Author: Jennifer Mulrow

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Staying Sharp

As the semester comes to an end and 2011 is waiting around the corner, the important thing for every college student is to stay sharp and finish up strong. Today's Fashionisto does just this with his clean-cut, confident look amid a stressful finals week. He sports a navy blue double breasted coat with subtle blue buttons and a firm collar. He fills in the neckline of his coat seamlessly with a white and gray striped scarf that he chooses to tuck in rather than keep out. This technique keeps the loose ends of the scarf contained, adding to his clean, contained approach. Balancing blue on blue, he wears comfortable dark wash jeans which in turn are a nice contrast to his more formal coat.

Hint: Patterned scarves go very well with sharp, single-color coats, as seen here. While this Fashionisto opted for stripes, don't be afraid to try other patterns like plaid, cableknit, or colorblock. 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Animal Instinct

With finals the first thing on every Fashionista's mind this week, trips to the library or a quiet cafe dictate the sartorial scene here at Yale. The unforgivably cold New England air forces students to break out their warmest gear from big down jackets to cozy old scarves. Today's Fashionista keeps the freezing fashionable with her basic animal instincts–a zebra striped scarf and soft fur-lined hood. Her black down jacket is both warm and wearable, cinching subtly at her waist with a wide variation of buttons, pockets, and buckles. Her fur-lined hood adds the right amount of style (and not to mention warmth!) to keep her look fashion forward. Her zebra print scarf adds a young, eclectic vibe and her fringe tie-up shoes keep comfortable looking cute. She strays away from unnecessary colors, maintaining freshness in her look through cool-colored variation and a simple palette.

Hint: Add even an extra layer to this look with a quirky pair of gloves, like this star-studded pair from Topshop.
 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Neutral Territory

While playing with color will always bring out the wild heart in any Fashionista, there is something refreshing and sophisticated about a pure palette of neutrals. Especially this fall/winter season, neutrals like camel and beige have enjoyed special attention from the prestigious likes of Michael Kors and Stella McCartney, among others. What is so seductive about neutral tones are their bare, fresh style and soft, yet purposeful, approach.

Today's Fashionista covers the full spectrum of neutrals from chocolate brown to champaign beige. Her range of neutrals work so well since they harmonize cohesively but still stand out individually with varying materials. She wears a light beige sweater a similar shade of her wrinkled chiffon scarf. Her dark brown vest is fitted and thin, trimmed with a gold button near the collar. She wears lighter brown suede boots to finish off the look. Another great aspect of wearing all neutrals is that accessories work seamlessly into the outfit–as seen here by this Fashionista's pair of gold bangles. 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Futuristic

Today's Fashionista celebrates a favorite fashion trend with her sharp gray jacket: futurism and asymmetry. Asymmetry is so striking because it lends towards a futuristic feel that is both modern and evolving. The off-balance of asymmetry is a great way to add subtle surprise to any garment. This Fashionista's sleek gray jacket has one pocket on the upper right that is not matched by an identical pocket on the left. The length of the jacket is slightly uneven on both sides. There is also a minimalist element to the jacket with its limited trimmings, just a few silver zippers and buttons. The high collar extends from the jacket and is not differentiated by seemliness or buttons, adding to the sleek, slippery feel of the zipper dripping down from the very top of the jacket to bottom. She lets the jacket be the focal point of her outfit with skinny cuffed jeans and keeps the look young and fun with her Dorothy-red flats. 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Pop of Color

As the November days get dark too soon and the New England weather lives up to its cold reputation, sometimes a pop of color is the perfect pick me up. While keeping your outfit winter appropriate, you can use bright accessories to louden your look.

Today's Fashionista beats the gray day with her lush pink scarf and bold blue bag. Her overall outfit keeps consistent with the cold season–heavy jacket, dark pants, and brown boots. The vibe is cool and confident from her buckled boots to her fingerless gloves. Adding the bright pink scarf, however, adds just the right amount of eye-catching excitement to her look. While the color could pass for springtime, the material is still warm enough for winter.

Take a look a how other fashionistas are wearing scarves this fall from silk floral scarves at Indiana University to eternity scarves at the University of Toronto. 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Jean Jacket

Denim jackets, whether from your mom's closet or fresh off the rack, will always have a presence in fashion. The charm about the jean jacket is its distinctive look, but endless versatility. Depending on what you choose to wear it with, there is a style in every genre for the jean jacket. Add boots for a western feel, a maxi dress for bohemian, a graphic T for edgy, or a mini dress for sweet.

Today's Fashionista mixes classic and western with her dark-wash denim jacket and red accented-boots. She wears her jacket unbuttoned and rolled at the sleeves, evoking the effortless cool of a character like Sloan Peterson from favorite high school classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She lets the jacket be the focal point of the outfit, wearing a simple gray buttoned shirt underneath with dark toned skinny-cut pants. She gives the look a last pinch of flare with her red accented black cowboy boots, keeping the look young and personalized.

Hint: When looking for a good jean jacket, make sure it is fitted to your body and not too boxy. Try getting a cropped jean jacket for a more contemporary take on this classic look. And check out how other campus Fashionista's are wearing this trend, like at the faded, vintage jacket at Indiana University or the “moto styled” jean jacket at George Washington University. 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Leather Jacket

If there is one item that every CollegeFashionista should have in their closets, especially for the fall, it is the iconic leather jacket. From its James Dean coolness to its motorcyclist edge, the leather jacket often lends itself to a rougher, tougher look. To keep this item more relaxed and feminine, however, the key is to simplify all the elements of your look.

Today's Fashionista does just this with her Ready-to-Wear, classic style. Her bomber leather jacket is a dark chocolate brown tone that is mostly unadorned except for a few buttons and zipper pockets. She wears a simple V-neck white T-shirt which contrasts nicely with the dark the dark fabric of the jacket. Rather than opting for the usual go-to skinny jeans, this Fashionista goes for the bootleg cut that flares from the knees out, keeping the look loose verses tight. The dark wash of the jeans balances with the dark tone of the jacket.

Visible in the close-up shot, we see this Fashionista's braided turquoise bead necklace that adds the perfect amount of color and quirk to her look. The jewel-toned turquoise plays well with the dark brown jacket, and the gold trimmings in the necklace play with the gold buttons and zippers of the jacket as well.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Mixing Genres

One of the most rewarding aspects of fashion is the freedom to work without a formula. No single article of clothing is circumscribed to one look, one style, one role. In fact, sometimes our best outfits come from making mistakes, like pairing clashing prints or picking up the wrong jacket on the way to class.

This is exactly what I love about today's Fashionista–her fearless freedom in mixing different styles. Overall, her look is sweet and sharp, feminine and pretty. But when we take a closer look at each item, we can appreciate her sartorial range of genres: romantic, nautical, military, and western.

Her dust-pink blouse with delicate ruffles and airy, white pleated skirt both lend towards a feminine, romantic tone. The wide structured tan belt adds the military feel with three parallel buckles front and center. Her navy and white striped sweater with bold, gold buttons evokes a sailorly charm, and finally her chocolate brown leather boots pay homage to a western trend.

So don't restrict your outfit to any one genre, trend, or style today. Have fun finding out with what grunge + mod, prep + sheer, or whatever this + that equals. Create your own fashion formula and run with it!
 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Picking Favorites

We all have an affinity towards a "favorite color." Whether you are partial to red's vitality, pink's femininity, blue's compassion, or yellow's merriment, honor your favorite color this week by basing an outfit around this single hue with slightly modulating tones and tints.

Today's Fashionista does just this with both style and discern. Overall, her palette is based from a cool purple with individual items slightly differing in shade. Her mature-maroon scarf drapes around her neck with effortless ease. The tints of red in this scarf picks up the red tones in her floral patterned dress. Her plum-purple jacket adds further range to her purple color motif. Even this Fashionista's tights are purple based, a subtle yet refreshing change from the typical black tights.

What makes this Fashionista's outfit so successful is her tasteful range within her color limitation. While her colors are similar, her choice of different fabrics and materials are all different. Her soft, knotted scarf, her structured, buttoned jacket, her cotton patterned dress, and even her tasseled satin shoes all add nuance to her look. So while the thought of wearing a single color-based outfit might sound challenging, by tastefully varying tones and being playful in your choices makes this experiment both accessible and exciting!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Shirtdress

When a typical day includes shuffling from class to class, attending various meetings and fitting in time for friends, it is definitely tempting to trade in style for comfort when it comes to clothing. There is nothing worse than feeling new blisters form as you break in those new boots on your longest walk to class or dealing with that itchy sequin shirt just uncomfortable enough to bother you while copying down Calculus questions.

Today's Fashionista, however, proves that you don't have to sacrifice style to get a class-comfortable look. The key here is the shirtdress. Button-down front, relaxed cuffed sleeves, front square pocket and a trim collar, the shirtdress is feminine, androgynous, and completely flattering. Cut to be form flattering, the shirtdress accentuates one's waist, especially when worn with a belt as seen here. Skinny belts typically work best with the shirtdress since wider belts can add unnecessary bulk to such a slimming, simple look. She wears dark-hued leggings underneath the shirtdress to add another layer while not distracting. During the day time, few accessories are needed with the shirtdress–the subtle bows on this Fashionista's flat's are enough to keep the look fresh.

Hint: The best part about the shirtdress is its versatility and transition to nighttime. Trade in the leggings for a pair of dark skinny jeans, layer on a couple long necklaces and throw on some heels and you are good to go!