A: Congratulations!  I applaud you for having the courage to do what you love, and taking the first step towards your dream of working in fashion publishing.  Just as transitioning from a professional environment to an academic one will allow you much more freedom in scheduling your day, it will also give you much more freedom in what you choose to wear.

That said, I’d recommend placing your suits and blouses in a good storage place, as journalism will also require professional clothes until you reach the heights of Anna Wintour or Carine Roitfield, when designers will be begging you to wear their clothes!  Fashion journalism is no exception, though you’ll get to mix things up a bit more.

As you prepare to enter the world of fashion, make sure you have your foundation pieces in place.  These 10 pieces will provide you a foundation from which to grow your wardrobe—and evolve your sense of style.  Since you’re going back to school, I’d add jeans to this foundation wardrobe as well.  In addition to your standard issue dark rinse blue jeans, try a pair of trouser jeans and a pair of grey jeans. 

Moving beyond the foundations, I encourage you to play with silhouettes and color.  Now is the time for experimentation. Layer!  Take what’s in your wardrobe and try to create new and interesting combinations. 

Once you’ve started to exhaust the possibilities with your current wardrobe, make a shopping trip to add pieces that you may not already have.  Things like layered tops, asymmetrical dresses, cute boots, and an oversized, slouchy bag (which should hold your school books nicely).  But don’t be too anxious to fill out your wardrobe too quickly. You’ll start to develop a more critical eye as you study fashion.  And you’ll no doubt be influenced by the designers you study—not to mention your fellow students.