The date was May 2, 2017. It was 9:50 a.m. I had just finished scavenging my overstuffed luggage for the outfit I spent hours coordinating for the first day of my month-long study abroad trip. After taking countless mirror selfies and dashing out the door to make my 10 a.m. Happiness class, I got the strong feeling I was forgetting something vital. When I strutted into our hotel’s grand ballroom in Mykonos, Greece, our luxurious classroom for the week, I soon realized I had packed my favorite high-waisted shorts and crop top in place of a notebook and pen. Here are three steps to make sure you work it both in the classroom and around town while studying and styling abroad.
1—Read your class syllabus. When you ask someone how their study abroad trip was, mentions of the actual “study” part are often completely nonexistent. However, it’s so essential to keep schoolwork your top priority on your adventure. Make sure to read the class syllabus to avoid having to read the required text you didn’t know existed while you could be hiking a volcano with your travel pals (I wouldn’t know anything about that though).
In terms of fashion, there’s a syllabus for that too. Be sure to familiarize yourself with foreign trends and customs beforehand so your look doesn’t scream “I’m an American tourist” like mine did that first day in Greece when my shorts were five times shorter than the locals’. A quick and simple way to research is to browse photos tagged with the location you’re traveling to on Instagram. For example, if I didn’t search “London” before my visit, I never would have known that it was acceptable to rock plastic visors and pocket parkas I once used for dress up in my ’80s girl phase.
2—Strut outside of your comfort zone. Study abroad trips can serve as a tremendous and enduring boost to your personal growth if you push your limits. Academically, this can entail enrolling in a course that you genuinely have interest in even if it doesn’t particularly align with your major. Sure, I got laughs when telling friends I took a class called Happiness, but I can definitely say I’m much more genuinely satisfied with my life as a result. As with style, find the nearest boutique and pick a completely new look. For me, it was a handmade vintage tunic in Greece, a more stylish and cultural piece, that lured me away from my default graphic band T-shirt.
3—Share your trip with others. Those not lucky enough to be on your trip will be wishing they were in your well-traveled shoes. Let your followers in on your life-changing experience with frequent social media posts. To gain Instagram travel fame, include multiple hashtags pertaining to your location and activities in your comments and watch the likes and your follower count from reputable travel accounts flow in.
How do you style abroad? Show us on social media by tagging @CFashionista.
