The spring 2025 wardrobe essentials you need around York campus

The sun is finally out (kinda) and spring is here so it’s time for a whole new wardrobe change. Of course.

This is your what-to-wear guide around York this spring/summer, because even if our grades aren’t slaying, our outfits certainly are.

Midi and maxi skirts

Shorter is not always better and this season is the return of a longer skirt.

The classic white linen maxi skirt can be a staple for any wardrobe, easily dressed up for drinks in town or dressed down for lectures and picnics with friends. However, I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone with a floral midi skirt (florals for spring, groundbreaking I know). It’s a really fun way to begin adding colour back into your wardrobe, and creates a gorgeous transitional piece as we enter the summer months.

An investment in a good skirt now will last you through the last weeks of uni into your summer holiday plans!

Fun trousers!

Speaking of adding colour back into your wardrobe, here comes fun trousers. Whether it be stripes, cheetah print or sparkles, we are entering an era where our trousers are the star of the show. For so long a wardrobe staple has been jeans and a nice top, so it’s time to switch it up for spring with nice trousers and a basic top!

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Again, these pieces are giving you value for money as they can be dressed up for nights out and dressed down for wandering around the shambles in the sun – with different top options you can create so many gorgeous outfits. Plus, as cheetah print is now basically classed as a neutral, those trousers will last all year (even into winter)! And suddenly the £40 jeans are looking a lot less expensive…

Good quality basic tops

However, with all these fun options for your legs we need to think seriously about our tops. Now is the time to invest in some good quality basics. I don’t want to sound like your mum when I say that good basics will last you a lifetime, but as a student with a limited budget, I like getting a lot of wear out of my clothes. This is where quality basics come into play.

H&M, Zara and Asos will be your best friends here; look for neutral colours and flattering shapes, and things you’re comfortable in. This way you’ll be able to wear them time and time again in so many different outfits, allowing your fun trousers and skirts to be the star of the show without compromising the overall structure of the outfit.

Flower hair clips/chunky accessories

No outfit is ever complete without accessories, and a smile of course, but this spring is the season of chunky statement accessories.

My personal favourite is a flower claw clip, wear one on its own or stack them for different hairstyles.

However, there are more hair accessories on the market this spring; look out for French pins and hair ties with metal cuffs on them, these simple accessories take a basic ponytail or plait into a fashion statement all on their own.

Chunky bangles and bracelets are also a perfect way to incorporate texture and dimension into your outfits. Minimalism has had a chokehold on us for too long, I want to see people populate their hands, arms and ears with so much chunky jewellery that the Little Mermaid is jealous of all those thingamabobs!

Colourful shoes

Another way to infuse the spring spirit into your outfit is through your shoes, this whole season is thinking from bottom up.

Adidas sambas, gazelles and Spezials have been dominating the shoe game for a while now and I can’t see them going any time soon, especially throughout the spring and summer season – so if you have a chance, pick up some with colour.

My favourite combinations so far are pink and green, pink and blue, and burnt orange and white, however any colour you wear can provide a focal point for your outfit. Once you’ve got a colourful shoe you can play around with colour theory to see what compliments or clashes with your wardrobe, or create monochrome outfits based off of your shoes.

The perfect light jackets

Next up is a perfect all weather jacket. The weather has been impeccable in the past few weeks and I don’t want to ignore that… however, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge that the weather in York can be somewhat unpredictable. The last thing we want to happen is to be walking between east and west and getting caught without a jacket in the wind and rain.

I suggest looking in Zara for the cutest quilted jackets, however you may need to sell organs to pay for them, so remember Primark is just around the corner and do some fabulous dupes of most things seen in your TikTok feed.

Double denim

Double denim is back! Jean tops are everywhere right now, and it’s the perfect material for these temperamental spring days. So, to shake up your average outfit, try double denim. It’s an easy way to make you look that little bit more put together than you really are. Vinted is a great place to start with this one but also maybe try get a denim co-ord to make sure the match is perfect.

Sorry if we’ve made your online shopping cart a little more pricey but trust me, it’s worth it!