Author: Katherine Tabinowski

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Style And Noise

From the Beatles mod looks to MC Hammer’s pants to the clothing collections curated by the famous artists we listen to today, it seems that music and fashion have always thrived off of one another and neither can exist without the counterpart. Everytime I stroll through campus, I can’t help but always notice how many of my fellow Fashionistas/os are plugged into their iPods; not only that, but how dressed up their iPods are as well. With designers creating exclusive lines for every gadget imaginable these days, techie accessories have become quite the fashionable “it” item.

This week’s featured Fashionista is a prime example of how technology and fashion continue to seamlessly intertwine with one another. At first glance, her chic quilted red coat is what caught my eye. She paired it with a cream toggle sweater tunic, black denim leggings and brown boots. But after stopping her for a photo, I realized her tribal print earmuffs were actually headphones, too! What an ultra utilitarian piece that is equally adorable. Earmuffs have been making a comeback over the past few winter seasons. I’ve noticed many around campus and on street style Fashionistas/os from New York to Tokyo ranging in all shapes, sizes and materials.

Performance apparel and accessories have become the perfect hybrid between looking good and being productive. Like the featured Fashionista, jamming out to you favorite tunes and looking stylish at the same time can easily be achieved. Fashion brands have gotten clever in their designs to meet the demand for convenient gadget accessories. From ear bud beanies to laptop cases that double as oversized clutches to the classic fingerless gloves for texting, your electronic devices have become another outlet to show off your personality. Just don’t let your gadget be better dressed than you!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Business Yet Casual

It’s no secret that menswear-inspired clothing has been sported by even the most feminine of females over the past few seasons. From Chanel to Jason Wu, the tailored blazer and trouser combination has been dominating the streets of the fashion capitols in quirky, fun ways. Although imitating the Fashionistos’ looks are limited to a smaller quantity of items like blazers, pants and button down shirts, Fashionistas can add their own spin on these pieces in the form of sparkly jewelry, sky high heels and of course, a killer handbag.

This week’s Fashionista is a prime example of how to pull off business chic in a college friendly way. She wears a blue color block blazer with a basic, white striped top and skinny black jeans. She paired her ensemble with blue suede heels and an adorable gold chain purse.  What I love about the featured Fashionista’s look is that she has a good balance between looking professional, while still adding her own personal touch to keep her comfortable. Her outfit can easily take her from a class presentation right to happy hour with friends.

Creating a professional look that you can also feel comfortable in is an important ensemble that every Fashionista/o should acquire. With graduation and internship deadlines looming in the very near future, many students will be going on a lot of interviews in the next few months. Your look needs to be appropriate and put together, but also show off a little bit of your personality for the ultimate first impression. For example, the featured Fashionista could tweak her outfit by swapping her top for a white button down shirt and her skinny jeans with tailored trousers. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a unique scarf or a fun nail polish color. It’s the little details that will make you stand out!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Let Your Accessories Do The Talking

Do you ever wonder how the girl in your ridiculously early morning class always looks so good? How is it possible that you’re still half asleep and she looks like something out of a Vogue magazine?

Chances are she’s probably utilizing the one of the best styling tricks out there: accessorizing! When chosen properly, accessories can totally transform and old, boring outfit into a fabulous new look. Accessories are essential for any Fashionista/o on a budget, since you don’t have to buy a whole new ensemble just to switch things up. Just adding a printed scarf or a neon belt can add a whole new dimension to an outfit in little to no time, which is important for the always on the go college lifestyle.

This week’s Fashionista effortlessly chic outfit immediately caught my eye, and more specifically, her leopard print bag. She wears a faux fur vest with a sheer black blouse on top, and skinny jeans with over the knee boots on bottom. She pumps up the glam factor with a bold, gold cuff and oversized sunglasses. What I love about the featured Fashionista’s look is how she created a certain feel to her look, not through her clothes, but through her accessories.

With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, late-night study sessions and exams can put a damper on your desire to get dressed every morning. However, adding on a few pieces of jewelry or a cool headband to your outfit is simple and will keep you looking stylish all through finals week. Take it from this week’s Fashionista that looking good doesn’t always mean you have to be wearing the cutest apparel. Accessorizing your looks is a way of adding your own personal touches that tailor to you and your personal style. So, hit the books and look good doing it with your favorite fashionable add-ons!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Subdued Shimmer

Ever since Miu Miu’s fabulous glitter booties and heels hit the runway, the fashion industry’s obsession with all things shiny has reached new heights. The holiday season is the perfect time to up the twinkle factor in your closet, but if you’re a diehard sparkle lover like me than I’m sure you prefer to shine on all year long. The only tricky part to pulling off these tastefully flashy looks is to avoid looking like a human disco ball. One remedy to this fashion faux pas is to choose your metallic pieces with a practical mindset. Designers such as Cynthia Steffe and Alice + Olivia showed off their metallic looks in the form of refined glam: not too flashy and just a hint of sparkle.

This week’s Fashionista has pulled off the simplified shimmery look to perfection. She layers an army green trench with a gray button down over a simple, silver dress. She added patterned tights with a bit of glisten and flat black booties to complete her look. By adding just a touch of metallic the featured Fashionista’s give her typical day-to-day casual look an unexpectedly fun twist.

For some Fashionistas/os, the thought of wearing metallic or sequins can seem a bit daunting. However, there is an array of options that allow you to incorporate as much or as little metallic into your outfit as you’d like. Forever 21 offers a knitted sweater with hints of metallic weaved into it for a minimal amount of sparkle. You can also incorporate metallic textures through accessories such as a glitter belt, a sequin headband or even nail polish!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Urban Gentleman

It’s around this time of the year, when the cold temperatures stay consistent and cramming for exams becomes a daily burden, that I declare the remainder of the semester “sweatpants season.” For obvious reasons, this part of the season poses a significant challenge when trying to spot someone on campus in a thought out, unique or aesthetically creative ensemble. However, when I do spot that stylish person it’s quite refreshing, and when that person is a guy, it’s like I won the fashion jackpot. For many guys on campus, dressing comfortably is the main priority and the aspect of looking put together can easily go out the window.

I chose this week’s Fashionisto because his outfit has the perfect balance between casual comfort and formal touches. He’s all business on top with a gray button down shirt and black tie underneath his burgundy V-neck sweater. On the bottom he wears dark wash jeans and olive green sneakers. He also added a jelly watch to complete his look.

The featured Fashionisto’s ensemble is a great transitional look because it can take you from class to happy hour to a night on the town with friends. What I like most about his look is how he layered his shirt and tie with a sweater to give a normally formal look, a laid back feel. Designer looks, such as Timo Weiland and J.Crew, had similar idea of layering formal pieces with more rugged and comfortable garments. To imitate the featured Fashionisto’s look, layering formal and casual pieces on top is your best option. Try pairing your favorite sweatshirt with a structured peacoat, or a tailored vest with a graphic tee. As for bottoms, stick to jeans or khakis or else you run the risk of looking disheveled and too casual. So think twice before you decide to throw on those old sweatpants and hoodie, because there are mcuh more stylish alternatives already in your closet!

UDRESS Magazine’s Fall Fashion Event Recap

UDRESS, the University of Delaware’s student-run fashion and lifestyle magazine, celebrated its Sixth Annual Fall Fashion Event this past Saturday launching its 15th issue since the founding of the publication in 2005. The main event was a runway show featuring 90 looks from local businesses and boutiques including Bloom, Clothes in the Past Lane, Gecko, Goodwill, Moxie, NV, NOSO, Ski Bum, South Moon Under and Switch. The night also featured a variety of performances by local talent and student organizations, as well as, an array of food tastings and raffles.

With the sponsorship of HP/Intel, Rittenhouse Station and Blackberry, the “Rearrange Reality” theme for the fall issue was brought to life in the decorative form of live monarch butterflies, an impressive light show and a reflective, mirror runway.  Models strutted their stuff in a wonderful genre of looks from vintage to casual chic to eveningwear; many also showed off the latest tablets and phones from Blackberry. The runway wasn’t the only place to see the most fashionable looks. Many stylish students, UDRESS alumni and locals were in attendance and everyone was definitely dressed to impress, making for a very fashionably fun evening.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Take the “Brrr” out of November

Remember when bundling up for a cold day consisted of mom or dad forcing you into that obnoxiously large coat that was so big you couldn’t move once it was on? Yes, I agree that scenario is a pretty frightening one to think about, but the bubble-style coats from our past have slowly been creeping their way back on to the fashion scene the past few seasons. I’m happy to report that these pumped up outerwear options have had a much need stylish makeover in comparison to our elementary school days. In other words, warmth and style will go hand in hand this season and neither of these priorities will be left out in the cold.

This week’s Fashionista has easily incorporated her puffy vest into a very chic ensemble perfect for a brisk walk to class. She paired her vest with a camel mohair sweater, gray skinny jeans and mid-calf boots. For added warmth, she wore black leg warmers and a black, chunky knit beret. She keeps her color scheme consistent by finishing off her look with black cat eye sunglasses and a black satchel.

What I love about the featured Fashionista’s look is the fact that her puffy vest is not overpowering her outfit. When sporting a puffy vest, layering is a key element to a polished look. If you’d rather sport a puffer jacket for those extra frigid days, opt for one with a belted waist that emphasizes your figure. Also, be sure to avoid styles that literally look like bubbles since they can be quite unflattering. Instead, go for a style that is more quilted like this parka from TopShop and you can kiss those blistering cold days goodbye!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Knitty Meets Gritty

The big chill is upon us and that means Fashionistas/os left and right are bundling up the best way they know how—by layering! This wonderful aspect of gearing up to head out into cooler temperatures is by far my favorite part of the fall season. Many of the fall runways got creative with their looks from mixing colors and patterns at Rachel Roy to blending multiple textures into one outfit at Nicolas K. Layering gives you the opportunity to experiment with multiple dimensions of clothing and accessories in an array of options that make getting dressed in the morning all the more exciting.

This week’s Fashionista nailed her look by layering leather with knit for a surprisingly cool combo. On top, she wears the quintessential cable knit sweater she acquired from a vintage store. On the bottom, she pairs her sweater with a faux leather mini skirt and bright red tights. For added warmth, she added chunky knit socks with her tough-girl chic boots to complete the ensemble. What I love about the featured Fashionista’s look is that she took a whole different approach to layering by mixing unexpected materials—knit and leather—together for a completely different feel.

You’ll want to have the mindset of “opposites attract” when creating a look like the featured Fashionista’s. In terms of fabrics, try pairing a garment that’s a bit more rugged, like a denim button down or shearling vest, with something more luxurious like this velvet skirt from ASOS. You can also play around with prints and embellishments by wearing this Topshop chiffon tunic with a knit cardigan over sequin leggings for glam meets causal look. Go ahead and think outside the box this season; try a color you’ve never worn before or a crazy cool silhouette because fashion is supposed to be fun!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Pump Up Your Peacoat

Packing away your summer clothes for the rest of the semester is an undeniable turning point when you realize that for the next five months, warmer temperatures will be nonexistent. This is all the more reason to bundle up in your blasé black wool coat from last season, right?

Wrong!

Fashion’s remedy for shaking off the winter blues this season calls for two parts: personality and a large dash of color. The fall runways of Blumarine are the perfect example of this, as well as styles from Prada and Ralph Lauren.  Fashionistas/os everywhere know that behind a great coat is an even better outfit, so why not wear that great coat in a bold and bright hue?

This week’s Fashionista immediately stood out to me because of the unique shape and color of her peacoat. She kept the rest of her outfit simple with a cream knit dress, neutral color handbag and boots, heart print tights and her “ten pound necklace.” Pairing a bold colored coat, like the featured Fashionista’s, with neutral components is a great way to showcase your outwear. However, wearing bright colors and prints can work well too! It’s all about finding a balance and experimenting with the colors you like best.

Wearing a printed scarf or tights that contrasts the color of your coat is a great way to add an extra dose of flair. You can also get creative with color blocking and pair your coat with bright colored denim or wedges. If you want your coat to be the main show-stopping element of your outfit, consider choosing a one with intricate details on the buttons or collar like this one from ASOS. You can also skip the solid versions and pick up a coat with an awesome print like this option from BB Dakota. Be bold in the cold this season because the weather outside will be frightful, but your outerwear won’t be!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Do-It-Yourself School Spirit

Standing out in the sea of fans at a UD sporting event is no easy task. With a limited number of spots on campus to grab your Delaware apparel, the generic blue or yellow T-shirt can get really boring, really fast. There are few stylish alternatives out there to the bookstore, which means one of two things: you could spend your precious cash on a T-shirt or sweatshirt that hundreds of your peers probably own, or you can take that purchase and make it your own. Now I’m not talking about deconstructing the entire garment, but rather, tweak it a little. I’ve been to numerous tailgates this semester and noticed that sporty Fashionistas/os are getting really creative with their Delaware T-shirts. From cutting fringe to the bottom of a shirt to tie-dyeing to homemade headbands and bracelets, D.I.Y. school gear has become quite the trend off the field.

Crafting your own personalized Delaware apparel doesn’t have to be reserved for game day. This week’s featured Fashionista shows just how easy it is to incorporate school spirit into your everyday wardrobe. When I first spotted this Fashionista I assumed she was wearing a regular, off the shoulder sweater. However, I noticed more closely that it was actually UD rowing sweatshirt with the collar cut off. How simple is that? She paired her sweatshirt with denim shorts, a tan crossbody bag and brown boots for a look that’s both cute and full of school spirit.

Getting the featured Fashionista’s look is simple and perfect for the Fashionista/o that wants to look chic and support our Blue Hens. Simply take a UD sweatshirt or T-shirt (crewneck works best) and cut off the collar. You can take off an inch or two of the surrounding fabric as well, but make sure to try on the garment in between each cut to avoid chopping off too much fabric. If cutting fabric isn’t your thing, try painting some gold glitter or yellow paint onto these TOMS. Remember, D.I.Y. projects are supposed to be fun and experimental so get creative and you’ll be the most standout fan at the stadium!