Author: OluwatobiHaastrup

Go With the Flow

Ever had those days when you have little time to pick what to wear to class or a casual outing? This article is for you! When you ask yourself what you want to wear and cannot decide, go with the flow! When you are confused on what to wear to class on those stressful mornings when you wake up late, take a deep breath and pick any clothing and accessories from your wardrobe and you’ll be stunned by the outcome.

Randomly creating outfits has proven to be one of the best ways to look great. Several celebrities and Fashionistas have proven that. In order to rock this style, I have a few tips for you. The most important advice is to pick colors and patterns that are comfortable and look best on your body while shopping. This Fashionista chose colors that are slightly darker and dull and it worked for her. Another tip is to make use of accessories! Adding accessories to your outfit is so important as it creates an iconic look and expresses your style. For this look, the cat-eye sunglasses and metallic backpack are a great addition to the outfit as it gives an edgy, tomboyish yet alluring look. The key to making this work is to add a touch of femininity and the accessories did just that.

Lastly, have fun with your look. This Fashionista made a selection of a few pieces and accessories from her closet and gave the regular shirt, jeans, and sneakers look a touch-up. The outfit gives a boy meets girl look. The button-down dark bold striped shirt tucked into the distressed skinny jeans give the boy effect while the silver cat-eye sunglasses, earring, and pearl rings give the girl effect.

While how we dress is usually a form of our identity, we should never stress about it but choose which outfits or style best resonates with us at the moment. So head to your closet and try on what you have. Remember to breathe, go with the flow, and enjoy your day!

How do you go with the flow while getting ready? Show us on social media! Don’t forget to tag @Cfashionista.

It’s All About The Stripes

I found a long lost love for this summer: stripes! Bold stripes are always a statement as they have been worn everywhere from the runway to the street.

Stripes are an amazing go-to. I chose this romper because it’s comfortable for the hot weather and it’s summer, the more relaxed season of the year for college students. You can take advantage of the fewer credits hours by wearing outfits that help you de-stress and feel self-assured. You could also wear this attire to hang out with friends right after classes. This outfit is so versatile and could be worn for different occasions.

To go to class, you could pair it up with a pair plain of sneakers or sandals. While to go out with friends you could use the same or pair it with heels. The pair of glasses, necklace, and bag add a vintage and sophisticated feel.

I have a few tips that I learned from this styling. First, love and be confident in your wardrobe; it will be much easier to create looks that you’ll feel beautiful in since the clothing and accessories in your wardrobe are based on your style. When you add little elements, it should result in a stunning look. Second, create the look you have in mind. For example, the purse had a long strap but tucking it in was a much better for the look I imagined. Third, wear stripes; tops, rompers, jumpsuits, skirts, dresses. You’ll clearly look chic and feel très chic like this Fashionista!

How do you rock stripes? Comment blow or show us on social media by tagging @CFashionista!

STYLE ADVICE: Skirt All the Way

Summer weather is nearing the 95 degrees here in Tampa, and for us girls, we know pants and jeans are definitely a no-go area this season. Many people say shorts are the best for the season but I say skirt all the way! Skirts aren’t only comfortable but they are for sure a la mode. In this season, skirts are more comfy, airy, and cool on a very hot day. Shorts won’t allow as much flow of air compare to skirts. Skirts also come in varieties of styles and different lengths (mini, midi, and maxi ) to make your outfit elegant. Therefore, they are the go-to option for summertime! This Fashionista is wearing a mini blue jean skirt, giving her a sophisticated look. Her way of pairing her skirt with the striped top, sneakers, and backpack is an example of how you could pair yours.

If you hadn’t thought about the idea of trying skirts for your summer outfit, I have a few ideas of how you can make a skirt work for you.

For skirt lovers like me, you can pair of a  miniskirt or maxi skirt with almost any top.

For jean lovers who don’t want a skirt, you can try denim mini, midi, or maxi dresses and style them with your favorite pair of sneakers, sandals, boots, or maybe heels.

As for those who don’t like skirts or dresses, trust me and try them. It might take you a while but you’ll definitely find one. I have had the same style of skirt that fit me differently so all you need to do is find the right type of material and style for your body type. Stay relaxed this summer and don’t forget, skirt all the way!

STYLE ADVICE: Spring Forth into Summer

We are one month down in spring and two months to summer. However, with the daily average temperature nearly 80 degrees here in Florida, we know it’s already summer! It’s time to wear comfy clothes that would get you through the heat. If you don’t have your spring/summer wardrobe ready, don’t worry. You could follow this Fashionista’s look for an inspiration for your wardrobe.

She has a light textured blouse paired with wide-cut shorts perfect for the hot summer weather. Her burgundy backpack adds color and volume to her outfit, while her sunglasses and jewelry, especially her crystal earrings, have a posh vibe. I love her full outfit together; she not only looks relaxed, but still sleek and à la mode. After chatting with this Fashionista, I came up with a few tips that could help you create a sophisticated summer outfit collection.

First, enjoy your style. When I spotted this Fashionista she was radiant in her look. Remember we all have different tastes, so be comfortable in choosing clothing that speaks about your style, even if people around you don’t feel your vibe.

Second, maximize every kind of discount and sale. This Fashionista used the employee discount at her work to her advantage. She saved some money even while buying herself the accessories of her choice. Sometimes people are discouraged to check out some stores because they think it’s too expensive. Whenever I check stores that are expensive, I always receive markdowns through sales and coupons so keep an eye for that.

Third, be open while deciding on where to shop from. If you limit yourself to one store or a few stores, you might not find some great pieces waiting for you. For example, this Fashionista got her shorts from Amazon!  After reading this article, I can’t wait to explore different stores and chip in my style while shopping for the summer! How about you?

STYLE GURU STYLE: Kill It Day or Night

Has anyone had a date, maybe for a friend’s birthday, your boyfriend, or with friends and family who live far away, right after your mandatory 6:30 p.m. class? How about a brunch date that ends right before your 2:00 p.m. class leaving you with no time to take off your outfit and look more casual?  Of course, in those situations, you definitely wanted to look good to your outing. However, it’s harder to do so right after class, when you have limited time to go back home to change your clothes.

Sometimes people end up not going out again because they feel they won’t have time to change and look nice enough for their outing. If you are one of them I have good news for you. You can make it to your outing right before or after your class still looking fabulous!

This look, inspired by my style, is a great way to go to class and upgrade your outfit to make it suitable for your outing without getting stressed. I love my sheer, lace, embroidered top with a black camisole underneath. They can be worn to almost anywhere: class, mall, dinner. I combined it with a pair of high-waisted black jeans.

For my outing look, I added a pair of natural color open toe stilettos and a nude saddle bag. I choose those accessories to dress up the combination and make it look nice. To change for a class-like look, I would wear a pair of plain flat shoes and carry a backpack or tote big enough for my books and other stuff to fit in. I am able to look nice to class.

I hope I have been able to give you an idea of how to transition from an outing to class and vice versa. And next time you need to chill out right before or after classes, you will be very excited to kill it!

STYLE GURU STYLE: Back and Bold

Many college students know it’s not so exciting to be returning to school after a relaxing and an interesting winter break. Therefore, it’s quite difficult to think about looking nice on the first day or during the first week of school or the rest of the semester even if we, as upperclassmen, wanted to. Like many other students, I didn’t feel so excited about the first week of classes, especially because I am almost done with college. However for me, picking out outfits and looking nice to classes helps me get more excited about the semester in general. Dressing up makes you more excited and productive according to my studies.

This Fashionista, a fourth year science major, put an effort to get dressed for classes and felt really happy about it. Her style was simple but yet catchy. I loved her choice to add elements such as bright sunglasses and a shirt tied around her waist in addition to her simple dress. She turned a basic dress to a bold outfit. Just like this Fashionista, you can be adventurous while getting ready for classes just by adding elements like jewelry to your simple clothing. You’ll get to make a bold statement about yourself and be more excited about your day in general. When you are dressed, you get complimented and it always improves your mood for the day. Inspired by her outfit, I found a cute shirt which could easily be paired with any type of bottom, accessory, or shoe.

Since I started college, I have enjoyed having the freedom of no outfit restrictions. Therefore, it’s easier for us to express ourselves better and enjoy going to classes in our style. It was very easy to spot her in the midst of the crowd because of her vivid and unique fashion sense. If you go to USF and want to be featured someday in my articles, don’t be afraid to put an effort into getting dressed! Not only will you be happier, but I just might find you and put you up on my CollegeFashionista article like the Fashionista in these photos!

STYLE GURU BIO: Oluwatobi Haastrup

Hello Everyone! I am Oluwatobi Adebola Haastrup, AKA Tobi. I am a junior majoring in finance at the University of South Florida and I am from Nigeria. I have always been drawn to fashion since I was a child. I would notice outfits and try to sketch them whenever I got a chance. I remember sketching my outfit for my grandmother’s birthday when I was only 11 years old. My mom usually made me chose styles from magazines, but that time I was lucky. I was excited to see my own design come to life and that inspired me to pursue my found dream. My love for fashion has grown over the years and I enjoy being involved in it either by sketching, taking photos, modeling and more. My role models in fashion are Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Kimora Lee Simmons and Karl Lagerfeld. I recently love Lagerfeld for his photography skills in addition to his design skills. I hope to some day leave a legacy in form of a brand like Chanel.

I really enjoy shopping and sometimes, it helps me relax, I shop anywhere from stores like Forever 21 to Lord &Taylor. While shopping, I have come across a number of outfits that shock me with uniqueness and class. I choose comfortable clothing that looks good on me. For example, while shopping specifically for my mom when she was visiting a gold sweater struck me and things got better when I saw it was 20 percent off.  In this photo, I am wearing a gray turtle neck batwing sweater from Forever 21. I think it’s very stylish, classy and comfortable for 51 degree weather, the average winter temperature in Tampa. I am pairing it with a black high-waisted pants and my black ankle boots from H&M. I added my red tote to add a touch of color to the outfit. I love how my prescription glasses complement my outfit.

I am so excited to meet everyone and get to know my other Style Gurus from universities across the world. One of my favorite facts about fashion is how it promotes diversity in form of personal style, fashions shows, campaigns and many more. For example, I am always happy to express myself through my style and elated whenever I am being complemented I am sure many other fashionistas are happy when they are  also complemented.  Follow me on Instagram @zoifab, I plan to make it more fashionable and take more adventures in 2017!