Author: anaescalante

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Tis The Season For Maxi Dresses!

Over the weekend, I saw the start up of a trend that used to be a big obsession of fashionistas all over the nation, Maxi Dresses! Recently, around campus and random days out, I have spotted these long and mainly printed dresses left and right, so I thought why not start the week talking about these fabulous dresses. Although this trend never really left the fashion world, it tends to appear during different seasons, and it seems that this Summer, Maxi printed dresses are the trend to follow.

Long dresses have been around for centuries, and seen being worn for black tie events or red carpet events, but with new designers appearing every year, they decided to modernize the look so fashionistas all over the world can feel dressed up yet casual for an exciting day out. These dresses can either be form fitting or loose fitting depending on what fit you prefer and they come in ranges of colors and patterns.

My featured Fashionista of the week is photographed showing a new maxi dress she purchased showing off a very interesting pattern…FLORAL PRINTS mixed with a sort of tribal print. It seems since these two trends are very popular this season, why not pair them together?! What I loved about this dress was how it had dark shades of brown and black mixed with red to give it a pop of color. She kept her bag simple but added a thick gold chain necklace to make her dress look more formal. 

 As always, I asked my featured Fashionista what her favorite piece of her outfit was and she said her dress and explained “ I like feeling comfortable for class and looking dressed up and girly without having to try so hard. Not only are Maxi dresses comfortable, but by adding a necklace or wearing heels with it you can take it from casual to dressy in no time. I also love to wear dark colors, but since it's the summer and brights are what is in, this dress is perfect because it has dark colors and pops of red, pink and green throughout it."

So if you love patterns and dresses, this is definitely the trend for you this summer! Maxi dresses will have you dressed up and looking fabulous this season, so don’t wait around to go get yours, hurry up and catch it before it’s gone!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Got Love For Prints? Jump On The Hottest Trend This Summer; Floral Prints!

Summer is finally here and that doesn't only mean perfect beach days, sunny skies, and reuniting with friends who went away for college, it also calls for new fashion trends. I’m sure most of you have noticed the arrival of brightly colored shirts, high-waisted jean shorts, cut off t-shirts, and most importantly clothing with floral prints. Lately, we have seen an abundance of clothing being carried in stores or being worn around campus that have these colorful and exciting floral prints on them, why we ask? Well this summer, clothing with floral prints is the “IT” trend of the season! Floral prints made its first appearance throughout retailers during the spring season and quickly became an instant hit, capturing the attention of fashionistas of all ages. That probably explains why this trend has crossed over to the Summer season and remains an extremely popular trend. 

Since almost every retailer and our favorite designer brands carry this eye-catching print in t-shirts, jeans, skirts, shorts, pants, bags, shoes and different accessories, there is something out there for everyone and prices also range.  Not only does this print come in different items, but they come in a wide range of colors, make it easy for us to wear them for any occasion. Floral prints come in neutral colors for a vintage and romantic feel (which seems to be an everlasting trend this year), dark colors for a classic look or to wear for a formal occasion, and bright colors to be worn anytime or for those of us who like to make bold statements. 

My featured Fashionista of the week, decided to pair a floral print jean skirt with a sheer light pink silk top along with a coral side bag for a pop of color. Since she did not want to take away from the the skirt or her bag, she kept it simple with her shoes and wore nude peep-toe pumps, keeping the look fashionable yet classy. I have seen this Fashionista walking around campus several times, and I must admit this is not the first time I have seen her wearing something with the popular floral print on it. When I asked why she liked floral print so much she said " Flowers are the perfect print for the Summer. They are bright and exciting and can be paired with almost anything. I am a huge fan of patterns, I like wearing them and then picking on particular color that pattern has and making it stand out. Other than stripes, floral prints have to be one of my favorite patterns to wear for during the day for class or to run errands and at night time for a night out with the girls."

So what is my advice to you my lovely fashionistas? If you do not have something with this trendy print on it yet, run out to your favorite store and pick up something, whether its cute tote bag for the beach or a dress for a girls night out, follow this Summers hottest trend that will keep you feeling fun and flirty!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Accessories Are a Fashionista’s Best Friend

With the spring season leaving us and the summer season taking its place, we are starting to see an array of colors in people’s outfits. This Fashionisto, an enthusiastic 20-year-old Fashion Merchandising student, shows us a great example of this by showing off his bright yellow V-neck under his lightblue denim button down. Although he is dressed very casual for class, his matching brown Hermès belt and clutch add a sophisticated look to his wardrobe.

College life is known to be extremely hectic, and balancing a social life with school is not always easy. Time is a valuable thing to students and they like to save as much of it as they can. This is why one of the newest trends on college campuses is to dress in an outfit that could easily be switched from day to night in less than five minutes. Looking at his outfit for today, if he removes his yellow V-neck and blue watch and switches his boat shoes for a pair of brown dress shoes, he is ready for a night out in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Every Fashionista knows a clutch and a belt could be your best friends when it comes to dressing up an outfit. A clutch defines elegance while a belt can describe an attitude, two factors that exhibit personal style.

While I was talking to my featured Fashionisto of the week, I asked him what item he feels should be an “item of the week." He stated it should be his Hermès belt. When I asked why, he said, "You do not need to wear all your designer items together in an outfit to feel good or look good, nor do you need to spend all that money. If you mix one or two designer items with regular priced or non-designer pieces, you can look just as good or even better than someone who spent $5,000 in total while you only spent $300 on a signature item or accessory that you can use for my many different types of occasions."

So remember my fellow CollegeFashionistas, style is not defined by how much money you spend on your wardrobe, style is what defines your personality. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize and mix different wardrobe pieces! By wearing statement piece accessories, whether it be a pair of shoes, jewlery, or in this fashionistos' case a matching designer belt and clutch, you can quickly take your outfit from plain and simple, to fun and exciting!

Style Guru Bio: Ana Escalante

Hello CollegeFashionista followers! My name is Ana Escalante and I am currently a Fashion Merchandising student at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Fashion has been an interest of mine since I was a little girl. When I first opened the pages of Vogue magazine, I knew we would have an everlasting relationship. One of my favorite things about fashion is that it is consistently changing. Although some trends do seem to reappear through time, for the most part, trends come and go quicker than seasons do. I am a full time student and plan to do a masters program in Europe after I graduate and hopefully work on the editorial side of fashion. I am a very friendly person and always looking forward to meeting new people, so feel free to come up to me in the halls!