my all-time favorites! They look amazing and can make a simple basic outfit look super cute!
• Hats – they protect your face from the sun and also look cute!
• Belts
• Scarfs
• Bags – There’re two bags that you must have: A crossbody and a tote bag. If you can take just couple bags with you, try to take the most versatile ones. And I guess by now you already know what I mean by versatile (black/brown). This way you can just wear it with any outfit.
• Wallet
• Backpack
• Duffle bag

Other Must-Haves

• A professional outfit – Again, you might not even need it, but what if you do? A simple semi-formal dress, maybe a blazer and cute high heels are more than enough for those occasions. Or another options is to wear business pants, cute high heels and a cute blouse with a blazer.
• Rain gear – I guess this depends on the place you’re going to be living. For example, here in Cincinnati it rains a lot. So, a rain jacket, rain boots or at least an umbrella is always needed.

I truly hope this clothing packing list helps you! I included some color suggestions, but then again that’s my opinion and how I normally pack for college. If you feel like bringing more things or if you feel like not following my color and styling suggestions, that’s totally okay. Everyone has a different style and I love that.