HannahWeinstein – CollegeFashionista

5 Things Every College Student Should Do Before Studying Abroad

Studying abroad can be one of the most exciting but stressful times for any college student. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel the world on your parents’ dime! I’m studying abroad for almost five months at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, so I wanted to share five things that have helped me prepare for the transition.

1—Check fashion dos and don’ts. If you’re like me, you’ve never been to the part of the world that you’re temporarily moving to. Even if you have, chances are you were a tourist and still didn’t have a clue how the locals really dress. Do some research: ask your friends who have studied abroad in the same area, search the internet, or contact your local Style Guru. When I was figuring out what I should and shouldn’t pack for my trip, I asked my fellow Style Gurus for some advice. Apparently, people in the Netherlands think it’s weird to wear shorts or leggings. Trust me—do the research and save yourself some room in your suitcase.

2—Make a bucket list. Exploring a different country, let alone continent, can get stressful. Culture shock, classes, new friends, and a million other things will occupy you as soon as your plane touches down. Making a bucket list in advance takes one of those things of your plate, and ensures you don’t forget about all the cool countries you want to visit on the weekends.

3—Get the Eurail app. This is another thing that will make your life so much easier. Europe has an amazing public transportation system and an equally amazing app to go with it. Since the trains cross multiple countries, they rarely change, allowing you to plan trips months in advance!

4—Invest in stylish, comfortable shoes. Does anyone else have nightmares of the gym shoes your mom used to make you wear? Yikes. Comfort doesn’t mean sacrificing style. No matter where you study abroad, you’ll most definitely have to do a lot of walking at some point. Having blisters or sore feet can ruin a trip, so don’t trade comfort for style either. The perfect balance can be found in sneakers. The cuter gym shoe has been trending for a while now and is perfect for exploring the world on your feet. Here’s a bonus tip: snag your shoes a couple of months before you leave so you can break them in before you jet off.

5—Treat yourself. Whether you’re leaving for three weeks or six months, do something nice for yourself! Studying abroad is just as scary as it is exciting. You have to be willing to take risks and try new things to study abroad, which warrants something extra nice just for you. There are bonus points if your reward helps you feel more comfortable in your new environment. Here’s an example: I love manicures, and I always feel more confident when my nails are done.

How did you prepare to study abroad? Comment below!

STYLE GURU STYLE: Mixing Trends and Classic Pieces

My summer style is effortless. I am a low maintenance person, and it is reflected in the pieces I choose to wear. I love breezy tanks, sundresses, mom jeans, etc. Those are classic staples in my wardrobe. Another classic staple is my gold watch. It was given to me as a high school graduation gift, and I haven’t taken it off since. It is a smaller watch face than the more popular masculine style, but I’ve received countless compliments on it. I’m also balling on a college budget (aka broke) so I don’t buy into too many trends. Another reason I don’t dress all in trends is I don’t want to look like everyone else. It’s boring! Not to mention it diminishes personal style when everyone is wearing the same outfit.

Not to bash too much on trends, trends are fun and shake up what people always wear. I usually pick one or two trends I like the most and invest in those. The lace up sandals pictured are super popular right now. I didn’t like them at first which is my usual reaction to trends, but now I love them! They add a cool boho vibe to the ordinary black sundress. I’ve been wearing the sundress for two years now, and I’m still obsessed with it. The dress is a timeless piece and flattering on anyone. It was the perfect simple outfit for wandering around murals all day.

The other trend I decided to follow this summer are the sunglasses I’m wearing. Both the reflective pink lenses as well as the circular shape of the sunglasses are trending currently. It is so fun to take selfies wearing these! I feel way cooler than I actually am while wearing them. They also add the perfect pop of color to this otherwise mostly black look.

STYLE ADVICE: Spring Style for Dudes

Spring has finally sprung, putting extra pep, or prep, into everyone’s step. My college campus is known for its iconic preppy style, and it’s finally warm enough to wear it! For girls it’s easy: throw on some chinos, Jack Roger sandals, and a cute tank, and you’re all set. It’s a little more complicated for guys so I was impressed when I saw this well dressed Fashionisto master the struggle of spring men’s wear.

This Fashionisto rocks the preppy style with his blue color coordinated patterned button down and shorts. Button downs are typically worn in winter, so he rolls his sleeves to give it a spring update. However, he didn’t take a winter button down and just roll it; his button down is specifically made for spring with it’s pretty blue pattern and light material. His shorts are a deep blue that match perfectly with his button down and are off set by the rich brown leather of his belt, keeping the outfit from being too matching. His shorts were longer than what most guys are wearing these days, and I found it refreshing (nobody wants to see pasty hairy thighs guys). The shorts were definitely not booty shorts, but also not too conservative.

As my marketing professors like to remind me all the time, technology is the future. Technology integrating with garments is not too far off as it has already meshed with accessories. The Fashionisto’s Apple watch is a prime example of technology and a traditional accessory pairing up. The watch added a sleekness to his outfit, and his black chain mesh watch strap paired perfectly with his black loafers.

STYLE ADVICE: Monday Blues

I Hope everyone is keeping warm this chilly March. While it may be spring in some places, Ohio seems to be stuck in winter. I’m itching to trade in my winter parka for a breezy tank, but it seems I’ll have to keep bundled up for a couple more weeks. The upside is a wonderful opportunity to wear your winter styles for a little bit longer than normal and mix things up!

A fun trend to try while it’s still chilly out is color blocking. Color blocking is usually done with two bright colors in the spring and summer to make a loud statement. However, this Fashionista reworked the trend for winter by matching a blue sweater with deep maroon jeans. Wearing two more subdued colors, like baby blue and maroon, is color blocking in a revolutionary way. It’s different and noticeable for all the right reasons, adding a more subdued color mix.

No matter what the season, color blocking requires minimal jewelry to no jewelry. The center of attention for the look should be the contrast between tones, and big jewelry would distract from that. This Fashionista toed the line by only wearing simple gold earrings and a gold watch.

Adding other accessories to color blocking is a balancing act. Adding a hat or funky purse could tip the scale too much, but adding nothing would have the reverse impact on the look. My advice is to add an accessory in a neutral tone or a tone similar to the color block. Her blue scarf matches perfectly with her blue sweater. The tones of the scarf artfully blend into the sweater with subtle pops of yellow.

FASHION FROM ABROAD: Israeli Trends

Hi Fashionistas! While some people spent their winter breaks working or lounging around their home towns, I spent mine exploring Israel. It was a ten day whirl wind of culture, history, food, and of course, fashion. I went all over the country, from the Golan Heights (north) to the Negev desert (south). Although Israel is a small country there were some obvious changes in weather in different parts of the country, which effects the dress. With that being said the coldest it got was 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was told this was Israel’s coldest week of the year so far!

I found the featured Fashionista in the Jewish quarter of the old city in Jerusalem. We chatted for a bit as I photographed him, and he told me about fashion and life as a millennial living in Israel. He is a twenty-year-old soldier in the IDF (Israel defense force). He has one year left and wants to go to college after his service is done, possibly to study art (his drawings were amazing). I asked him where he gets his fashion influence and he said the same places American teens do. He did say he buys most of his clothing on his trips to Europe rather than in Israel. I asked him if distressed clothing was a big trend in Israel since his shirt had professionally placed holes. He me gave an enthusiastic yes, and asked if the trend was the same in America. He said he was dressed down in casual but fashionable civilian clothing warm enough for Israel’s mild winters. He told me he loves the distressed trend, but also loves oxford shoes and beanie hats for when he’s not working. I was surprised he wasn’t wearing blundstones; a kind of work boot style I had noticed almost every Israeli wearing. He has a pair and was surprised I’d never heard of them before.

Many might have the impression that Israelis all dress in big hats and long robes, but that’s far from the truth. All the people I saw in Tel Aviv and the majority in Jerusalem were dressed in fashions similar to what an American millennial would wear. They get their fashion influences from pop culture, magazines, and Europe; like us. They add their own Israeli flair, making it distinctly their own.

If you’re interested in seeing more pictures from my time in Israel checkout my social media outlets.

STYLE GURU BIO: Hannah Weinstein

Hi everyone! I’m Hannah Weinstein, a sophomore at Miami University in Ohio (not tropical) studying marketing and fashion corporate business. Some things you should know about me include I’m a nanny, an Ohio state fan, not a morning person, and I am obsessed with munchkin cats (seriously look them up). I’ve always loved clothes and photography and have recently been more experimental with makeup looks (rip my bank account), and I want to work in the fashion industry so I knew interning for CollegeFashionista was the perfect internship for me.

I consider my style to be a mix of a lot of different things: preppy, athlesiure, and bohemian to name a few plus I love trends (even though I’m always late). However, the most important thing to me when it comes to fashion is comfort. Whoever said fashion is pain is only partially right in my book. Yes, every couple months I am brought to tears by the tiny women who threads my eyebrows, but I also believe its extremely difficult to be fashionable when you’re not comfortable. Half of beauty and fashion is confidence and I firmly believe that the girl with a messy bun, a flannel, leggings, and sneakers who is confident is going to look way better than the girl wearing a dress to class if she won’t stop pulling it down. In this look, the plaid dress is a beautiful color, perfect for winter, but also ridiculously comfortable on sensitive skin while the faux fur vest is also crazy soft and on trend. My slip on sneakers are so broken in from running around campus it’s like gliding rather than walking, and they are a popular trend at Miami University.

Never forget about individuality, to really make a look your own you need to add a signature piece. Maybe yours is the way you do your eyeliner, or a ring your grandmother gave you that you never take off. For this look I wore a necklace that I got from an artisan shop in North Carolina, and my dainty Michael Kors watch that I rarely take off.

Possibly the most important aspect of fashion is price. I’m a broke college student (about to look for jobs on campus after I finish writing this) balling on a budget here so most of my shopping is guilty retail shopping after I finish a hard exam or week of projects. I’m more of a quality over quantity kind of gal, so I like to buy nicer quality versions when I can, but with trends I buy cheaper because I don’t know if I’ll even want to wear them this time next year. My rule is if I can’t think of at least five ways I can wear the piece then I can’t buy it.

I can’t wait to see how my style changes and my photography skills grow while giving out fashion tips and tricks, it’s going to be a RAD semester of styling with y’all!