Get an A+ in school style with our guide on how to dress pretty for school this 2024.

It’s safe to assume that most students probably have mixed emotions about going back to school. While saying goodbye to the summer sunshine and the freedom that it brings may be the last thing anyone would want to do, seeing school friends and basking in the academic experience is something to look forward to. Another thing that all students can be excited about is, of course, getting dressed and flaunting that school style to bring the academic experience to a whole new level.

School isn’t just about filling your mind with knowledge. It also involves learning about yourself and expressing yourself along the way. What better way to express yourself than through the clothes you wear as you walk down the hallways of your school, going from class to class? After all, in the wise words of stylist extraordinaire Rachel Zoe, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” With this in mind, we’re here to give you tips on how to dress pretty for this coming school year. Call it School Style 101. And don’t worry, no oral tests are required with these lessons.

Our first tip when it comes to dressing pretty for school is to go for a preppy look. No, we’re not recommending preppy style simply because of its prep school origins. Look around and you’ll notice that the preppy aesthetic has been especially popular as of late, both in and out of the classroom. In fact, street style has been populated by ladies looking pretty in preppy clothes.

Now, you don’t need to look like you’ve stepped straight out of a prep school or are dressing to emulate Cher Horowitz from the film Clueless - arguably one of the most fashionable students in pop culture. By incorporating a few key elements from the preppy aesthetic, you step through your school doors looking as pretty as ever.

The first key element in preppy fashion that you can effortlessly incorporate in your everyday school outfits is stripes. Black, white, navy, red – stripes in any color but most especially in primary colors work great. Whether it’s a two-tone striped top in a collared style (for that full, obedient prepster look), a striped jumper, a striped cardigan, or even a striped t-shirt, wear it over jeans, shorts, or a skirt for an easy look that’s fit for any classroom.

Next to stripes, argyle and plaid are the next best patterns to have you looking pretty and preppy with your school style. Just imagine yourself as part of the cast of Gossip Girl, fresh out of class and hanging out along the steps of the Metropolitan Museum. Now, you don’t want to look as if you’re actually wearing a private school uniform. One key plaid or argyle print garment is more than enough to put on. Choose a plaid mini skirt and pair it with a casual t-shirt and ankle boots a la Olivia Rodrigo or do as Bella Hadid and pair your plaid mini with a zip-up sweater and loafers.

If argyle is more your thing, a fitted argyle sweater worn over a collared top will leave you looking polished. You can also go for a loose argyle top with jeans if you’re feeling more casual. Both looks are Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes approved.

Speaking of tops, sometimes, all you need is an effortless collared top for the quintessential laidback yet put together school style. There’s a wide range of collared tops for you to choose from while getting dressed for school. A crisp, button down collared top lends a note of professionality even when worn with shorts. Just ask Kendall Jenner. On the other hand, you can also go for a soft and loose knitted top with an oversized collar for a relaxed school style. Alternatively a collared dress with a pleated skirt is the perfect combination of chic and feminine school style.

Perhaps there’s no collared top that’s screams school spirit like a rugby shirt. With its large, bold stripes and collared neckline, the rugby shirt is easy to dress up or dresss down. Running late to class? Slip on rugby shirt over your favorite pair of jeans or shorts. Attending a party? Wear your rugby shirt with leather trousers or choose a cropped rugby top to show off your abs. Want to go even more feminine with your school style? Follow Taylor Swift’s footsteps and wear a rugby shirt dress with knee high boots.

This classic school style is something we specifically like to call the lady who lunch(box)es. It’s a modern and more youthful take on what you can imagine a lady of leisure would wear to weekday brunch with her friends. In this case, lunch may be in the school cafeteria and the only leisure time may be after the school bell has rung at the end of the day.

When it comes to this pretty school style, it’s all about the cropped jacket or cropped cardigan. Whether it’s in a solid color, striped, plaid or any other print, the cropped outerwear will take you from your first class all the way to dismissal time. Perfect to wear any time of year, it’s safe to say that no school style is complete without a cropped jacket or cropped cardigan.

There’s just something about the long sleeves and the cropped length that makes it both sexy but serious. As a set, you can wear your cropped jacket with its matching skirt just like Apple Martin and Sydney Sweeney. On its own, wear your cropped jacket layered with a simple top and jeans. A cropped jacket makes it pretty simple to look pretty great for school.

Of course, no school experience is complete without physical education or any extracurricular sports activities. In our case, we don’t actually need to be part of any varsity team cause it’s all about the sporty school style. Plus, with this year’s Paris Olympics, it’s safe to say that sporty style is all the rage.

Go for a tennis inspired look like Zendaya with a fitted top and a short, pleated skirt. Want to really go for a school style grand slam? Dress in Wimbledon whites in an all-white tennis fit. If something less contrived is more your style, look athletic without having to lift a muscle in track pants or joggers paired with your favorite casual top – may it be a graphic tank, a sports jersey, a relaxed hoodie or a classic baseball tee. Last but not least, slip into your favorite pair of sneakers and you’ll surely score a hundred in school style with these sporty outfits.

Top your class in urban studies with urbancore outfits. It's a little less feminine and a little more edgy but will still have you looking pretty as you stroll through your school halls.

Look your urbancore school style best as you go from class to class wearing a fun combination of cargo pants, cargo shorts, oversized jeans, denim overalls, ribbed tank tops, henley tops, combat boots, and chunky sneakers. While this school style may seem entirely rugged, there are countless ways for you to make urbancore your own and appropriate to wear throughout the school year.

You can dress it up just like Kaia Gerber, wearing cargo pants with a cropped collared top and heels. On the other hand, you can also take notes from Bella Hadid and go a little sexier pairing, wide leg blue jeans with a tight fitting corset. No matter which side of urbancore you’re on, you’ll surely be a leader in school style.

Another way to get your school style on point is by channeling your inner ballerina in the prettiest balletcore outfits. Don’t worry, you don’t actually have to wear ballet slippers because it’s all about the ballet flats. Leather, mesh, perforated, studded or even bejeweled, ballet flats are what you need to be wearing on your feet as you walk around campus. Just ask Dakota Johnson, Sofia Richie, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift. They’re just a few of the many fashion darlings who have both been spotted wearing what’s been the It Shoe for months.

If you want to pirouette further into the balletcore aesthetic for your school style, slip on a tulle skirt or a silk skirt for a subtler effect. Another way to look pretty for school in your ballet-inspired outfit is by putting on a fitted tank or bustier, a thin wrap top or a pastel colored cardigan over your tank top. As fashion reference, you need not look any further than Alexa Chung, Olivia Rodrigo, and Blackpink's Jennie, all of whom have aced the balletcore aesthetic. Whichever style you prefer, you’ll surely take center stage when it comes to your school style.

Wrap up your school style with a pretty ribbon and bow. As the saying goes, the devil is in the detail because sometimes, it’s the little accents that can make a big difference. In this case, it’s the design details that can have a big style impact. Case in point: ribbons and bows.

Ultra-feminine and strong in style, a classic bow can pull your outfit to the next level – literally and figuratively. Choose a backless tank with an alluring bow keeping it together, a simple top with a sweet bow on the shoulder or along the bust, a halter dress with a statement bow along the neckline, a pleated skirt with sweet little bow accents, you can even opt for a stylish choker with a metal bow or, of course, you can keep your hair pulled back with a bow. Whatever you decide, a subtle ribbon or a big bow is the perfectly pretty accent to complete your school style.

Now that concludes your short course on How to Dress Pretty for School in 2024. We trust you took notes and have studied the best ways to apply the lessons we've shared when it comes to your own school style for the upcoming academic year.