Author: Cara McLaughlin

TREND: Fresh and Fashionable Festival Garb

New York City is a hot bed for outdoor summertime concerts and festivals. These exciting events are a prime time to show off our trendy new threads, but long days and nights require smart choices when it comes to the duds we dare don.

In order to dance the night away, it is important to dress comfortably without compromising your personal style. This Fashionista’s look is perfect for a daytime concert or festival. It is the effortless balance of chic and casual. Her soft, breezy, cuffed-sleeve tunic allows her to breathe easy in a crowded arena, likely permeated with body heat. Her shorts are slouchy and comfortable allowing plenty of movement to dance, walk around, or enjoy carnival rides, and the dark color fens off any fear of potential stains or spills. This stylish scholar adds a lightweight triangle scarf which is perfect for events that carry on into the cooler evenings. She pulls the look together with a pair of black patent leather gladiator sandals, which spice up the look and add extra security and support for a gal set to be on her feet all day. Finally, this Fashionista chose a compact clutch, which is the perfect size to fit a cell phone, keys, IDs, ChapStick, her ticket stub and any other necessities for the event, without all the bulk of an inconvenient tote bag.

Also worth noting: she flaunts two patterned pieces on top, a risky choice—but this Fashionista does it perfectly, opting for neutral faded navy and caramel shades that compliment rather than clash.

For a variety of cute patterned tunics like this one, check out department stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, and for fun summer scarves, head to Abercrombie & Fitch or Urban Outfitters.

TREND: How to Rock the Peacock

A flouncy halter dress is a staple in any Fashionista's summer wardrobe, and this stylish student chose a trendy peacock frock to add some spunk.  The short and flowy silhouette flatters her petite frame, but she adds extra coverage and shows her colors with a striking pair of magenta tights.  She flaunts a comfy and casual pair of periwinkle Keds, which are perfect for a gal on her feet all day at work.  While each piece stands out significantly on it's own, this Fashionista coordinates her colors to balance this outfit so it is not too overwhelming.  These complimentary colors allow the stunning bird to take center stage in this Fashionista's ensemble.

But keep in mind, peacock-inspired pieces do not necessarily have to depict the whole bird.  The trend is equally as powerful if your piece sticks with bright colored feathers instead. So keep your eyes peeled for this chirpy summer trend.  Try rocking the look with a sheer swimsuit cover up at the beach or by matching a peacock-embroidered top with crisp white skinny jeans and tall strappy heels for a night out on the town.

If it is too hot, and you don't want to sizzle in the sun wearing tights, try matching a peacock shirt with a pair of equally bright colored shorts, which can be found at stores like Topshop and American Apparel.

Not daring enough to rock a peacock frock to summer session classes or your internship?  Try a more subtle accessory like a headband or a belt, or wear tamer black and white versions of the trendiest bird this summer– the beloved peacock.

TREND: Interning In-style

Summer internships mark that frustrating dilemma between dressing appropriately for the job and staying cool in the scorching sun.  Take some pointers from this Fashionista in order to maintain a cool and collegiate look without melting in the heat and humidity of a New York summer.  Her tailored shorts are fresh, crisp, and appropriate for an office environment, but the splash of color on her knitted top adds a spark of summer flair.  The cut and fit of this top are modest enough for an office setting but allow this stylish street-walker to breath easy when the thermometer is peaking.  She pulls the ensemble together with a trendy pair of patent leather gladiator sandals, which are more professional than flip flops, but still fashion-forward during the summer season.  This funky Fashionista adds chunky bracelets and retro black-rimmed glasses to give the look some edge and personal style.

If your internship requires more coverage than this, try adding a breezy sweater in a bright color or linen cargo pants.  The key to staying cool in a more strict setting is to sport thin materials in light colors and choose to expose either your arms or your legs.  So trade out your heavy denim pants and wool sweaters for cooler cotton, knit, and linen fabrics.

Find work-appropriate bottoms that won't break the bank at stores like Urban Outfitters and stylish sandals at Aldo.  For tops, head to a Top Shop near you or browse the website.

Style Guru Bio: Cara McLaughlin

My name is Cara McLaughlin, and I just finished up my freshman year at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus. Although I live in New York City now, I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. In high school, I organized prom dress drives for the Princess Project and interned at various companies, including a fashion networking website, a philanthropic magazine, and an independent film company. My interest in fashion began in my early preschool days, when I thought that nothing was more stylish than wearing mismatched socks, a Rugrats shirt, and my hair in a fountain ponytail. Needless to say, my personal style has evolved and matured at least slightly since then. I consider my look to possess a certain city chic-ness with a bit of California flavor. I aspire to one day work as a stylist, a fashion buyer, a fashion editor, or in fashion public relations. Until then, I intend to set out on campus searching for the coolest new trends and funkiest new styles to share with you guys and try out myself!