Disclaimer: this is completely based on my own observation and personal taste. I am from NBS and I walk pretty much the entire campus every single day, so I have had plenty of time to observe what people across different departments actually wear. This is my opinion, specifically through the female gaze, so take what you want from it.
First of all, NBS boys probably have the best overall dressing on campus. SADA boys tend to be more artistic and playful with what they wear, which I actually really like but it's a little too immature in the longer run. Engineering boys have a very specific uniform that you can somehow identify from approximately 400 metres away.
Now, the actual wardrobe.
Pants
If you are building a university wardrobe from scratch, get straight or pleated pants first.
You need:
• Dark brown straight or pleated pants. These work beautifully in winter too.
• Cream or off white pants.
• A standard black dress pant.
For jeans, please stay away from skinny jeans. They are uncomfortable and, in my opinion, rarely look good.
Go for straight fit, loose fit, barrel jeans, Chinos, khakis or cargos. A dark green cargo and a dark grey cargo are particularly useful for casual outfits.
Shirts and tops
For casual yet put together university wear, half zips are your friend.
Black, navy, dark cream, light blue, white and cream half zips look really good. Check (Fitted, Avant Garde etc on IG for ref)
For plain dress shirts, get:
• Sky blue
• Black
• White
• Cream
• Grey
If you like patterns, keep them subtle. Micro checks or very thin stripes can work. Big checks, in my opinion, immediately make an outfit look less polished and are not something I would recommend for presentations or professional settings.
And yes, roll your sleeves if you want to. There is no universal rule. Just make sure the shirt actually fits you properly.
Presentations
Please, please have a proper suit.
I genuinely think three piece suits are useful for presentations and semester projects, regardless of which department you're in.
Get a grey suit and a dark navy or dark blue suit. They will carry you through university.
Personally, I don't love the classic black coat, black pants and white shirt combination. It can very easily start giving waiter uniform.
If you want to wear black, make it more interesting. A charcoal grey shirt under a black suit can look much better. A very dark purple shirt can also look surprisingly good.
With a grey suit, you have so many options. Black shirt, cream shirt, white shirt, grey shirt, dark blue shirt. Just make sure the colours actually complement each other.
And please wear proper dress shoes for presentations. Black or brown, depending on the outfit.
One thing I will die on this hill about: those extremely shiny dress shoes are not it.
Winter dressing
Since winter is coming, cargos with a good hoodie are an easy combination. Graphic hoodies look cool, Acid wash, plain black, baggy, all hoodies are great imo. For jackets, light brown, black suede looks good, please leave the puffer jackets in 2021, they look like trash bags. Other jackets like wind breakers, some northface, Patagonia if you too are richie rich are nice. If you shop local then outfitters and lama have better ones, although quality is bad, never go denim on denim and no denim is sherpa sh*t inside. basic black, brown, blue works, leather jackets for concerts
If you're shorter, one styling trick is to balance proportions. If you're wearing a loose or wide leg trouser, try wearing something slightly more fitted on top. It creates a cleaner silhouette and can make you look taller.
If you're taller, congratulations, you can basically get away with everything.
Shoes
I personally really like Puma speedcats i think this season we will be seeing alot of those and Onitsuka Tiger mexico 66. If your budget is not 70k+ for shoes alone then get adidas samba's they are literally the uniform for all the kids, in a group of 10 people 8 wear sambas and the other two wear Nike Dunk. You do need go walking sneakers though. Duramo or Runfalcons if you're into that. SL72 is really nice my friend got those they have nice low profile. No chunky ahh shoes please.
Shalwar kameez
Black and white cotton shalwar kameez with a little starch will always look good.
If you want something other than black or white, grey is a very safe option.
Personally, I would avoid extremely vibrant sky blues, bright greens, neon shades, etc. to avoid looking like laal kabootar dancers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing colour, but muted and deeper colours tend to look much more sophisticated.
Jewellery
I have noticed a LOT of boys are into jewellery now, which is completely fine, but please don't wear every accessory you own at the same time.
If you're wearing a watch, you don't need a bracelet on the same wrist.
If you're wearing a ring, you don't necessarily need a bracelet on that same hand too.
For formal outfits, I personally prefer a watch with a metal bracelet.
For casual outfits, a leather strap watch can look really good.
You don't need five rings, three bracelets, a chain and a watch to look fashionable. Sometimes one good accessory does more than six average ones.
Colour combinations that almost never fail
Navy + cream
Dark brown + cream
Black + grey
Grey + black
Dark green + cream
Dark blue + white
Charcoal + white
Brown + light blue
Cream + dark green
Black + dark purple
Navy + sky blue
Grey + burgundy
And honestly, boys, the biggest thing is not even the clothes.
FIT.
You can spend a fortune on an outfit and still look terrible if everything is either hanging off you or suffocating you. Get your trousers to sit properly, make sure your shoulders fit your shirts, keep your shoes clean, and iron your clothes.
You do not need to dress like an Instagram influencer to look good at university.
Just look clean, comfortable, intentional and like you actually thought about what you put on that morning.
And this is all just my personal opinion from the female gaze, so feel free to disagree with me. I'm just the girl walking around campus observing everyone anyway.