Author: Anna Chapman

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: No Jeans Required

Boating, tanning and hanging out at the pool are all things you can enjoy all summer and it's my favorite past time to do with my friends. We all throw on dresses over our suits and grab our sunglasses before we head off to soak in some rays. This Fashionista definitely looks like she is ready for a full day outside; she doesn't have the hassle of hot jeans clinging to her legs but leggings that are comfortable and thin. The best part of the outfit though is the flowing t-shirt with ruffles that can easily be thrown over a swimsuit. I know this may not be the normal swim attire, but who says you can't go to the beach and look fashionable?

This Fashionista's shirt really catches my eye when I look at it because the color is so vibrant and the pattern and ruffles going on really makes the shirt stand out to me. With the silky material, the shirt would be extremely comfortable to wear. The ruffles add a finishing touch to the dress when it goes all over the shirt, without overwhelming it and really gives the shirt the unique style it needs. The shirt that this Fashionista is wearing was purchased at Forever 21 and also comes in black. This shirt would be perfect to just quickly slip on over a swim suit on your way to the beach for a more fashionable, cute summer look. The Fashionista also went an extra mile when she added a black belt to accentuate the shirt.

Leggings are my weakness when it comes to summer attire. I am always having to buy new pairs because I keep finding ones that I apparently think I cannot live without. This Fashionista is wearing black leggings that you can easily put with any outfit to give it that more fashionable look and not have to stress over jeans or shorts. One thing about leggings is that there are so many different styles, colors and lengths that you can get. There can be leggings that cover your whole leg, which this Fashionista is sporting in this photo, there can also be leggings that cover half your legs. A great place to find some leggings perfect for your sense of style would be Express.

So, with the vibrant shirt and leggings, this Fashionista can really pull off the best summer beach attire and will catch everyone's eye as she soaks up some rays.

Hint: Want to find some more dresses to throw on quick over your swimsuit? Check out Vanity!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Striped Pants, Sleek Look

This Fashionisto is showing off his more professional fashion side and I really like how his outift is put together. His pants are gray with white stripes and his black button up dress is a great color match to make it look very sleek.Your belt should usually match your shoes, so instead of springing for a different colored belt, this Fashionisto decided to go with a black belt to stick with his black and grey colored attire.

The dress pants that the Fashionisto chose to wear were purchased at Express and they also come in white, black and khaki. You could really put any color of shirt with the pants because gray is a very neutral color that you can match easily. However, black is probably my favorite because it looks so professional and the two colors really complement each other. The button up shirt that the Fashionisto was wearing, he purchased from The Buckle and there are numerous other button up designs and colors available in the store.

Another thing that stood out to me, was the Fashionisto's accessory that he chose to wear along with the outfit. He has a very sleek, professional attire going on and then he is wearing a silver watch on his wrist. The watch stood out to me because it was a classy dress watch that complemented the outift in just the right  way. Without the watch, the outfit would still look good, but I think it just gives it that extra sleek look. Not to mention how chic this Fashionisto's decision was to roll his shirt sleeves up. With the sleeves rolled all the way down, it gives it more of a conservative look but when they are rolled up, it gives the outfit a little more of an edge and it's a cooler look to wear for a long sleeved shirt in the summer.

Hint: Want to create a more sleek look for yourself? Check out Macys!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: You Can Never Have Too Much Purple

I love this Fashionista's comfortable look. Her dress is perfect to throw on for a lazy day outside or lounging by the pool and her purple purse makes a great asset to style it up a bit. That dress, purse and addition of sunglasses and comfortable flip flops, and this girl is ready to strut her stuff on a hot summer day. The purple cloth dress could also be a great coverup for a swimsuit and instead of an oversize beach bag to haul along with you and this Fashionista's purse is the perfect size for her belongings and it's a great match for the outift.

The purse has endless amounts of ruffles and style to it which gives it its unique trend and the color is a really rich purple that stood out to me. To see this purse and many other colors and styles, check out Aldo – a purse and shoe store with amazing looks. Since this Fashionista's look had a little more laid back, comfortable feel to it, her choice of shoes followed that same style. Flip flops are many people's favorite choice of footwear in the summer because they are so open and come in so many endless amounts of styles and colors for any type of outfit. Her flip flops are simply black, a great color that matches with anything and she didn't overdo the purple attire while simply incorporating one other neutral to balance it out. Old Navy is a great store to find a wide variety of flip flops for a cheap price and they are extremely comfortable and stylish.

Also, this Fashionista's sunglasses are black to match her flip flops, so she has two purple pieces to her attire and two black pieces, making for a very eye appealing combination. This girl is taking advantage of these hot summer days to show off her more fashionable, yet comfortable, side!

Hint: Want a more comfortable dress that can be for both lounging around and strutting the town? Check out Venus!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Firecracker Red Dress Explodes with Style

This Fashionista is styling a red and black dress that is perfect for all sorts of festivities. With the Fourth of July drawing near, it's always fun to dress up and enjoy the entertainment and this dress provides a comfortable, cute look. The dress does not have a lot of design on it to interfere with any accessories so it gives you a great chance to dress it up even more with a belt or jewelry.

The Fashionista chose to dress her attire  up with jewelry including a necklace, bracelet and ring, all complementing the black half of the dress. My favorite accessory that she styles is her bracelet. It's a braided style with two parts and gives the attire a chic look that stands out. Forever 21 is a great place to look for unique, stylish jewelry because their selection is big and you can usually find any type of jewelry you may be looking for. They have really big styles and littles ones to go with attire that may have a lot of design. Jewelry doesn't have to be expensive to look good in order to make your outfit stand out, you can find really affordable, fashionable jewelry in numerous amounts of store.

The dress that is being styled can be found at Express, a very fashionable store that you can go to for attire you can wear to any festivity or event. Their dresses come in various amounts of designs including different prints, material and style. This Fashionista's dress mixes two different materials together. The top is a cotton material while the bottom is more of a polyester type. The cotton material gives a more comfortable fit for the top half of the dress and the polyester part makes it so that the bottom half of the dress has a little bit of body to it, the tougher material makes it so that the dress does not hug your body like cotton would.

The Fashionista also shows off some very stylish shoes to complete her attire. The brand of the shoes are called, Cordani. These shoes are fashionable yet comfortable enough to work, walk and play in. The original Cordani shoe collection emphasizes fashionable and chic wedges and platforms. Their shoe bottoms are carefully designed to provide even weight distribution to allow you to work or play all day long. The simple, understated designs offer you endless options to wear with all your casual outfits and this fashionista chose the perfect black pair to complement her dress and make it even more stylish and noticeable!

Hint: If you aren't someone who really enjoys wearing wedges or platforms, check out Kohls for a more affordable, comfortable look with a huge selection just for your likes.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Keeping it Bold with a Few Spikes

This Fashionista's attire is perfect for a day at a concert. Concerts aren't all about getting dressed up and formal, they are about being comfortable because you are probably going to be standing for a long period of time. Depending on what kind of a concert it is, your attire will probably reflect that. For example, this Fashionista's music choice leans a little more towards rock, hence the fact that her spikes on the vest would be perfect attire for a rock concert. On the other hand, if she was a country fan, that probably wouldn't be the attire she chose to wear to the concert! The Fashionista's outfit is all rock and she definitely works it.

I love how this Fashionista took a chance and stepped out of the ordinary with the vest she chose to wear. I want to focus on the vest because the spikes are a very bold look. It is a simple grey vest, but it really stands out because of the spikes on the top of it, giving it a different look. After talking to the Fashionista though, she actually said she applied the spikes herself! I thought that was a great way to show your own personal style and get people to notice it.

If you're curious of how to put spikes on a vest, you can check out How to Put Spikes on a Vest and it goes through a step by step process. Nobody would ever really give this vest a second thought and that's why I chose this particular Fashionista; I ended up finding out some really interesting facts about her attire. Going beyond the ordinary and showing off what you like best is always an acceptable fashion choice. Vests are always an easy way to add to an outfit because almost anything can go underneath them – long shirts, T-shirts, tank tops, or tube tops. Then, if you add a little jewlery or in this Fashionista's case, spikes, it really makes the whole attire stand out.

Hint: Want to know other ways to incoporate your own trend into your attire? Check out Cincy Chic.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Perfect Blend of Casual and Formal

You have the ultimate advantage in summer when you have to go formal, but yet want to be comfortable and casual. You can choose a pair of khaki or white dress shorts in order to dress up an attire. Button up shirts are a popular trend on guys and they are casual while still looking kind of formal.

This Fashionisto picked out a black button up shirt to go with a white pair of shorts, making a perfect match. It would look a little less dressed up with jean shorts, but the white shorts make a great color coordination. There are various amounts of colors you can choose to color coordinate your outfit in order to make it look a little more formal. Banana Republic is a great place that has a wide guys selection to choose from while providing a sleek look for you.

There are numerous events and activities that go on in the summer that may require you to show your more fashionable side. For example, how about a summer wedding that takes place outside? This Fashionisto's attire would work perfectly, shorts that don't make him too hot but yet a long sleeved shirt that is more formal then a T-shirt. So loose that tie and those uncomfortable, hot dress pants! Dressing yourself up while still being able to be casual is the best attire to afford in summer.

Hint: Looking for some button up shirts to dress your style up with? Check out Rue 21, a very affordable store that has a wide variety of selections.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Jacket Makes the Intern

Landing an internship is a great accomplishment and while you can't wear your ordinary summer attire to the work place, you can still show off some stylish trends and still look professional. There are millions of different styles for every article of clothing including skirts, shoes and especially jackets.

A jacket can either make or break an outfit and this Fashionista chose the perfect one to complement her simple, but stylish internship attire. An internship is all about the professional look, but a jacket can spice it up in a subtle way that will definitely still get noticed. This Fashionista's jacket is called the ringerbearer's jacket and it looks simple in the front, but in the back it has a very unique style to it. Her shirt underneath is tucked into her skirt, so it prevents too much of a cluster between the shirt and jacket, giving it a well fitted look. Without the jacket, this fashionista still looks very stylish and professional, but the jacket definitely doesn't break the outfit when put on, it gives it an extra edge that shows a unique and personal style choice.

Hint: Want to see a variety of jackets that could complement any outfit? Check out the White House Black Market!


 

Style Guru Bio: Anna Chapman

I am very excited to start this position at CollegeFashionista.com and I am looking forward to the many trends and unique styles that will appear around my campus. I go to the University of Iowa and even though the most popular fashion you see here is going out attire, I will occasionally see the different, stylish trends that are worth showing off.

I am 20-years-old and am majoring in journalism, so writing is my passion and I enjoy doing all kinds of it. I look forward to making different posts for this website every week in order to expand and develop my writing skills while giving people the satisfaction of new trend ideas. I am from a small town in Iowa so fashion is definitely a lot more developed here at the university than at my home town. After I graduate, I hope to look for a job maybe in the field of internet journalism hopefully, but for now I will continue to work and expand my writing skills.

As for my fashion, it's a little more laid back usually, but I definitely love to get dressed up in different styles on the weekends and especially now during the summer, I had the chance to go out and buy some really cute dresses and summer attire that I am excited to wear. My favorite summer attire are definitely dresses and you can find some really cute, unique ones at Wet Seal. That's all for now and I look forward to sharing some more interesting trend facts and tips along the way!