What Do I Wear There? Study Abroad: Australia
This week, I’m returning to the Study Abroad series by popular demand to focus on an amazingly beautiful place many of you are lucky enough to study in–Australia! Super helpful CF reader Anika was kind enough to advise on us style there from her own experience, so be sure to thank her in the comments below.
As always, the same guidelines apply:
- All of the information here is taken from advice I have received–it is not a binding set of rules for how to dress in these locations! These are simply some helpful suggestions on what articles of clothing have proved most functional and worthwhile for those who have traveled abroad. However, for this article, it is important to note what is and is not appropriate to wear in these areas, as they tend to be more conservative than what most readers may be used to.
- Because of the nature of these posts–which are trying to cater to such a large crowd of people going to all different places within each of these areas–I am forced to generalize. However, I do understand that fashion is different not just in the different countries but also in the different regions of each country. Therefore, please feel free to correct me or add more detail in the comments if you think your specific location within these countries follows different fashion “rules” or subscribes to a different way of dressing!
(In case you missed my previous posts, see What Do I Wear There? Study Abroad, Study Abroad Fashion FAQ, What Do I Wear There? Study Abroad in the UK and Ireland, Study Abroad Fashion in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, Study Abroad Fashion in China, Israel, and Japan, Study Abroad Fashion in Scandinavia and Study Abroad Fashion in India and South America.)
General Tips
Australia is generally a warmer climate, so do not pack your heavy winter gear! The best way to get through the winter is with layers, so be sure to pack pieces that you can pile on for a chilly day.
For warmer weather, stick with the same basics you love from here–you can’t go wrong with jeans, shorts, tee shirts, and tank tops. And since it does tend to be sunnier in Australia, do not forget to bring or buy some strong SPF! As Anika told me, “The sun burns really quickly and is much hotter than sun I’ve experienced anywhere else. Sunscreen is my best friend.”
Daily Look for Australia
First and foremost, Anika noted that, “On campus in Australia, I’d have to say it’s a LOT more relaxed than most would be used to.” Below is a sample outfit I created based on her suggestions for a cute, casual daytime look.
Product Information: Tank: Net-a-porter.com, Vest: Allsaints.com, Sunglasses: Girlprops.com, Shorts: TopShop.com, Bracelet: ASOS.com, Sandals: Cottonon.com
Anika told me that she often wears shorts, a tank top, a vest, and some cute accessories for a regular day going to class. I picked out this outfit because the base of it is extremely flexible and can be worn for a variety of activities. The sunglasses will protect you from the strong sun there, while the bracelet and shoes add a great pop of color to your look.
Dressing up should be reserved for “off campus” outings, such as fun nights out with friends. For these, you can pretty much wear what you typically would back in the US. However, you can stay pretty casual–jeans are appropriate for most daily looks in Australia, including going out.
Anika also suggests that, “A person should definitely bring every bikini they own” if you want to be able to truly take advantage of all the beautiful weather and outdoor fun Australia has to offer. She also stresses how easy it is to burn and how vital sunscreen is. Hats are also a great way to ensure your head stays out in the sun and doesn’t roast!
Finally, just because the look in Australia is slightly more relaxed does not mean sweatpants are okay there either! Anika pointed out that “most [Australians] have no idea what ‘sweat pants’ are, so you’re unlikely to buy them or see them.” So keep your sweats to yourself in your dorm or at the gym!
Shopping in Australia
According to Anika, “The best places to shop would have to be Valley Girl, Ally and Temt, totally cheap but great clothes (you can check them out online).” For more high-end products, she suggests David Jones, which is one of Australia’s major department stores. If you’re looking for some accessories, try Sportsgirl, which is also slightly more expensive, but has great outfit additions like headbands. Cosmetic purchases are best at Priceline, which Anika claims is both “cheap and amazing.”
If you’re interested in traveling, Anika suggests going to Burleigh Heads rather than the popular tourist spot Surfer’s Paradise. Burleigh Heads not only has a “better beach” but also “great shopping,” so go prepared to spend some money, as “a walk down the main street will leave a girl with an empty purse.”
What do you think?
Do you have any other tips on nailing Australian style? Are there any other tips you’d like to see? What essentials would you want to bring to Australia? Let us know in the comments!
And if you have any “What Do I Wear There” questions, let me know in the comments! Yours may be featured in next week’s article.
Posted on on January 14, 2010 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Australia, Outfits, Study Abroad, Tips, Travel, What Do I Wear There?
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Hannah
I love the outfit you put together. Laid-back, casual, and so cute. :) I want those sandals!
Anny
Since I live in Australia, I know the importance to bring a bikini along. Also remember to bring thongs for the beach and yes, sunscreen is vital. Another good store to check out for clothes is SES and for jewelery, there’s Diva.
Jenn
Great advice, especially the bit about suncreen& layering! And as an Aussie, I feel I should add that every city in Australia has different weather & trends. Darwin is tropical, but it can snow in Hobart! Everywhere gets fairly warm in summer, but do some research on the winter weather before you pack.
Oh, and beware that the Australian term for ‘flip-flops’ is ‘thongs’ & that they’re considered wardrobe essentials.
B
I really appreciate you keeping the series alive! I would be so very grateful if you would create a post for those thihnking bout studying abroad in Eastern Russia.
Steph
I completely agree with the article. Very true to where I live in Brisbane. Shorts and loose shirts and cami’s are basically essentials. Every outfit needs a pair of sunglasses if you’re going outside.
Some of my favorite places to shop are:
https://shop.sportsgirl.com.au/index.html
http://www.valleygirl.com.au/category.aspx
http://www.justjeans.com.au/
http://dotti.com.au/
If you have a look at those sites you can get a pretty good idea of what styles are popular here.
Bec
I studied in Perth for a semester last Spring if you are studying in Oz definitely check out the West Coast it is just as amazing as the rest of the country and a bit under rated. Perhaps it was more of a west coast thing but I definitely felt that a lot of girls looked very nice even during the day, but especially at night…make sure to bring some cute club outfits if you plan on going out!
Some other stores to check out are Supre a lot like Forever 21 but a bit pricier and Cotton On had some great sales while I was there!
Maybe also think about some stylish hats for the beach, the sun is very strong and if you aren’t paying attention you will get burned!
ann
it really depends where you go in australia.. the weather is kinda unpredictable =( so have heapps 0f layers because it could be hot in the morning, then cold, or the other way round .
but i agree with Jenn =)
elle
lol i live in melbourne australia, have done for pretty much my entire life. basically temt, valleygirl are good if your looking for cheap, mass produced clothes that fall apart pretty quick.
there isnt one particular shop that you can recommend especially in melb because they all differ so much although general pants, sportsgirl are good. if your visiting melb just catch the train to flinders street and go down swanston and then bourke st. there are heaps of good shops there.
people do wear sweat pants but there called track pants here and might look slightly different, DO NOT whatever you do wear trackies with the slogan on the ass because youll be labelled a bogan. not good.
summer in melb= barely any clothing.short shorts, havainas flip flops and singlets.
BEWARE OF THE SUN. you will burnnnnnn if you dont wear sunscreen on a really hot day..
if your interetsed in travelling to melbourne australia check out my blog, although i havnt actually posted anything yet add me because itll be up and running soooon
Brittany
Great suggestions!
As an Australian (from Melbourne, Victoria), I might comment that I rarely – if ever – wear jeans on a night out! Always dresses. Even in the middle of winter, I simply take a trench or cardigan with me to brave the cold when I’m not inside a venue. Melbourne has a great nightlife so definitely bring dresses you can style in more ways than one, you’ll get lots of use out of them – I think I’d feel out of place if I ever wore jeans on a night out!
Melbourne is also notorious for having just about every season in one day – so layering is essential. I bring a cardigan with me everywhere, because there is always a chance of a cool change, wind or rain in every season.
The outfit is spot on, great combination. I also appreciate your comments on “campus wear”. We are incredibly casual, but by no means slack. Girls tend to dress nicely, fashionably, but never dressed up when it comes to uni.
I shop at all the places mentioned by everyone, cheaper places for trend items and more expensive places for staples – and highly recommend a gorgeous bikini for your travels here!
Great post, sorry for rambling :)
Beth
Great post- but i would be wary about not bringing any cold weather gear. I’m a Melbourne girl and during winter its freezing! Well, maybe not freezing since we don’t get any snow, but it still gets quite cold, especially in the morning. An umbrella is also a good idea – although we’re in a drought it always seems to rain when you don’t have one with you. And as for ‘sweat pants’ I say bring them, they’re comfy and handy for gym and around exam time. We do know what they are but we call them trackies.
Catie Cap
Wow, thank you so much to Anika and all you wonderful Aussie posters!
I am studying in Wollongong in just a month and I am so excited! But this has truly given me an idea as to what I should bring/expect/wear when I’m there! Please keep posting your ideas! They are EXTREMELY helpful! :) :)
Just a question: when you say casual, does that mean usually shorts or jeans on campus/at university, or do a lot of girls wear skirts and dresses too?
Thanks so much ladies!
Stacey
Catie Cap: Casual can mean anything you mentioned. A lot of girls wear dresses/skirts/shorts in summer (mainly dresses though) and then move to jeans and cardigans as it gets cooler. Just dress for the weather and always take a light cottony cardigan with you as you never know when a sea breeze is going to come through. Have fun in Wollongong :)
Lollipop
Catie Cap, I’m from Australia and I usually see girls wearing denim shorts and singlets around campus in the summertime. It’s an easy, comfortable outfit and can be personalised with accessories. I actually need to get myself some new denim shorts before the new semester begins in March… :)
Amanda
Catie Cap: I’m from wollongong and study there too, the majority of girls wear denim shorts with thongs/sandals with cute acessories, not many wear dresses though and jeans are usually saved for the colder days.
However i would pack alot of going out outfits such as really nice dresses, skirts & heels because wollongong has pretty good clubs, & it usually stays warm even at night so you won’t need to take a cardigan, coat etc. out with you.
I agree on the don’t bring “sweat pants” or trackies as i call them as people usually only wear them coming around to exams or gym time, but alot of girls seem to like the harem pants (i think that’s what they’re called??) with a low crotch, they’re sort of like dressed up trackies.
Lydia
I’m from Sydney, and i do all agree to the shops the previous posters!….. on campus its quite diverse – making the effort to look nice, but not too dolled up.
Another tip, if you are in Sydney, then id go check out paddy’s markets, bankstown /cabramatta area for cheap clothes as well.
Lydia
oh and we have target here as well (i shop there mostly for my basics), and supre is good for basics (just stay away from the mainstream trendy stuff). Cotton on is good as well and SES
aish
thank u ,thank u, thank u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
iv been begging for this post……thank u
im heading there this feb……
again….thank u, thank u, thank u
Nicole
Catie Cap- I too am from Wollongong -and whilst denim shorts are worn mostly, leggings and dressess are very popular starting around April. Some fo the lecture thetres can be very cold/hot so make sure you have a cardigan or something especially if going to the mckinnon building!!
Claud
I’m from Sydney and these are definately good places to look:
Basics – Supre! I defs agree with the above comment, you need to stay away from the trendy pieces in this store, but its great for cheap basics from $10-$20
Party dresses – in a lot of shopping centres there are really great cheap boutiques (we call them “cheap knock off” stores) that sell pieces from Mink Pink, Ladakah, Sunny Girl and other labels and they just have great copy pieces (i bought a bandage dress for $20 from Calla) . Look here for trendy things that are still flattering. You can find these places in Westfield shopping centres
Day-to-day wear (for classes etc.) – places like Dotti, Just Jeans and Country Road is good. Country Road is actually targeted towards the middle-aged market and is renowed for being preppy, but they have lovely cami’s in high quality fabrics for around $50. Make sure you buy a tote bag from here aswell, its great for holding books or taking to beach, staying overnight somewhere etc.
Accessories – Sportsgirl is great for this! It isn’t the cheapest, but very nice. Otherwise Diva and Equip sell nice stuff, defs check out pendants, stacked bangles and rings here.
also look at General Pants, and be sure to go to Paddington, Glebe and Bondi Markets! And definately get a good quality bikini that will last you many trips to the beach, Seafolly and Tigerlily are good.
A lot of places like Cotton On, Temt and Chicabooti have cheap things, but they smell like plastic and fall apart really quickly. Not a great fashion investment.
Jenfa
Hey, I’m from Melbourne and I would have to agree with Beth, the winter in Melbourne IS cold! You will need coats and scarves and gloves etc if you’re going to be here in the winter.
Also Uni tends to be quite an artsy type enviroment, so be really creative with your clothing, mix op-shop and vintage finds with new pieces and don’t be afraid to rock any style, people really appeciate individuality.
And yes Sunscreen is SO important SPF 30 at least! If you were ever going to get skin cancer you would get it here. We have no ozone layer.
Oh and Australian girls tend to be a lot more focused on natural beauty, we look after our skin and don’t wear nearly as much make-up.
Elle
Yeah, depending on where you’re going you should probably take that “no winter gear” advice with a grain of salt. I live in Hobart and no, it doesn’t snow here all that often, but it rains a whole ton, year-round. It is coat-and-scarf weather more than you’d think for Australia.
But yeah, I have to agree with rhe previous commenters for the most part. Places like Target and K-Mart are great for basics, and uni culture is very casual. I’m usually the only person around campus in heels at UTAS.
Kitty
I used to live there as a kid and most of my friends used to shop at Supre, and many still do. But be aware though, their sizes are ridiculous. I was an “M” when I was 12 and back then I was about a US 4. I think most of the time they design the clothes, especially tees to be really form fitting but you can find some really cute stuff in there.
aish
hey i heard melbourne is kind of chilly right now and will go on till june
is that right?
im going to rmit this feb…..dunno wat to take
Wendy
Aish – It’s summer right now in Melbourne but definitely take a lot of layering clothes since as said in a post before Melb is known for its changing weather during the day! If you are coming in Feb it will still be quite sunny and hot but cools down more in mid autumn.
aish
wendy-thanx, i’ll remember that(great to hear that it warm, thought i would freeze to death)
Jenfa
It’s really quite cold at the moment and will stay cold till the end of the week, but this is freak weather, February is normally the hottest time of the year and this time last year we were all sweltering with scorching weather, thus causing the devastating bushfires. Also last week it got to 45 here (which is 114 F). Melbourne weather can be random but Feb will be HOT. I Promise.
aish
omg….better be ready fr all 4 seasons
Alana
I live in Queesland, so it’s hot for pretty much 3/4 of the year. Clothing is generally pretty relaxed, especially on campus. Sandals are a must. And it’s also worthwhile investing in a good pair of sunglasses, you’ll notice the difference.
Another great store I don’t think anyone mentioned is Witchery. It can get quite expensive, but the clothes are worth it. For basics, stores like Target and K-Mart can be good. Target flats are also nice (and cheap!!), but they probably won’t last you long. Big W has a lot of Bonds stuff, but I generally find it to be too expensive for basics.
Ana
HELP ME…Im going to a wedding next weekend and I live in a warm place,really warm..Imin Brazil,lol! The wedding is going to be at a country club and that means GRASS,lots of it. Its going to start at 6:30 pm which will be around the time sun is setting.Can you please,please,please help me.Im totally clueless about what to wear.
Colleen - NYU
Hey Ana,
Here is an article I wrote a little while back about dressing for a wedding. I hope this helps! Of course, if it’s lots of grass, I would definitely think you’d want to stick with heels, so mentally substitute those in for the looks I put with heels.
http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/what-do-i-wear-there-wedding-guest-attire/
Good luck with your outfit (I’m sure it’ll be great!) and have an amazing time at your wedding. I’m jealous of your warm weather–it’s pretty cold where I am!
Grace
Great post Colleen! I hope to study abroad in Australia over the summer so this really helped! I loved everything!
Kira
sorry Colleen what you’re source failed to say is that “sweatpants” is so common in Australia DURING WINTER that you couldn’t go out and not see at least one person wearing sweats.
Sweats + Ugg Boots = Australian Combination of a day outfit during winter
one the very rare days that we wear casual at school about 40% of the people wear the combination and about 70% wear uggs.
I personally don’t approve of this and DO NOT own a pair of UGGly boots and only wear sweats when going to the gym
and btw, australians LOVE wearing ugg boots, it’s a fashion staple in australia
in fact this brand is very popular
http://www.uggaustralia.com/index.aspx
so are the australian surf brands like roxy, billabong, etc. they have uggs to prove that ugg boots is definitely not frowned upon in australian style. yuck
Jenfa
I don’t think I have ever seen anyone in trackies (sweatpants) and uggboots except maybe in the middle of winter…on year 8 camp. No one at my uni would dare to wear trackies out, we don’t live on campus so you don’t just roll out of bed to uni, so what’s the point of looking like you did?
Emma
Hi all! I’ll be studying abroad in Cairns from February to June, any suggestions about what to wear and bring? What kind of shoes do girls wear in the rain there? and how hot/rainy is it really?? Thanks!
Lyd
seen only a few ppl wear trackies at my uni………
Julie
SO helpful! I’m studying in sydney this semester and I leave in a few days. I will take all of these comments to heart while packing! I’ll also be sure to come back here if I have any more questions. Thanks!
Emma
Very few people where uggs out of the house the majority of Aussies consider them slippers ( for indoor use). Track pants are actually very common. I go to
uni on the gold coast (obviously this girl is here with her listed suburbs) and styles vary from sloppy to way overdressed (stilettos at uni, really?)
Sasha
I’m studying abroad in Brisbane from August to May this year any advice for what to bring to wear in August (isnt it winter?) and what I WONT need to bring? I am such a pack rat!
Jen
Brisbane is more like Florida, it’ll be cool at night because it is winter but cold in Australian terms is not much, especially up north, unless you get cold easily you won’t need a heavy coat just light layers.
Alex
I am applying to study in India in January 2011. This will be my first time going abroad so a post on what to wear in India would be very much appreciated.
Junebugg
I’m leaving for Sydney in 3 days and I’ll be studying at U of Sydney… Do I bring my uggs? What about my cowboy boots? They are all girls wear at my university in Virginia. My go to outfit for going out is a pair of skinny jeans with highheels and a cute dressy T… Will this work or should I bring more dresses and skirts?
Kel
I study at the University of Sydney and pretty much no one wears uggs in public (think of them as slippers) and no one wears cowboy boots either! Girls tend to wear ballet flats, cute flat boots and black Doc Martens are really popular atm aswell.
For going out, girls tend to wear tight fitting dresses with heels and keep warm with a blazer and tights. Skinny jeans and a cute dressy T would heels would be perfect for going out to dinner somewhere!
Junebugg
Thanks so much Kel! I’ll leave the cowboy boots at home! Now I know what to pack for going out!!!
I have a completely random question about the weather. I notice during the day it is in the 60s but with high humidity. Does this mean it is muggy? Basically I want to know if there is any hope for straightening my hair while there and if I should pack my flat iron.
Thanks for the help once again!
Kel
I would definitely pack your flat iron, its not muggy at all. When its not raining, your hair should be fine – and in the case of rain all you need is a little anti-frizz stuff :)
Also, a little hint – make sure you bring something cute in case of wet weather (like a nice overcoat or trench or something) – its been raining heavily over the past few weeks and there are hardly any undercover areas outside to walk under when you go from class to class.