Angela Domingo – CollegeFashionista

TREND: Not-So-Strictly Business

This Fashionista immediately caught my eye in her classy and effortlessly done-up ensemble.

I was impressed with the way she combined quite a few of the latest fashion trends – loose, light-colored fabrics, sheer materials, high-waisted pants – to pull off a look that was standout and put-together.Turns out I spotted her just on her way to an important job interview!

With summer coming to a close, that means back to school and work for many of us. Also, leaving behind the hot summer weather and moving into the cooler months, right about now we're into that bit of in-between season that I like to call "transition season" which can be a bit tricky to pull off. I think this Fashionista put a lot of popular summer trends and made them work for a look that could be summer casual, but also just right for her job interview ("just right", of course, varies with field and industry but she was looking fierce no matter how you slice it!)

While the loose, see-through shirt may not see many of the cooler months ahead, the high-waisted trend is something that seems here to stay. Especially since high-waisted garments apply to any bottoms, be they skirts, shorts, or trousers like the ones she's wearing, a high waist always makes for a classy look. Not to mention being a strategically great choice for making your legs appear longer – and who doesn't want that!

Hint: High-waisted garments make any outfit more formal, but they can be dressed up or dressed down, mostly depending on what we're wearing on top. Here, our Fashionista looks a little more formal in her billowing blouse. To tone a look down, go for more casual fabrics like jersey or cotton in less structured cuts for a more relaxed silhouette!

Have a look at what our other Style Gurus have to say about the high-waist trend at their own campuses!

TREND: Loungewear Inspirations

As some of our other Style Gurus have found, unstructured, soft silhouettes can call as much attention as well-tailored, structured garments can — when done right.

I snapped this Fashionista modelling this year's popular loungewear-inspired trend. Here, she sports cotton and silk pieces the are just soft and loose enough to suit the laidback vibe so popular for the season.

An outfit that has more structure to it, has the shape and volume of the garments to fall back on and hold the look together. An ensemble such as this one, however, relies more on the details to make it work; when wearing materials so lacking in shape of their own, it's all too easy to look sloppy and lazy rather than decidedly minimalist and effortless. In this case, our Fashionista does well to use print and textures/fabrics to her advantage. Both her cotton-nylon blend top and silk shorts (another Style Guru Favorite!) are distinctly patterned achieving a look that is more dressed-up than it would have been sans-print. Also, the silk material of her shorts is soft like cotton, but has a visually distinct texture that stands out on its own.

She also makes an inspired choice in her footwear: black satin — another rich, standout material — bejewelled flats that give her outfit just the dressy kick!

Hint: The key to this look is balance; just the right measure of minimalism, with just right measure of dressed-up details. For example, to up the ante even more while maintaining the effortless chic, throw in a statement necklace or some chunky, bright-colored bangles that are all the rage. Or try other-textured accents like velvet flats, or sequin-covered sandals! Then, feel free to take your loungewear to the streets.

TREND: Summer Boots

This week's Fashionista shows off one of the season's more controversial trends (previously featured by our other Style Gurus!): summer boots.

Along with summer sweaters, this trend takes boots, more commonly worn in the colder seasons, and incorporates them into summer style. For obvious reasons, this trend seems to be an acquired taste — not to mention hit-or-miss, but one thing's for sure: the look grabs attention every time.

This Fashionista gives us an extra bit of Canadian flavor by sporting authentic leather cowboy boots (from Calgary) with her H&M summer dress.

Everything about her look is eye-catching from the juxtaposition of a light summer dress and heavy-duty boots, to the bold and striking prints from both garments. You'd think they'd clash, but something about the combination is just the right side of interesting.

Hint: Summer boots is one of those more selective trends that isn't for everybody, but there does seem to be at least one trick to make it work if you do want to experiment. Make like this Fashionista and choose a boot that has a slightly lighter and sleeker look (read: pass on the UGGs this time) — it's summer and you won't need so much coverage. As always, we're going more for intriguing and less for confusing! For more ideas on how to pull off the look, check out celebrity fashion favorites like Rachel Bilson, Sienna Miller, Zoey Saldana and Miley Cyrus.

TREND: Silk Sensation

This week's Fashionista sports one of my favorite trends of the season: silk shorts.

Her shorts paired with a striped loose-fitting shirt in a matching shade go together for a look that all but defines easy, urban class. The neutral shade of grey-taupe is one that's prefect for a daytime city stroll, but paired with maybe a darker blouse and some high heels could easily convert to chic evening wear as well.

There are a bunch of reasons to love silk shorts. First of all, they're lightweight, unstructured quality is perfectly suited to the summer season. Secondly, like our favorite denim or wool shorts, silk comes in an array of bright colors to suit just about any outfit. Texture is another great feature of silk. It's light and soft, and as seen in this pair of ba&sh silk shorts, and textures can be worked into the fabric itself which make for great detail.

Hint: Silk is essentially a fabric that doesn't take much shape or structure of its own — that's part of its charm. But it's also more likely to look a bit like sleepwear if we're not careful. Accesorizing with a simple waistbelt does wonders for silk shorts as it effortlessly adds shape to your silhouette and instantly makes clothes dressier and more presentable.

Check out high-end designers like Vera Wang and Philllip Lim's tasteful take on the silk shorts trend. Topshop and Elizabeth and James are in on the look, too! Get your fix, Fashionistas! Stat.

TREND: Staying Cool in Hot White

Nothing is more sophisticated and refreshing than a flash of white hot on a summer day.

This week's Fashionista shows us how to sport a sophisticated white ensemble that keeps her cool yet undeniably hot on campus .

Her white top and bottom flatteringly lengthens her silhouette, while the different fabrics on the garments break up the look nicely giving it texture and structure. The different mateirals used for her blouse and skirt also keeps her ensemble from looking flat or boring without distorting the continuity the all-white outift creates.

The all-white outift is also given a bit of oomph thanks to the black vertical line detailing on her skirt which draw the eyes and make her look even slimmer.

The neckline on her blouse is another trend towards the ladylike which has been all the rage lately!

Hint: To pull off the all-white hot look, try breaking it up with different fabrics, or even a belt or sash to give the look some structure and a little creative accent.

Here are some of my favorite white-hot items of the moment: Halston Sash Mini Dress and Shanghai style shoes!

TREND: The Return of the Bombshell

Style trends for some time now — and for this season especially — seem to be taking a turn towards the more feminine and ladylike. The bold florals, neatly tailored silhouettes, statement makeup and high heels that were made so popular by our hallmark bombshells of decades past are making a comeback in a big way.

This Fashionista represents old-world glamor in her polka dotted day dress. Everything from the light, white material, to the raised neckline, to the blue polka dot design to her femme chignon radiates a style that is 100 percent lady.

Bombshell style has been recently updated to suit more contemporary trends (slimmer waistlines and softer, more breathable fabrics) but the look remains unmistakable.

And not just any women made polka dots and dainty dresses so iconic. Bombshells like Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe are some of the biggest names in the book. Even years after their time, they continue to inspire and shape women’s style the world over.

Hint: Make like this Fashionsta and be a modern-day bombshell in higher necklines and polka dots. Also try classic pumps and bow ties for a perpetually womanly look.

Bonus: A great take on feminine polka dots by blogger Evi Karatza here.

TREND: Tiered to Perfection

Up next on this season's list of fun and flirty trends: tiers! This Fashionista showcases exactly what tasteful layers can do for a look; enhance our feminine curves while still adding to a look that's light and breezy — perfect for the season!

When we think tiers or even ruffles for summer, we might initially think of only bright shades like yellow or orange or pink, etc., but this Fashionista shows us another way to make it work. Even in a more severe shade like black, flouncy tiers work to soften the look of her outfit making it perfectly suitable to daywear. In fact, the dark black works to make a more solid and striking silhouette which looks great on her.

Another thing to love about this layered look? Tiers perfectly incorporate other style trends of the season. In particular, sheer materials like chiffon or even lace which are all the rage are probably among the best and most frequently used materials for tiers. They’re almost weightless so they won’t appear bulky or heavy like other materials would if they were worked into layers. This Fashionista’s black dress is made of a light cotton material which breathes and moves well making it another great option for her look.

To accessorize the ensemble, she wears a wide tan leather waist belt. The belt creates shape and outlines her figure which is important as we want to accentuate and not lose our smashing figures under all the layers! Her matching tan platform wedges polish off her outfit just right.

Hint: Tiers seem especially effective on petite Fashionistas who want to add a little volume to their look — try it!

Head out to you favorite go-to retailers lilke Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and BCBG for tops and dresses tiered to perfection.

TREND: Crochet Classy

College street style this summer seems to be all about maintaining the balance between shedding layers to suit the season yet staying occasion-appropriate. It's not always the easiest style to achieve but you can trust Fashionistas to come up better and better ways to do it.

This week, a Fashionista shows us how to work crochet. Gone are the days when crochet was only meant for our grandmothers and tablecloths. Particularly this spring/summer season, crochet has been making a marked impression on us as its been finding its way into more and more of our favorite garments.

This Fashionista wears an oversized off-shoulder crochet top over a figure-hugging tank dress. The loose crochet top over the tightly fitting dress gives her a little more coverage and yet doesn't weigh the outfit down at all.

Like lace, sheer fabrics, crop tops and peek-a-boo sleeves, crochet detailing allows us to show off our hot summer style while still leaving just enough to the imagination.

Hint: Crochet detailing also is making it's way onto a slew of other garments and accessories like shoes, hats, dresses and shorts, to name a few. It's a a great way to add a touch of boho chic to your city street style.

TREND: Tied Shirt. Take Two.

The tied button-down shirt is as hot as trends come this season. From celebrities out and about to Fashionistas taking over campus runways, the shirt tangle is a certified favourite. And now that everyone’s all caught up, what’s left to do with a trend? Take it a step further, of course.

This week’s Fashionista models a different, equally fashionable, take on the tied blouse. Here, she’s transformed an oversized button-down blouse into a strapless top by fastening all the buttons and using the sleeves to creatively secure the blouse around her. The vintage pattern on the blouse gives the shirt yet another accent setting it apart from your run of the mill tube top.

Her look reminded me of another blossoming trend involving tied shirts: the tied shirt skirt. Skirt? Midriff baring top? Tube blouse? Looks like a basic button-down need not be just a basic button-down anymore.

Hint: Go from tied shirt tube top to full-on tube dress. Find an even larger oversized shirt and tie it in a similar way as our Fashionista does to secure the top. The larger the shirt you use, the more length you have to work with.

TREND: Love Knots

Now that summer is in full swing, we're seeing that more and more Fashionistas are coming up with great ways to flaunt their good looks without giving away too much.

Just like lace, peek-a-boos, and sheer materials, shirt knots or "tangles" are turning up everywhere on the street.

A simple knot tied to secure a loosely fit button down makes the perfect easy, breezy and chic summer style statement. As the trademark of our favorite vintage poster girls of earlier decades, this delicate, ultra-feminine touch has endured the times and has made a big comeback this spring/summer season.

This week's Fashionista pulls off the summer knot perfectly. She pairs her lightwash denim shorts with a delicately printed tank top and secures a loose-fitting vintage print blouse over it. Her rolled-up sleeves make her look less structured and more casual – exactly what a leaisurely day in the city calls for.

Famous faces like Annalynne McCord and Minka Kelly, as well as Victoria Beckham have sported the shirt knot this season and shown us different ways to pull off this tasteful accent.

Many of our favorite stores like Topshop and H&M are stocked with shirts specifically meant to tie the knot, but any button down blouse will do (Really. Any. Go nuts!)

Hint: On chillier or more modest days, make like our Fashionista and wear the knotted blouse over a tank. Otherwise, feel free to bear a little midriff this season – this trend is naturally classy.