Author: Cassie Hall

Distress Jeans to De-Stress From Life

One of my favorite timeless trends is distressed jeans. As a millennial, I am sure I am not the only one who has been mocked by the older generation when I wear them. They say, “Why do you pay for holes in your clothes?” I would always just roll my eyes at this, but then I started thinking… I do pay a lot of money for holes in my jeans. I should just do it myself!

I picked up a pair of Levi’s for only $5 from a thrift store in New York City. They were oversize and had no holes in them—so I had some fun with them. And let me tell you, it is fun—and relaxing!

I had seen a bunch of different ways to distress jeans, but I used a combination of techniques that I found worked the best for me. Here’s how I was able to achieve this classic grungy look.

Step 1—Get yourself a pair of slightly oversize jeans with few or no holes in them. Try your local thrift store, or even a Marshall’s or T.J.Maxx. These are the best places to find a cheap pair of good quality jeans.

Step 2—Cut slits in the jeans that are about one inch wide. Start out with just two, and then you can build your way up.

Step 3—Grab a pair of tweezers and start pulling out the blue strands of denim that run vertically so that only the white strands that run horizontally are left.

Step 4—Cut another slit above or below the first one. Make sure it’s parallel to the other one, but don’t end it in the same place so the rip doesn’t look like one big box. You can pull on the edges of the holes to make them less boxy and more rounded.

Your first pair may not be perfect, but hey, ripped jeans aren’t supposed to be perfect! You get the hang of it the more you do it. You might even find it extremely relaxing like I do. Last semester, during finals week, I started working on a pair of Bermuda shorts, and every time I needed a break during studying, I would make a new hole in them. I was distressing jeans to de-stress from school and ended up with an adorable pair of shorts that no one else has.

Did you try this distressed jeans DIY? Make sure to share your unique jeans with @CFashionista on social media.

Savvy Traveling—How to Make the Most of Your Trip

Summer is the perfect time for traveling. This summer, I spent June and July bouncing around Europe—it’s been the trip of a lifetime! Obviously, I’ve been trying my best to immerse myself in the different cultures, go on fun adventures, and learn as much as I can. Here are some tips I picked up during my travels about how to make the most of your trip.

Do Some Research

Get to know your future destination before you get there. Read about its history. Research what makes it so special. You could even see if there are any movies or novels that took place there. This makes it so much more meaningful once you’re actually there, to be in the presence of what you’ve been learning so much about.

Keep a Journal

Even if you’re not a writer, your future self will thank you. You want to be able to remember this trip, so try to write at least a little bit every day about what you’ve been doing, where you’ve been going, the people you’ve been meeting, the differences in culture, and more. It’ll be so much fun to read it again in a couple years.

Invest in a Camera

If you don’t already have one, I highly suggest investing in a camera for your trip. It’s so worth it. It will take much higher quality pictures than your phone will take, trust me. I even bought a vintage, printed strap for my camera from a street market in London, so now when I go exploring, I just wear it around my neck and it almost looks like an accessory. And because I wasn’t using my phone to take pictures, I would only check it every once in a while—it was so refreshing!

Live Like a Local

Even if you’re on vacation, try your best to immerse yourself in the culture. Chances are, the places you see online are the tourist spots, and a lot of times they aren’t as authentic to the culture as they seem. While you’re out and about, ask some people that live in the area where they would take their family for dinner, where their favorite spots around town are, or what they do for fun. You’ll get a much better look into the culture, and you could even make some friends abroad.

Live in the Moment

As much as you want to try to capture every single aspect of your trip in pictures, at some point you just have to accept that it’s not possible. Remember that the primary purpose of this trip is to experience new things, go on adventures, and make memories. So, find a nice place to watch the sunset, leave your phone and camera behind, take in the scenery, appreciate its beauty, and live in the moment. No matter how many pictures you take, nothing beats a pure memory.

Have you traveled anywhere this summer? Let us know in the comments below and tag @CFashionista in your summer adventures!

London Street Style: Trendy Practicality

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been studying abroad in the lovely London—a city that was so easy for me to call home. I’ve been doing plenty of people watching while I’ve been here—at coffee shops, pubs, gardens, or on the Tube (London’s subway system). If you asked me to describe London’s street style, I’d refer you to the CoverGirl slogan: “Easy, breezy, beautiful.” Londoners have this effortlessly trendy aura about them. After spending the past couple weeks trying my best to live like a local, I’ve picked up on how Londoners are able to look so stylish while still keeping comfort and practicality in mind.

One of the biggest trends I’ve seen here is sneakers, or “trainers,” as a native Londoner would call it. Anywhere from your classic Converse or Adidas to a colored platform kick, sneakers seem to be a staple piece in most Londoners’ wardrobes. Girls will throw on sneakers with practically every outfit: a dress, a romper, a jumpsuit, or a pair of boyfriend jeans and T-shirt. The most popular look I’ve seen (and probably my favorite) is a shift dress paired with colorful sneakers and a fun short jacket. So cute and comfy at the same time!

Another big trend I’ve seen around the city is backpacks. Guys and girls of all ages can be seen walking down the street with backpacks strapped on—either big or small, ranging anywhere from a fun print to leather to your classic solid black knapsack. Whether you’re carrying your books to class or just your phone and wallet, it’s definitely a popular and practical way to carry your belongings around the city.

What do these trends have in common? They’re adorable, of course, but more importantly, they’re practical! You need to be prepared for anything in this city, whether it’s a sporadic rain storm, a long walk to school or work, or a crazy amount of subway stairs. Therefore, after living here for the past couple of weeks and getting to know the local Londoners, I’ve realized it’s best to dress in the most comfortable, convenient way possible—from head to toe.

I never thought I would be able to incorporate sneakers or backpacks into my wardrobe—I was always a sandal and tote bag kind of girl in the summer. This definitely wasn’t the most comfortable look in the world, but I never thought I could pull off practicality while still looking girly and stylish. But now, largely because of the beautiful people of this city, I’ve realized I don’t need to sacrifice comfort and femininity for style. I’ll throw on my pastel pink sneakers with a dress or romper, grab a backpack and a structured jacket, and I’m good to go. The best part of this look? It’s easy, it requires minimal effort, and I know I’ll be comfortable all day long.

Have you ever been to London? Do you love the effortlessly trendy style there? Let us know in the comments below!