CourtneyHines – CollegeFashionista

4 Tips for Achieving the Perfect Interview Look

It can be a scary thing to get your first job, especially when you are nervous and not sure what to say or what to wear. Following interview etiquette is quite important, but you also need to be sure that you have a great interview style. Be yourself though, because employers can tell when you are trying too hard or fake it. Here are some suggestions to help you rock that perfect interview style.

1—Choose an outfit that makes you feel confident. The best way to be successful in an interview is to go in with confidence. If you feel good about your outfit and abilities then your employer will see it as a reason to hire you.

2—Make sure that you are covered up. You need to make sure that you are not showing extreme cleavage or looking inappropriate or offensive. Be you, but be classy at the same time.

3—You do not have to wear a suit. A suit is not a practical or comfortable option for everyone. Try to gauge what to wear for the interview based off of the company’s dress code. Most places just require business casual, so suits are not necessary. You could do dress pants with a cute top and cardigan or you can do really any kind of dress that you like. You could also do a dark jean and top combo or maxi skirt! So, fear not, you have lots of options for whatever your style may be.

4—Neutrals are a good option for any outfit. I would recommend using a neutral such as black, white, or tan for the cardigan, blazer, or whatever outer piece you prefer. Black is a key color to incorporate in any professional look because it adds a sleek, classy feel to your outfit.

The most important thing to remember is to be yourself and show your own style. Play around with different things and see what works best for you. Originality is key in showing you are an individual and employers will appreciate that. Do not stress too much about your outfit, but be sure to plan it because interview style tells a lot about you.

In these pictures, I used a dressier tank that I love with any outfit. I wore a white circular cardigan with dark jean capris and a sparkly sandal. To accessorize, I added some sparkly earrings. There are hundreds of different ways you could recreate this look. The tank has white stripes which add a touch of professionalism because it looks similar to pinstripes. The white cardigan matches the stripes and is softer than a black one. The capris are the casual aspect of business casual but are dark enough that they are not too casual. The sandals are professional but comfortable.

What are your tips for rocking an interview? Let me know in the comments below!

BEAUTY BAR: Flower Child

This Fashionista was spotted on campus looking breathtaking for spring. Her make up look was simple, but elegant. It worked well with her hair and her skin, it is important to make sure that your choices for color on eyeshadow, foundation, blush, etc. match your skin tone and work well with your hair.

If you consider yourself still a novice with makeup, you can find eyeshadow palettes that tell you what eye and hair color they are for so you do not have that problem. If you are struggling to find a foundation to match your skin tone, you can go to a make up counter and have them color match you. She went with a light pink color on the eyes, from the LORAC unzipped palette, with this being a soft look it is a good idea to make your eyes stand out a little bit. To do this, she used Maybelline gel eye liner in black. As we all know highlighting has become quite the craze, and understandably so, it adds so much dimension to a look. I know that highlight and contouring can be intimidating, but have no fear you can purchase a set that has both a highlight and the contour color. Practice makes perfect.

Don’t be afraid to keep trying to until you get it right. Lips are a very versatile part of doing make up. You can keep it neutral, add a red, do a purple. You have so many options available to you, this Fashionista chose to do a nude pink from Nyx to go with her eye color. Lips can be tricky too sometimes. Here is one tip I learned is when you have a dark eye, choose a light lip with a light eye, choose a dark lip. I hope that helps you when creating a make up look. This Fashionista’s look inspired me to want to create a spring look of my own!

WHAT TO WEAR: Killing the Game

Spring has sprung here in Ohio, well… not really but it feels like it has. I spotted this Fashionista on my way back from class, and knew she was the perfect person to write about. This is a perfect look for a warm day of going to and from classes. The best part about this look is that it is fashionable, yet simple as well. Let’s be honest, we are college students and most of us don’t have time to look like a model on a daily basis, and if you do, more power to you. This Fashionista has the perfect balance, the simple black top and the high waisted light washed skinny jeans makes this a more casual feel. The modern, western style necklace makes a statement and draws your eye to the outfit.

This Fashionista told me she uses that purse as her backpack, perfect for a laptop. How classy is that? If you’re going to splurge on an item, a purse is a great item to splurge on. The black lace-up booties are a great touch. Booties are such a popular item right now, with the lace up fronts they add an extra touch of sexiness to an outfit. The sunglasses? I mean come on, they are to die for.

This look is a great way to look super chic around campus and be comfortable at the same time during the spring weather. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort for style, because as we see from this Fashionista you can have both. This is also a great outfit that could go from day to night, you could replace the jeans with some leather leggings or ponte pants, and voila—you have the perfect date night outfit. This is so versatile, and you can do so much with it by mixing and matching different pieces and creating a whole new outfit.

STYLE ADVICE: Vintage Trends Making a Comeback

I am so in love with this look, that I had to share it with you. I am going to give you some advice using this Fashionista as inspiration to talk about some fashionable trends from this past year.

First, we need to talk about vests. I am not talking about the pinstriped, black vest we all had in our closets in the ’90s. That was a big trend, am I right? No, I am talking about open, long vests that go well with a long sleeved shirt, a sleeveless top, or a dress. Vests are very versatile, which is nice for college students so you can wear something several times, in several ways and no one will ever know.

Fringe is everywhere! Another trend we are seeing lately is fringe everywhere from clothing to furniture to shoes and even jewelry. Wearing an item with fringe is a surprising, but stunning way to add some flair to your look. Just make sure that the detail of the fringe doesn’t take overpower the whole ensemble.

Bell sleeves are a personal favorite of mine and they look fabulous on you. Although you may be hesitant because they remind you of the ’70s, give it a chance and I promise you will fall in love too. Bell sleeves look unbelievable on any body type. Just be careful though, if you decide to wear a long vest and a top underneath with long bell sleeves, that you don’t look baggy by having on several garments which are long and loose.

Crocheted detail is starting to become prominent as well. The crocheted detail adds a vintage touch to an outfit but it is comfortable too. This crocheted detail has a black, wave pattern with fringe on the bottom, which gives it a modern feeling.

This Fashionista is looking fabulous and deserves some serious props. Everything from the color of her dress down to the socks she wore with her boots are on point. Regardless of what may be a current trend, don’t ever forget who you are and wear what makes you feel comfortable.

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Winter Wonderland Wardrobe

Well, winter has officially arrived here in Kent, Ohio. It was 19 degrees today, and yet I still spotted this fabulous Fashionista. Just because it is cold, who says you can not look superb?

What are the best parts about winter? It’s the fashion of course! One of the biggest trends this season is booties. When I approached this Fashionista, she was sporting booties, a tunic, skinny jeans and some fabulous jewelry.

Tunics are very flattering and comfortable which makes the chilly weather outside a little bit more bearable. Booties give you an elongated look and skinny jeans make you look trendy. This Fashionista’s tunic was blue, long sleeved and the bottom of it was plaid. Her ankle booties were brown and has a short heel. She cuffed her dark wash skinny jeans the perfect amount in order to show off her ankle boots.

She is wearing a set of three leaf rings on different fingers. Then, she has some gorgeous bracelets with different mantras on them, such as “Hakuna Matata” and “She believed she could so she did.” To complete her look, she wore a pair of magnolia earrings with others along her ears.

This Fashionista is beautiful on her own, but the details are what make the outfit. Without the plaid in the tunic, booties or bracelets, the outfit would not be the same. It is totally not difficult to recreate a look like this, because it’s simple makes it the perfect look for the winter or any cold weather situation.

STYLE GURU BIO: Courtney Hines

Hello fellow Fashionistas/os! My name is Courtney Hines and this is my first semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and I could not be more excited. I am a freshman studying fashion merchandising at Kent State University and I have not yet decided my minor.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved fashion and started learning as much as I could about it. I am also an avid fan of English. I love reading and writing. Not many people can say that they get to use their passions to do something cool like this internship.

My style is hard to define in one word. When I was young, I would always be attracted to older styles such as pencil skirts, blazers and heels. I still love those styles, but I am also very girly and love long, flowy tops and leggings.

I am a frugal Fashionista. My motto is “Look great for less.” I am all about looking like $1 million without spending too much, especially in college. I guess you could say my style is more refined and classy. I am not into the crazy fashions that are impractical.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me and that you will check out my future articles on all of the beautiful and stylish people at Kent State. I hope you have a great spring semester. I look forward to reading all of the latest articles and learning more about fashion writing and street style photography.