With the return of September, comes the return of school for most of us. No matter how infuriating it may feel to wear a uniform, please spare a thought for us that now have to buy enough decent clothes to last us at least till the end of September. And we all know it doesn't stop at clothes... with bags, shoes and accessories, this is a stressful time for us all. In today's post I am going to be talking about bags and shoes for back to school. But come back soon as I'm also writing a post on clothes for non uniform students.
BAGS
I know for those of us that don't have uniform, clothes is by far the most consuming thought at the moment. So why start with bags? Well basically... we all need a bag.
Getting a school bag has always been one of the most stressful shopping trips of my teen years. (Second only to school shoe shopping.) So how do I do it?
First you have to decide what style you want as that will determine which shops will suit you best. Please chose something suitable but any bags like satchels, rucks sacks or over the shoulder bags work fine. And don't judge by the name. A satchel could either be a vintage brown bag you find in a charity shop or a super dry brightly coloured satchel... the options are endless.
Also, think about your budget. I'm going to be writing with this post of a budget from about £10-£50 as that is the average amount we all have to spend on school bags. But if by some miracle, you have £100+ to spend on a school bag, your options are endless so just have fun!
Over the shoulder/ fashion bag
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| £34 at Topshop |
As much as I hate to admit it, I have bought Topshop bags for the past 2 years for school and they're pretty damn good. I particularly like their black bags that come with long straps (to go over the shoulder) that normally come out around this time. They are normally £30 ish pounds and last all year. If you're looking for a fashionable but suitable bag that will just about last a year, Topshop is a pretty good bet.
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| £35 at TK Maxx |
This is where I bought my newest school bag (expect a what's in my school bag soon!) and I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously the brands they hold are nice quality but they also carry a large range of bags in most colours. From black handbags to grey over-the-shoulder bags to brown satchels. If you're looking for a hand bag type school bag, you will probably find it here. When I first started looking I was a bit put off by the £60 price tags, even for the excellent brands. But if you've ever shopped in TK Maxx, you will know that there is a massive mix of £60 bags, £200 bags and £20 bags. Mine was £25 and you can't tell the difference... honestly! No but seriously, I really recommend having a look! I'll get back to you this time next year to let you know how it survives.
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| £15 from H&M |
If you're on a bit more of a budget, check out H&M. They've got a considerable range of good size bags (big enough to hold your books), most of them black or brown. They range from about £10-30 but if you look in a big store you will normally find a really decent bag on the lower end of the price range. I'm not sure about the quality but just check it out in person if you're unsure.
Avoid
I don't like to be too negative but as well as recommending brands, there are some shops I haven't been impressed by (bags wise.)
New look: For a school bag, New Look isn't a great choice. Their bags are generally too small and hand bag like, no way substantial enough to hold books. Furthermore, the quality is poor so they break a lot sooner! Sorry
River Island: I had a River Island school bag 3 years ago, I loved it. But it broke half way through the year, not just the strap but the zip and the lining. Not great quality. Also, I find River Island bags way too expensive for what they are...
If you like bags like these, try shops like Super Dry, Animal, Weird Fish or Cath Kitson. They are normally brightly coloured and very durable. Perhaps a little more expensive but definitely more long lasting. A lot of these places do similar bags but in ruck sac form if that's something you would like.
If you're reading this near Monday 24th August, and you like these bags, check Super Dry here as their bags are on offer and more affordable.
If you want a bag like these, I would avoid cheap high street knockoffs that you can find from places like New Look or Primark. I don't want to sound harsh but you can always tell they're knock offs and you can normally get them quite affordable when they're in the sale.
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| £34 from Topshop |
If you are looking for a fashionable or sporty ruck sac, you have a few options. Personally I love my plain black ruck sac I bought from sports direct. It was cheap and cheerful and does the job. If you are looking for something a bit 'cooler', try Top shop or ASOS for ruck sacs. The little black leather ones are particularly cute.
SHOES
As I mentioned earlier, school shoe shopping is famous in my family for being one of the most stressful days of the year. But not this year!
If you are looking for plain black shoes that are suitable with a school uniform, I think brogues are the way to go. They are pretty & fashionable but also sturdy and don't violate the uniform code. If you have a good look around, most places are selling Brogues for this exact reason. I highly recommend getting your school shoes from Clarkes or John Lewis though. If you are wearing the same pair of shoes everyday, even expensive Topshop shoes will start to show signs of weakness. Most shoes will. Buying a pair from Clarks or John Lewis will mean they last a little longer, even if it's not the whole year.
If you are in the even more stressful situation of non uniform, you know the struggle of multiple pairs of shoes. It is no longer acceptable to wear the same pair of black shoes every day *screams inside*
Here are the basic shoes you might be needing:
Black shoes/pumps- check places like New Look or Next for these. They're basics and you shouldn't be wearing them every day so you don't need the absolute best quality. Nevertheless, they will go with absolutely anything so can save you on days when nothing seems to match.
Comfortable plimsolls- Okay sounds weird but I mean shoes like Converses or Vans. I'd definitely recommend getting the branded ones but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative, there are loads of knock offs in high street shops.
Chelsea boats (brown or black?)- Mmm... I love Chelsea boots but really I guess any kind of boots will do. John Lewis (own brand as well as carried brands) do some really nice boots which you should definitely check out. Black or brown boots are great for the winter, they look cute with jeans but are still comfortable. I wear mine 24/7 in the autumn/winter.
Trainers- (Nike) I don't like to talk about trends but wearing trainers as a casual shoe is a major trend this year. I love my black Nike trainers and it's starting to become acceptable to wear them with jeans and everything! This is fantastic because they're so so comfy (plus you can wear them if you're going on an after school jog.)
Dr Martens boots- Or any kind of substantial boots really. They're sturdy so will be your best friend throughout the winter months.
It's quite hard to give links and shops for each one but these are just the different styles of shoes I would recommend to get through sixth form. Always look around for cheaper alternatives, but sometimes (like Converses for example), it's better to just splash out on the originals as they are better quality and tend to look better.
Avoid
- I would totally avoid high heels when at sixth form. Even if you can walk amazingly in them, it looks a bit too formal and dressed up for school. I mean you do you, wear them if you want but definitely don't feel pressured to.
- Don't avoid white shoes altogether. I've got white Converses and I love them, they look great with jeans. But before buying loads of white shoes, bare in mind that in the winter the ground will start to get muddy and gross. In turn, your perfectly white shoes will get muddy and gross.
- Same with suede shoes. They look awesome and are great for certain occasions. But as a material, suede gets ruined in the rain so shoes with suede on are probably not the best idea for back to school.
I hope this helped for those of you dreading going back to school. If you're gonna go back, you might as well go back in style! Anyway, good luck and thanks for reading. Let me know in the comments how you're feeling about going back to school and keep a look out for my post on back to school clothing.
Thanks and see you next time,
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