“You write a fashion column, so you must know so much about fashion!”

“A little bit,” I usually respond whenever the above line crops up in conversation. And “a little bit” is pretty accurate: I read enough about what’s going on in the world of haute couture, I know what is ‘in’ this season, and I could explain to you what I think makes a catwalk-worthy collection. However, I am also one of the fussiest shoppers you could ever have the misfortune to hit the high street with. So here is my definitive guide to being a fussy fashion-lover, and totally getting away with it.

“Is that new?” “Well, it’s new to Cambridge”

Even if the thought of doing laundry does give you night terrors, realistically you can only bring so many clothes with you to university. So, don’t bring all your clothes at once. Save some until the following term, so you can trick your friends into thinking you have clothing flooding in and out of your wardrobe like tourists to King’s Parade on a weekend. They’ll never know any different, and you get to change your look at the start of every term.

Repeat outfits, but in a clever way

Equally, go ahead and wear your absolute favourites all the time. To lectures, to the library, to Lola’s and to Life. Just remember to switch it up: you can really change the way a piece looks by wearing it in different ways. Dress it up or down, wear it with a skirt or with trousers, use it as a bottom layer or a top layer. It doesn’t matter how old the garment in question is, mixing it with something new is the perfect way to keep a look fresh.

“Sometimes wearing last year’s items can feel like the eighth deadly sin. But it shouldn’t”

When you find a trend you like, buy all of it

A large proportion of my wardrobe currently appears to be a low-budget interpretation of that of a Tudor monarch (embroidery, velvet, fur), sprinkled with a generous handful of glitter for good measure. For this, I blame the fact that AW16 really struck a chord with me, and so I went a bit crazy with my purchases. But that’s okay, because I find winter is often a dissatisfying season for clothes shopping, so I’ll still probably be wearing what I bought last year in a few years’ time. When a trend plays to your preferences, carpe that fashionable diem, and assure yourself that bulk-buying is an investment for the future.

When there’s a trend you don’t like, don’t buy any of it

Don’t be a slave to the seasons, be a stubborn stylista who is unashamed of shunning what they don’t like. This season is big for elaborately tailored shirts, but personally I’m not the biggest fan of anything fussier than ruffles, so I’m happy to let this one slide by. Sometimes fussy is necessary, so embrace it and just keep wearing what was already in your wardrobe.

If you like a trend, and it goes out of fashion, don’t get rid of it!

There are multiple items of clothing which I’ve owned since London hosted the Olympics, and I’m quite sure that warrants the right to use ‘vintage’ in the description, should I ever decide to sell them on eBay (although, let’s face it, if they’ve lasted five years, that probably won’t be happening anytime soon). Trends change so quickly, and sometimes wearing last year’s items can feel like the eighth deadly sin. But it shouldn’t. From experience, let me tell you I have been talked into discarding multiple well-loved items by my mum, and regretted it very soon after. Your clothes are yours, so you decide when you’ve got bored of them.

Thread Flair: Winning big with trophy trousers

We’re students living on a student budget, so being fussy with fashion is probably actually a bonus. You can operate a wardrobe policy of in with the old, in with the new, of buying everything at once, or nothing at all for months. Fashion is a personal topic, so whether fussy or carefree, just forget all about how you feel you are expected to dress