Author: BlytheBoyd

WHAT TO WEAR: Prepping for Tailgate Season

In the south, Saturdays are for college football and tailgating. There is nothing more important than having a cute outfit to wear to the tailgates. Many times these outfits are picked out a week in advance just to give all the Fashionistas time to change their mind or make sure they love it!

Although school is over and football games seem far away, the summer is the perfect time to load up your wardrobe with cute outfits for tailgating. Yes, you can always go with the classic cut-up college T-shirt, but it is more fun to create an outfit using your school colors.

This Fashionista found a bright orange, off-the-shoulder top to really scream “Go Tech.” It is a light, flowy fabric so she can stay comfortable and cool while also looking cute. The sleeves are tied off with a simple bow that really bring out the classic southern style. She muted down the bright orange of the top with some dark wash skinny jeans. This look could even be worn with some denim shorts. The dark denim is a perfect spacer between the bright orange top and the bright white of her Jack Rogers—a southern staple.

Football games are definitely not the place to heavily accessorize. Between jumping to “Enter Sandman” or cheering when we score, there is no way heavy jewelry will survive! This Fashionista accessorized perfectly with a single pearl necklace on a thin gold chain and her Ray-Ban sunglasses. It ties the outfit together completely, giving it a classic, southern style.

This Fashionista also did a great job of using makeup to get the “no makeup” look. It is usually hot and sweaty on game days, especially in the south. No one wants their makeup running down their face or wiping off. Use a powder or mineral to give you that dusty glow, and stick with mascara and eyeliner to really make your eyes pop. Try to leave out all the heavy contouring, highlighting, and heavy eyeshadow.

As you prepare for tailgating season next year, find a loud statement piece that coordinates with your school colors and dress around it. Choose a toned-down piece to coordinate, and always go light on the accessories.

STYLE ADVICE: Mixing Browns and Blacks

Mixing brown and black is one of the most controversial fashion trends—you are either going to love it or hate it! I am all for mixing browns and blacks in creative ways, and so is this Fashionista.

This Fashionista did a perfect job mixing hues of brown with her black leggings to make it work in just the right way. The key to pulling off the brown and black look is varying your color tones to downplay the strong browns and blacks. The bright white turtleneck under her camel brown fur and suede textured vest does a perfect job doing that. It brightens up the outfit and creates a contrast between the brown vest and black leggings. The cream color of the fur complements the white turtleneck, further separating the black from the brown.

This Fashionista used a tan ankle boot to finish off her outfit. Because the black leggings separate the brown in the vest from the tan colored booties, the booties appear to have more gray undertones. These undertones allow the booties to complement instead of clash!

The accessories this Fashionista picked complete this outfit perfectly—they are the little brown and black bow tied on top! This Fashionista’s brown leather strap watch keeps the white turtleneck and cream colored fur from taking away from the outfit. It gives it just the right touch and pulls out the camel brown in the vest.

This Fashionista turned the brown and black trend into something rad! To sum it all up here are a few tips for mixing brown and black: vary the hues and shades of brown; use lighter colors like creams and whites to offset the brown and black; use your accessories and shoes to complement the outfit instead of clash; and most of all, have fun trying different ways to make this trend work for you!

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Subtlety Chic

Creating a fashionable look is quite literally “all in the details” (no pun intended). The way a Fashionista puts her pieces together can make or break the outfit. It is important to pay attention to subtle details like lip color or buckles on your shoes in order to tie an outfit together.

The trend of mixing gray and gold has been on the rise in interior decorating and has now transferred over to the fashion industry. This Fashionista did a perfect job of mixing the two colors. She perfectly accessorized with gold accessories. Instead of using an overbearing gold statement necklace, this Fashionista went with a subtle rectangular bar pendant necklace. The pairing of this necklace with a gold-cased, diamond stud makes the gold pop. Her heather gray ribbed turtleneck is also downplayed by the navy blue vest. Her solid gray frost boots do, however, bring out the darker shades of gray on top.

The great thing about this look is that the eye is drawn down the body because the gold accents create a continuous line. The gold buttons on the pockets of the vest as well as the gold zipper create the perfect combination laying over the gray turtleneck. The gray boots are also accented by bronze buckles, but when paired in combination with the gold accessories, they have a more golden hue. This Fashionista accessorized with gold literally from head-to-toe and rocked it!

This Fashionista’s lip color also matches her nails. This adds a pop of color to contrast the cooler tones of the rest of her outfit. The combination of the warm tones from her lipstick and nail color and gold accessories soften the look. Always pay attention to the details because those are the factors that guide someone’s eye when they see a Fashionista’s outfit. Remember, the key to mixing gold and gray is keeping accessories subtle.

STYLE GURU STYLE: Girl Next Door

The definition of subjectivity is fashion. Okay so maybe not really but if you think about it, there is no right way to do fashion. Yes, there are some commonly known do’s and dont’s, but there are no real guidelines because everyone has their own personal style. Personal Style is about what makes the wearer feel like the most confident fashionista/o they can.

I like to describe my personal style as eclectic. I love the word eclectic because by definition it means “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.” In fashion terms, this means that my style is based on what I want to try out. Sometimes, I see an outfit that pieces together garments in a way that I would have never thought of, so I will try to recreate it with pieces of my own.

Most of the time, I tend to gravitate towards more casual, comfy looks. I love, love, love denim! My jeans are always a go to for me, and you will more than likely find them cuffed. I love to pair them with my Chuck Taylor canvas high-top sneakers. I love to wear sweaters and cardigans. The larger, the better in my opinion! Being a lover of the basics, I love a good t-shirt. You can do so many things with a good ‘ole t-shirt. I love to combine my two favorite things in the world–cute clothes and being comfortable. When it comes to color, army green is my absolute favorite. It takes up the majority of my closet, but I also love to mix in some maroons (GO HOKIES!!), black and grays, and cremes. I’m not a huge fan of bright colors, but that is what makes personal style so special. I choose my outfits based on my taste, and there are no rules that say I have to wear bright colors.

For this look, I paired my light-wash, cuffed skinny jeans with my Chuck Taylors. I find that high-tops go perfectly with cuffed or ankle-length jeans. It was a nice breezy day so I wore a thin, striped t-shirt under my favorite army green, knit duster cardigan. This cardigan is perfect for those breezy fall days because you can roll the sleeves or leave them down. Girl-next-door is the perfect way to describe my eclectic personal style!

STYLE GURU BIO: Blythe Boyd

Hey y’all! My name is Blythe Boyd. I am a freshman from Virginia Beach studying fashion merchandising and design at Virginia Tech. This is my first semester writing for CollegeFashionista and I cannot be more excited for this next semester as a Style Guru. Writing has always been a passion of mine. There is something special about being able to convey my personality through written words. The creativity that is tied to fashion and the hustle and bustle of the business world is what drew me to study fashion merchandising. As someone once described it to me, fashion merchandising is a “business oriented degree with a creative edge.”

One of my favorite things is trying to recreate outfits that I have seen by adding my own personal style. I love to observe the way people piece their outfits together and what garments they pair together. It can instantly give you a glimpse into someone’s personality. I am a strong believer in the theory that first impressions are made within two seconds of meeting someone. When I describe my sense of style, I tend to steer towards the word eclectic. I don’t have a signature look, unless you count my white Chuck Taylor All-Stars and skinny jeans. I tend to dress based on my mood. Sometimes I feel like dressing it up, and other times dressing it down. I do tend to cling towards pants and tops as opposed to skirts and dresses and I have an all-around, down-to-earth, and casual taste. I love to thrift and find ways to piece together outfits with things that no one wants anymore. It’s like finding a diamond in the rough.

Being from Virginia Beach, you know to never pack away your spring and summer clothes because in the dead of winter it can spike to 70 degrees. For this ensemble that’s exactly what happened. After a snowstorm and three days of freezing temperatures, the sun came out and a beautiful 71 degree day was upon us. This was the perfect opportunity to try styling my button-front skirt. I paired it with a simple white T-shirt and an army green (my go-to color) bralette to add just a little bit of color. To add a little frill, I wore ruffle socks with my black side-buckle booties. These booties are super funky because they have a camo print fabric lining. I am a sucker for the basics, whether it be the outfit pieces themselves or the colors I choose. So I find that a fun way to make the basics not so basic is to add a pop of color with a lipstick.