Sara Castillo – CollegeFashionista

WHAT TO WEAR: Finals

It has been a long journey and although the semester came to an end it is time for one last push. The days to pull out all the notes from the semester and open the books we might never open to study for finals has come.

Most college students are always on the hurry while finals arrive and for that, a casual look is what it takes. Today’s Fashionista wears appropriate attire to present her final exams. She is wearing high waisted purple jeans combined with a simple tank top and a crop cardigan on top. She added a pair of cut out oxfords that not only combined with the cardigan but it creates a preppy look perfect for school.

Jeans are the all-American staple that every person should have on their wardrobe because goes with just about everything. According to “Harper’s Bazaar: Great Style” book, jeans allow you to get glammed up or laid-back, the only challenge lies in finding the perfect cut.

The idea is to always have a balance and for school it is always better to keep it simple, comfortable and casual when wearing jeans. If you’re wearing a loose top you can add a pair of skinny jeans and if you wear a boot-cut or full leg jean you can add a more fitted shirt. Take today’s Fashionista as an example and even experiment with colors, finals might be a headache but at least you’ll feel great with your casual funky look of the day.

One Simple Change: Switch the oxfords for a pair of brown leather riding boots from Guess and be ready for the cold weather. You can also add an extra layer if the cold gets too bad like this chunky knit sweater from Mango.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT.

WHAT TO WEAR: Girls Night Out

There is nothing better than a night out with your girls after a long week of work. A glass of wine, laughs and gossip with your girls sometimes is the best remedy to forget any bad moment you had. These nights are the occasions to pull out your sassy outfits so nothing will stand between you and your girls, not even the cold weather.

Today’s Fashionista looks chic and flirty with her top and bottom leather outfit combined with a color-block oversized coat and a chunky red scarf. When wearing an all black leather outfit it is fun to add an extra bold color in accessories to spice it up, and red is always a good choice for the night. Instead of overloading herself with accessories, she rather incorporated red lipstick, like this matte color from Smashbox, that matches the chunky scarf perfectly.

Fun, sassy and chic are the three words to describe a girl’s night out outfit. Be it to a nice dinner or a casual late night reunion, leather will do the work to make you look appropriate and fun. Try adding some color to the outfit like today’s Fashionista like red, burgundy or palid pink, which are also adequate colors for the cold season. In every woman’s nature there is the need to feel confident, gorgeous and flirty and for this occasion an all-leather outfit is what it takes.

One Simple Change: You don’t have to change the whole look to make it appropriate for a casual date night, just switch the riding boots for a pair of high heel boots from Zara and you will be ready to go.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT.

WHAT TO WEAR: Weekend Wear

When the weekend arrives, most of us are anxious to enjoy and forget about our final exam worries. The weekend wear is about enjoying the liberty to play with our wardrobe without over-thinking. Vintage clothing is unique and easy to use so it is perfect for all scheduled weekend events from day to night. Among some of the timeless vintage pieces your can choose from would be edgy graphic ’80s T-shirts, leather boots and of course, flannel plaid shirts.

Today’s Fashionisto demonstrates his amazing personality through a vintage laid-back outfit. He is wearing a red plaid button-up with a graphic T-shirt underneath with his accompanying dark skinny jeans. His accessories include a matching vintage tribal murse with intriguing mirrored sunglasses and rocking camel colored leather boots, which are the ideal model of cared-for vintage boots.

Plaids are perfect for weekend wear because they are laid-back yet presentable for any occasion. Plaid patterns come along way, from the iconic Burberry plaid to the fall 2013 runways of Karen Walker and Marc Jacobs. Whether you’re a Fashionisto/a, plaid shirts, jackets or pants are a must-have piece of clothing during this season perfect for any weekend event.

Layering is the key to success when using plaids. The plaid pattern can be worn by itself, combined with other prints like stripes or leopard or even with cool graphic T-shirts like today’s Fashionisto. Dare to innovate your weekend wear and play around with plaids!

One Simple Change: When the sun sets, if you have a fancier birthday party to attend to, change the plaid shirt for a tailored blazer like this one from H&M.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT.

WHAT TO WEAR: Cold Weather

I don’t know how there are some people who can handle the cold front with only one jacket. I love cold weather and when it arrives there’s a need to pull out the chunkiest coats and scafs from your closet. Before, it was more about wearing sober colors for the cold weather including black, gray or brown but now it is about breaking the rules. White coats have marked a statement for this cold season from the fall 2013 Proenza Schouler’s runway to the streets and campuses around the world.

Coats are the best assets for the cold weather. This Fashionista shows us how to wear a white coat combined with her glitter UGG boots, a chunky scarf and her slicked back hair, which makes the look more sophisticated. Personally, I also loved how the Marc by Marc Jacobs pink printed backpack stood out beautifully next to the white. Everything together takes the college style to another level.

During cold weather you want to keep warm so a coat like this one from GUESS will do the trick and better yet, the white color plus the slick back hair-do will maintain a clean and presentable look. Remember to give importance to the winter accessories: an infinity scarf to protect your neck, UGG boots with appropriate thick socks to keep your feet warm and you can even add a beanie to protect your head and ears. Depending on how you handle the cold, don’t forget to layer, layer, layer!

One Simple Change: Switch the jeans for dressy black pants like this one from Express and change the boots for mid-heel closed-toe shoes. The look will be perfect for a job interview during cold weather.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT.

WHAT TO WEAR: Study Group

It is that time of the semester where you get stuck preparing for different events. For most students, it’s the holidays they have to look forward to, but for some of us, there is graduation. Though the idea of becoming a college graduate might be exciting, you still have final projects to get done, a GPA to improve and of course, final exams to study for.

For the upcoming long hours at the library reviewing chapters with your study group, the best way to dress is with clothes that let you breathe and focus on the task at hand. This Fashionista is wearing one of my favorite trends for the cold season and a perfect item for a study group session: oversized sweaters. From the runways of Céline to Gucci, the oversized knit sweaters and cardigans are the best layer to compliment your fall look.

This Fashionista is wearing skinny jeans, wedge lace shoes, a striped T-shirt, a leather belt that matches her shoes and an oversized printed cardigan. Together, this works great for study time because of the simplicity of it. Why would you want to put on a tight-fitting shirt when you can wear something both chic and loose like this oversized knit cardigan? Even if you woke up late, with an oversized sweater you can just grab any T-shirt, leggings and boots and you will be ready to go meet with your group.

An oversized sweater is best worn with something tight underneath to avoid looking sloppy, like skinny jeans, shorts or leggings. Try using wedge booties like today’s Fashionista so the oversized sweater doesn’t sweep the floor. Of you want to keep the comfy look, just add a pair of combat boots or flats.

One Simple Change: To make it more cold weather appropriate, add an infinity scarf and even a floppy hat like this one from Wet Seal to keep the bohemian look.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT.

WHAT TO WEAR: Meeting With A Professor

Finally a cold breeze arrived to South Texas and with this big coats, chunky sweaters and cozy boots were seen among UTPA students. With a cloudy sky and chilly weather the best accessories would be a delicious cup of coffee, pajamas and movies, but you still need to finish off the semester strong and get work done and meet with your professors to check on grades before the semester is over.

Black is always a great fall color and today’s Fashionista is wearing a perfect combination of black and blue layers. She played around with blue hues by wearing a light denim button-down with a royal blue sweater on top and dark blue skinny jeans. This Fashionista added black leather with that beautiful motorcycle jacket and a tote bag. Not only are these colors great for the season, but also they create a subtle yet edgier look. To make it cozier, she added UGG boots in a tan color that immediately transform the outfit school casual.

Many people might think that UGG boots are too casual, but the addition of a leather jacket on top of the knit sweater plus a cute necklace like this Kenneth Cole makes the look appropriate for a meeting with your professor. It is not necessary to look very formal to see a professor, a leather jacket like this one from Zara will make you think casual and confident.

It is perfectly fine to wear a leather jacket when meeting with a professor as long as you know to combine it with appropriate pieces like today’s Fashionista. It is not an interview nor a fashion show, just be yourself and stay confident.

One Simple Change: Switch your UGG boots for something more presentable and stay comfortable at the same time. This pair of ankle booties from Sole Society are perfect and from your meeting you’ll be ready for your internship!

To get this look, check out my eBay collection here.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT

WHAT TO WEAR: Concert

Even though festival season is over, there are many concerts on the horizon (Justin Timberlake anyone?) It is always hard to plan an outfit for a concert as a lot of the look depends on the type of music and the band you are seeing.

Think about the long hours standing up, surrounded by a huge crowd of people dancing, jumping and singing next to you—you better be prepared. Today’s Fashionista went for an edgy look perfect for a concert. The selection of Dr. Martens boots is the best choice for the occasion. For this occasion you can forget about open-toed shoes, sandals and heels and go for the most comfortable and edgy pair of boots.

The important thing is to have fun with the music and the clothes, so this Fashionista matched the boots with a printed black and white skirt. Most people would rather wear jeans, but wearing a skirt for a concert makes it more fun for the occasion. Try a print to shake things up a bit more!

Like today’s Fashionista, match your bottoms with your shoes and throw on any bright color on top like green, orange or red. Lastly, add the right details without overwhelming your outfit like nice Karen Walker rounded sunnies and a mini crossbody bag to carry just the essentials.

One Simple Change: After the long hours at the concert, change your T-shirt for a button down shirt like this one from Forever 21. Take the fun of the concert with you by staying with the boots and mixing prints to go out with friends.

Check out my eBay collection here.

WHAT TO WEAR: Traveling

There are many things people should consider before taking a trip. Traveling in an airplane is an amazing adventure, which requires wearing an appropriate and comfortable look. It is not fun to be holding all your belongings and dealing with chunky accessories, so less is more when traveling be it on a plane, a train or a car. The process from checking-in luggage and going through security to get seated on the plane, to getting off the plane and running to the next flight can be exhausting. These moments are only a few of the stressful reasons why a proper outfit will make your traveling experience a lot easier.

As the obsessed T-shirt girl that I am, I was excited to see how this Fashionisto incorporated a simple V-neck with his skinny jeans and added a vibrant pop of color with his green loafers. With long lines and far walks in the airport, skinny jeans or leggings are always the best options while traveling since they are lighter than regular denim jeans. The best part is that Fashionistos and Fashionistas can recreate this amazingly simple and chic look without spending a load of cash.

To style your skinny jeans, look for another basic like this Fashionisto’s gray V-neck and add loafers or boots. Spending hours in airports and airplanes can get tiring, but as long as you feel good and fresh, you’ll arrive as stylish as ever to your destination.

One Simple Change: When getting out of the airport, throw on a tailored blazer like this one from H&M and instantly be ready for brunch.

My eBay collections were curated as part of the CollegeFashionista and eBay collaboration with Style Coalition #FOLLOWITFINDIT

WHAT TO WEAR: Internship

Interning is the best way to practice what you’re learning in college and the perfect time to meet people with experience in your career. Chances are you won’t get paid, but the perks and the benefits can be more than what you expect.

I spotted this Fashionisto while walking to class. Not only did the red colored pants made me stop and stare, but also his confidence and sharp presence made him the Fashionisto of the day—and a perfect example of the superstar intern.

This Fashionisto wears a denim shirt from Abercrombie & Fitch with red pants, a leather brown belt, Vans sneakers and a black Armani Exchange messenger bag. This outfit is perfect for a workday, especially because of the denim shirt. Never be afraid to wear denim to work; it can be worn with colored pants and sneakers or even dress pants and loafers. Denim is a fresh pattern that you can easily mix and match for a week of hard work.

Remember to dress comfortably like today’s Fashionisto. Who would’ve thought that sneakers would look this good! Because we are college students, we are not expected to wear a suit and tie everyday at our internships; however, keeping a casual and unique look, like this Fashionisto’s, is a great way to stay professional and fashionable at the same time.

As long as you style the basics—denim and sneakers—with the correct pieces and accessories, you will not only look great for your internship but also ready to make a great impression to whomever walks into the office. You earned your position at this place— dress like you deserve it.

One Simple Change: Instead of the sneakers, try a pair of loafers like these ones from Cole Haan. They will go great with the belt and will be perfect for brunch.

WHAT TO WEAR: Casual Date Night

A casual date night is perfect for those times when you just want to laugh and enjoy a nice calm moment, forgetting about the stressful week. Normally a movie night or dinner with your special someone is just what is needed after a hectic week of work.

Today’s Fashionista wears an outfit that I consider adequate for a casual date night. Even though we are in the fall season, white has been the predominant color all year from the runways of Vera Wang spring/summer collection to Proenza Schouler’s fall/winter collection, so it’s a color that definitely has to stay in the closet. This Fashionista is wearing a white basic T-shirt, loose white printed shorts, a statement gold necklace and flats. She added a hot pink neon Marc by Marc Jacobs tote bag which gives a flirty detail to the look. Cream, gold and white are clean colors that together create a casual and elegant outfit and with this, it is easier to add one bright color as an accessory to complete the look.

For a date night it is important to look casual yet presentable. Do not look as if you tried too hard to get ready. Take today’s Fashionista as an example and pull out a white T-shirt with a chunky gold necklace to see how unique and trendy your ensemble will be. Pair it with flats like these ones from River Island to stay comfortable without loosing your feminine attitude.

One Simple Change: The tote bag is more useful during the day but when the night arrives switch it for a red clutch like this one from BCBGMAXAZRIA. It will be a color that still grabs attention and is perfect for a night out.