Author: Elizabeth Thompson

Summer Abroad Must-Haves

For the past six weeks, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy, through a study abroad program. Although the city itself is known for its ancient ruins, architecture, and art, fashion is a pivotal part of the everyday lives of those living in the city. From the food to the fashion, my experience has opened my eyes up to new trends as well as new ways to style trends I was already familiar with back home, so I decided to incorporate a few into this look.

Gingham is a classic pattern that is more favorable in menswear for button-down, but this summer this trend has blossomed into women’s wear and is a must have this season. From dresses to skirts to tops, this trend is one that is easy to accessorize with due to its classic color scheme. This embroidered and tassel top from Zara is the perfect way to incorporate this trend into an everyday look.

Take your shoe game to the next level, literally, with this killer pair of canvas platforms. Throughout Rome, women of all ages and heights are sporting this trend this summer. Whether it be sneakers or a pair of sandals, platforms are an easy compromise for the height of a heel, but the comfort of a sneaker. With my five foot ten stature, I was timid to try this trend. However, as soon as I tried these shoes on I knew they were a casual and convenient way to rock this look this season.

For my outfit, I paired these two trends with one another on top of a distressed pair of skinny jeans. I accessorized with my favorite brown leather tote, which is perfect for summer classes, markets, and all that Rome requires.

How will you rock these trends? Together or separate? Post your look on social media and tag @CFashionsta!

STYLE ADVICE: Draped in Denim

Denim on denim: to love or to hate? To try or completely avoid? This trend is one that has been up for debate as long as clashing black and brown. Although to some it may be considered one of fashion’s biggest don’ts, celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Selena Gomez have all been seen rocking this look. Although celebrities tend to favor denim button-downs paired with a pair of skinny jeans or an oversize denim jacket with skinny jeans, this Fashionista takes her own spin by crafting this chic, spring-friendly look.

This Fashionista’s outfit is a perfect example of how to rock this trend this spring. She pairs a killer dual-tone, light and dark wash, denim skirt from Express with a classic light denim jacket draped over her shoulders. Underneath her jacket she wears a loose, white, chiffon blouse, which helps to dress up the overall look while breaking up the denim. When styling this trend, it is important to focus on breaking up the denims rather than trying to overpower it with a colored or print top. Keeping it simple, like this Fashionista, not only breaks up the two denim pieces, but also her blouse accentuates the lighter tones in both the denim pieces.

Although denim has the reputation to be an everyday, casual piece; when styled properly, it has the potential to be worn for a dressier ensemble. Pairing this look with a few accessories is what helps transform this outfit from an everyday look to a stylish statement. For jewelry, she pairs an oversize pair of white and gold Kendra Scott earrings with a beaded tassel necklace. Her adorable chained purse works great with the gold embellishments on both her earrings and necklace. This Fashionista’s embellished slip-on sneakers sticks to her street style vibe while still adding a fun flair with the studding.

Don’t be afraid to test out controversial trends this spring. Add your own spin and have fun crafting looks outside of your comfort zone.

BEAUTY BAR: Polished and Peachy

Spring is coming, whether or not the weather permits you to believe so. So, until the weather warms up and those flowers start to bloom, this Fashionista uses her eye makeup to create a spring-ready look.

She uses the Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette to create a gorgeous, spring-ready eye using a variation of different peach, copper, and burgundy colors.

This Fashionista starts off her look by using soft pinks and golds on her entire lid and then works in a deep burgundy into her crease. She blends the whole eye with a light peach and continues it into her inner corner to help lighten up the entire eye. She finishes off the look with a liquid liner and a few coats of mascara. This Fashionista keeps her face soft with a light contour and pairs it with beautiful peach and gold highlighter. She adds a fun pop of color with a deep magenta lip gloss, which enhances the rose colors throughout her entire face and eye look. Pulling her hair back into a messy, teased ponytail makes this Fashionista’s full face of makeup less dramatic and is an easy way to dress down an otherwise dressy look.

Stepping out of your comfort zone by using colors outside of the typical smoky eye or natural browns can be intimidating, but pairing her gorgeous eye look with a simple outfit helps this Fashionista offset the intimidation some may feel when testing out new makeup trends.

This Fashionista combines a mix of street style pieces as well as classic ones to create a look that is perfect to sport anywhere, from class to even a night out. Her outfit includes staple pieces that many can already find in her closet including ripped black jeans, a white blouse, and a pair of black leather shoes.

For accessories, she rocks a killer pair of Quay mirrored sunglasses to add a fun flair without taking away from the simplicity her ensemble has. Her black Mini 5 Zip purse by Rebecca Minkoff pairs perfectly with her leather shoes and her silver Kendra Scott necklace, along with her assortment of Alex and Ani bangles.

Take a risk this spring and explore eyeshadows you have not touched in your palette or splurge on one you typically would not reach for. You never know what new look you may just find.

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Bangles and Button-Downs

When it comes down to it, the tiny details and accessories you pair with your outfits can make or break your look. This Fashionista finds easy ways to add personal flairs to her look while still adding the perfect amount of accessories.

This Fashionista crafts an adorable top out of a your typical white button-down. By cuffing the sleeves, unbuttoning the first few top buttons and pulling the top over her shoulders, she crafts a trendy, yet easy way to put a spin on your basic white button-down. Whether it’s your boyfriend’s, your brother’s, or even your father’s, this look is one that anyone can get their hands on. This Fashionista transforms a typically modest and structured piece into a fun, off-the-shoulder top.

She tucks her top into a patterned, A-line skirt. Its fun pattern and distressed ends add the perfect contrast from the classic top to her tribal print skirt. She keeps her shoes simple by pairing a classic pair of light, suede booties.

For accessories, she keeps them minimal wearing a Chan Luu wrap bracelet, a Michael Kors turquoise ring as well as a cobalt blue, Hermès bangle. The bangle’s color pairs well with her skirt as it does enough to emphasize the different blues in the skirt without matching the colors too much. Her round, silver necklace enhances the deep V-neck illusion the button-down gives, which helps to break up the skin while not taking away from the careful positioning of her top.

My personal favorite accessory has to be her floppy, black wool hat. The hat creates a more boho look that ties together the pattern of the skirt as well as the relaxed positioning of her button down. The texture of the hat also gives the overall outfit a more sophisticated edge, which goes along perfectly with her button-down, while still creating a fun, trendy, and stylish ensemble.

WHAT TO WEAR: Class

Waking up early to pick out an outfit will only remind you of your regrets for signing up for that 8 a.m.. Investing in some basic pieces can help alleviate the pressure to put together an outfit every morning and instead help to kickstart your semester while looking your best.

This Fashionista pairs her herringbone vest by layering a dark, grey, long sleeve turtleneck under a quilted white sweater. A look like this is perfect for the classroom. She takes basic pieces most people can find in their closet and by mixing them together she creates the perfect, preppy, class outfit. Layering is great for a class setting because it is an easy way to be stylish, yet comfy.

Her large kate spade tote holds all supplies necessary both on and off campus. She emphasizes the gold lettering and hardware on her bag by accessorizing with a gold crystal necklace and gold bangles. These pieces help to pop the gold detailing on her vest. It can be hard to draw the line between too many or too little accessories, especially when going to class. Adding simple embellishments helps to bring the outfit together without over-accessorizing.

Cuffing your clothes is an easy way to help break up different pieces and adds an extra flair while putting little effort in. By cuffing her long sleeve over her sweater, the turtleneck pops a bit more and ties the colors together. She too cuffs her pants to make them have a slight cropped look to them.

Cropped pants are a great way to show a little skin in the winter and help to emphasize the cut of this Fashionista’s boots. They lengthen her legs and add a fun flair to the typical skinny jeans look.

STYLE GURU BIO: Elizabeth Thompson

Hello, Fashionistas and Fashionistos! My name is Elizabeth Thompson, and I am so excited to be back for my fourth semester with CollegeFashionista. I am a sophomore at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio studying marketing and looking to pursue a job in fashion/retail.

A year in, I am so happy to be a part of the Guru Gang and continuing to improve my writing, photography, and personal style. When it comes to my personal style, it really depends on whatever catches my eye. There’s no trend I’m afraid to explore and I’m always on the hunt for something new to try out. I’m a huge fan of layering different sweaters, vest and jackets, and winter and spring are the best time to explore this look.

This season I have been loving open-cut ponchos. For this outfit, I paired it over a black turtleneck that I layered with a burnt orange sweater to accent the pattern of the poncho. For accessories, I wore these adorable pair of booties along with my favorite leather Tory Burch clutch. I’m always on the hunt for a new pair of shoes or a great bag to dress up my look, and I will definitely get my fair share out of these two this season.

Another trend I have been sporting is unhemmed, distressed jeans. My long legs have been waiting for cropped pants to be in style, and finally I can rock short pants guilt free. They add a little edge to any look and are an easy way to change up the typical black, skinny jean look.

I can’t wait to see what looks and trends this semester holds and hope you will continue to check out my posts every month!

 

WHAT TO WEAR: Date Night

Faux fur jackets and pieces have been staples during the cooler months throughout the years. However, faux fur vests were a major trend last year throughout the winter and continues to be on into this year. The faux fur trend is one of my favorites during this season and is perfect for the holidays, but can be difficult to style for more casual, day to day events. This Fashionista finds the perfect way to dress down her vest for a classic date night appropriate look.

She pairs her black faux fur vest on top of her classic-fitted white button-down. Her necklace on top of her collar adds a playful flair to the look while still managing to not clash with her vest. Simply by popping her collar and cuffing her sleeves, this Fashionista makes the structured top have a more relaxed feel to the overall ensemble. Her ripped skinny jeans not only dress down the look, but also the white colored distressing help to accent her white button down.

For accessories she adds an adorable pair of strappy black heels, as well as a lightly embellished black leather belt. These pieces help to tie together the whole look by accenting the vest and breaking up the lighter jeans and button-down. Her messy ponytail perfects the look and the effortless curls help emphasize the casual yet polished overall look.

This look as a whole is perfect to rock on a date night with its classic pieces that when put together create an awesome ensemble. Don’t be afraid to experiment with dressier pieces. Simply by adding more casual pieces to the ensemble can turn a splurge piece into a day to day one.

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Over-the-Knee, Under Your Radar

Take your sweater game to the next level this fall by incorporating accessories into your look. Accessories can make or break your look. Too many can take away from your outfit and too little can make your look boring. This Fashionista finds the perfect balance. Her added details allow her to take the typical fall outfit of a sweater, skinny jeans and boots to the next level.

This Fashionista’s off-the-shoulder sweater allows you to show some skin while still staying warm and it is definitely on trend for this season. This trend was huge this summer and it is here to stay even throughout the cooler months. She highlights the neckline by pairing two minimalistic necklaces: a choker and bar monogram necklace that help accessorize her look. Her black oval-shaped sunglasses add a fun flair to the look while the gold hardware accents her necklace. Her creme drawstring bag holds all her necessities and its cooler tone creates a contrast from the darker colors throughout her ensemble.

Over-the-knee boots are very in style this season and are definitely worth the investment for this fall and winter. Everyone from Gigi Hadid to Karlie Kloss has been seen in this trend this season.They are perfect for anybody type, whether you’re curvy or lean this trend accents and lengthen your legs. Who wouldn’t kill for a pair of model length legs? This Fashionista pairs her suede boots on top of her moto dark washed jeans. The detailing of her moto style jeans help to add dimension to her legs that the over-the-knee boots can take away from and they also add an edgier flair to her look.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Cardigan Craze

Let’s face it, as much as we would all love be dressed to the nines everyday for class, there’s always going to be those days you keep hitting snooze after a night out or a late night studying. Thankfully, “sweater weather” is around the corner, but lately long cardigans have been all the rave and for good reason. Not only do they look stylish, but they are comfortable and are such versatile pieces. Long cardigans are a great piece to splurge on this season. They’re different than the typical sweater or jacket worn throughout the season and you can keep your fashion game up while still being comfy and cozy all season long.

This Fashionisto’s ensemble shows a great way to wear this trend to class. He pairs this awesome knit parka from ASOS with a basic black T-shirt and blue jeans. His black combat boots are both practical and trendy plus the silver hardware help to accent his glasses and necklace. This Fashionisto’s Benrus backpack not only holds all his necessities for class, but also adds a casual flair to his entire look.

This Fashionisto’s look is perfect for both on and off campus and is one that anyone can wear this season. By adding a cute pair of heels and skinny jeans, any Fashionista is ready for a night out, or adding a black pair of pants and a fitted V-neck, any Fashionisto is.

This Fashionisto says,”Never over do it with the accessories. Just because it is basic, does not mean it is boring.”

STYLE GURU BIO: Elizabeth Thompson

Happy fall, Fashionistas/os! I’m so excited to be back writing for my third semester with CollegeFashionista. My name is Elizabeth Thompson and I am a sophomore at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am studying marketing and hoping to pursue a job in buying/retail.

As much as I love being out in the sun wearing a swimsuit all day, I can easily say that I am so excited to be able to break out my sweaters and vests. Fall is my absolute favorite season for fashion. With Fashion Week around the corner, I cannot wait to see all the new trends that will emerge both on and off the runway.

My fall go to look is typically a sweater, skinny jeans and a cute pair of booties. This look is so easy to wear and can easily be dressed up for a night out or dressed down for an afternoon of running errands.

For this look I paired a high low skirt from Free People with a basic black long sleeve. High low skirts are awesome to wear right now because they help transition from the summer heat to the cooler fall. The lighter material makes them perfect to wear on a hotter day, yet still falls in line with a more fall attire. 

For accessories I wore this cobalt blue necklace for a bolder statement, which has a nice pop with the black long sleeve. I wore two wrap bracelets to add some detail to my arm. For shoes, I wore my heeled pair of black booties.

I cannot wait to see what this semester and season has in store. Make sure to check out my posts every  month. Stay RAD!