Guess Who's Back Back Back?! School. School is back.

In just a week or two (or more, for you lucky kids whose schools use the quarter system), we will all have to stop just being lazy and start feeling guilty about being lazy! I think of shopping for back-to-school outfits as the sort of opening ceremony for the new school year -- it's full of potential and hope and magic, the way anything related to the future is.

But beware, it is also one of the best excuses people have for buying clothes they will never wear -- "You never know, there might be a neon-themed party I can totally wear those shorts to" is a dangerous yet totally plausible scenario that could end with you trying to break even selling a pair of fluorescent pink shorts on eBay.

Instead, buy cute clothes that you can wear with the other pieces you'll be buying throughout the school year (you'll have plenty of opportunities: Black Friday, Christmas and Spring Cleaning sales). Think of it as investing in a new, personalize-able (no, it's not a word) backdrop.

1. A comfortable, solid or mildly-patterned dress
Classic (Madewell, on sale for $121) *splurge*

 Cute (Free People, on sale for $64)                        
 






  











Unique (Tobi, on sale for $19) 



You can wear it alone on a hot day with any new accessory you want to try out, and pair it with any sweater or over tights in the colder months for a skirt that won't cause muffin-top situations or slip down when you sit.

2. The wear-with-everything necklace
Classic (Madewell, $32)

Cute (Monserat de Lucca, on sale for $40)              
 












Unique (Juicy Couture, $52) *splurge*


The accessory that will make people think immediately of you. 

3. The button-up top
Classic (J. Crew, $50)

Cute (Zara, $40)                                     
 

Unique (Lucky Brand, $50)


Tie it up, tuck it in, let it loose, button it all the way, don't button it at all and wear it over a tank top -- there are fifty ways to wear this top and a hundred more occasions you could wear it to.

4. The perfect pair of jeans
Classic (Madewell, on sale for $100) *splurge*

Cute (J Brand, on sale for $57)            


Unique (Mango, on sale for $35)

          
 Don't write off the ability of a certain cut to drastically change your overall vibe. Jeans: the silent power players. 

5. A signature statement piece
Classic (Zara, $80)

Cute (ModCloth, $16)                              


Unique (Viva Vena! by Vena Cava, on sale for $34)


If your wear-with-everything necklace (see 2) makes people think of you, this piece will make people think of your style.

On a final note, here is my version of a pep talk:

School might involve some procrastinating, all-nighters and buckets o'stress, but that also means hanging out with friends, late-night guilty pleasures (2 am pizza party, anyone?) and that awesome feeling when you get your quiz back and realize all that hard work has been worth it. So while it's not all good, the parts that aren't bad are awesome, and don't overthink it. Everyone lives, everyone dies, and our memories are the ones that set us apart. Get ready for an unpredictable new year!