People in NZ - What are you wearing right now?

[beansmum]

Well, not right this minute, but what are you usually wearing at this time of year? We're arriving in NZ in 3 weeks and I have a suitcase full of old clothes, mainly wintry. Is there anything that EVERYONE is wearing that I should buy, or am I ok with some new vest tops and some kind of cardi? I'm starting uni in Feb and am very conscious that I will be about 10 years older than lots of the other students, I don't want to look old AND frumpy!

Right now? Pyjamas . And pretty damn cool I look too.

Weather is pretty good so mainly skirts, t-shirts, flip flops (jandals...!). And - not sure how to put this without it coming across as rude - when I go to Italy or Spain for example I feel horribly frumpy and unfashionable - here I actually feel quite stylish . So I wouldn't worry too much. But if you do want to get some new bits I'd do it in the UK as I've found clothes here not great (having said that there are some gorgeous designer clothes around, but the prices ).

I agree, unless you work in fashion people seem to dress 'functionally' or practically here and that clothes like other goods fall into the cheap fall apart in a second category or lovely but very expensive. If you need anything you might do to hit the sales now before you leave (if there's anything left!). I'm in vest top and skirt. Yesterday t-shirt and linen trousers. It can get colder of an evening so you might need a fleece or warmer top but it's summer!!! and great .

Mothers uniform here - 3/4 length trousers and t-shirt with or without fleece depending on weather. Unfortunately Susanna and Trinny would have a fit at my short stumpy legs in 3/4 trousers so I plump for jeans or combats.

Like 2toddlers without wanting to be rude - you really don't need to worry about clothes here. You could walk around in 10 year old fashion and nobody would bat an eyelid!

I should say though that before christmas I 'had a turn', hit the shops and bought a very ornate pink silk top and 3 1/2 inch stilletos that I have so far worn out once and to do the hoovering a few times when I couldn't bear to wear jeans and t-shirt a-g-a-i-n...............

Sibble! Loving the thought of your hoovering outfit. Don't worry Beansmum. You SO won't be frumpy. The fashionable students that I see around do the thing of skinny jeans, flatties and baby doll tops at best. Most of them are probably just in their jeans and fleeces. NZ is horribly uncool like that.
My standards are woeful. Having said that I still dig out skirts I bought in the UK years and years ago and get comments on them.

Hi Beansmum, I'm a student - most of us just wear the first thing we come across on the bedroom floor in the morning!! Seriously though, the students here are generally not too concerned about fashion. It's mostly denim shorts or 3/4 pants and slim fit t-shirts. Be careful about the sun though, the burn time is only a couple of minutes in summer, so little strappy tops for a day at uni can leave you with bad sunburn. There are some good sun creams about though, definitely worth buying one!

I remember being a lot more laid back about clothes over there, but I thought things might have changed, it's been a while! And I like to get stressed about every little thing.

Linen trousers (horribly creased) and a v neck t-shirt. Have just kicked off my pink crocs as i have just come in from shutting up the chickens. Can wear whatever you feel like here and no one bats an eyelid. On Saturday we had just come back from a camping trip and I found myself in the supermarket in a mud covered skirt, crocs (again!) and a dirty brown t-shirt with a fleece on top. Also found out later than I had mud on my face and a couple of leaves in my hair. And compared to some, I looked quite presentable. i am dreading any visit back to the UK as I am in such an NZ style vacuum.