There comes a time in every college student’s life when you look in the mirror and realize that your favorite T-shirt from 10th grade, which you still wear religiously, doesn’t have the same appeal it once did. 

Maybe it’s due to half a decade of washing and fading, or maybe it’s finally hitting you that it’s time to move on and grow up past your varsity sports gear. Maybe it’s time to give yourself a new, more mature look. Everyone hits this mental milestone at some point. When the time comes, you should be ready and know how to handle this quarter-life crisis. 

There are about a million places to start, but the easiest is usually what I like to call the “purge.” No, all crime is not legal for the day, so you can’t go looting door-to-door, but you can loot your closet and clear it of your old and raggedy clothes. Except for memorabilia and collector’s items, this means anything branded with your high school’s logo, any old free publicity shirts from fairs, festivals, and carnivals, and definitely anything older than your driver’s license (do the math.) The purge,”though harder for those who like to cling onto the good ol’ glory days of pre-algebra and gym uniforms, is a great way to reflect on where you were and make room for who you will become. Consider it a zen moment for you and your clothes, a natural parting of ways.

The purge is usually the hardest part for a lot of people because it makes them realize it’s actually time to grow up. Luckily, the best part comes right after: replenishing your wardrobe. New clothes! Nothing feels better than treating yourself to something shiny and new. Get some shoes, try on some shirts, buy that dress you’ve been stalking through the window like a kid salivating over a spiral Unicorn lollipop. Get past the frumpy, baggy, scrub look. Now’s your chance to come up with your own style. Your closet is a blank slate. 

While out and about, don’t forget to get some accessories. Nothing says, “I’m ready to be taken seriously,” like a classy necklace or professional watch. Though often overlooked, it’s the little details that can make a huge difference. Jewelry, watches, scarves -- try to pick at least one to wear every day to get in the habit of actually “putting yourself together.” You’d be surprised what a little silver on your arm can do! 

Speaking of putting yourself together, gone are the days when you can just roll out of bed, get dressed, teeth brushed, and outside waiting for the bus in a 30 second span of time. I don’t think even Usain Bolt’s kids have a morning prep time of under five minutes. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to take yourself seriously, and that starts in the morning like everything else. Give yourself time to take a shower, wash your face, and get yourself ready for the day so you can walk out onto the sidewalk looking like the champion, artist, businessman or scholar you are. 

Lastly, save the gym shorts for the gym and the yoga pants for yoga. There is a time for everything and there’s a reason clothing stores are filled with dozens of types of pants, shirts, socks and whatever else you need. It’s to diversify! There’s nothing wrong with being “sporty chic” or whatever you want to call it, but even LeBron wears a suit when the time comes. 

As men and women attending college at a major university, you have a bright future waiting for you when you leave this red-brick campus. Don’t let it get dulled by the dreary clothes you’ve been wearing since your voice first cracked. Grow up, get up, and dress up. Dress for success and it will come, but you have to take a little initiative.