Sheva Ahmadi – CollegeFashionista

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Convertible Blazers

It looks like I am not the only Fashionista absolutely obsessed with the convertible trend this season. I have been seeing a lot of this trend in D.C. lately but only in our city’s favorite colors: black, navy and shades of gray. This is the first colored convertible blazer I have seen yet and it was certainly love at first sight.

I spotted this CollegeFashionista coming across the skywalk to school and I instantly fell head over heels with this beautiful yellow tweed jacket. She let this jacket shine with simple pair of shiny black pants, a white graphic tee and light silver jewelry. She then chose to accessorize with cool combat boots and a cozy black scarf. Obviously the staple of this look is her jacket, which gives you the option of wearing a high-low, cropped or angled look. But this Fashionista did a great job at letting this look speak for itself. The graphic tee under the jacket keeps the look relaxed for school and the black bottoms are understated with a little twist. They don’t distract from the top but add a little fun to the look. Finishing off the look with her combat boots was a great idea for a regular day at school. It keeps the look casual and comfy for walking around campus.

So remember, keep an eye out for convertible pieces that you can wear high or low. They are versatile and super on trend. Plus, the brighter the better!

P.S., elevate this look with a mini skirt in a complementary bold color, a tucked-in simple silk top and sky-high heels for a night out!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK : Easy Breezy Trendy

Washington, DC has been having some of the most beautiful but inconsistent weather we have seen in a long time. This past week in particular we saw some of the most beach worthy weather the district has seen in a while and all of fashionista's came out to show off their style. My classmate and friend was no different. Her style was doing all the right things on her way to class this week. Here she is showing us all how to make trends easy and chic this spring.

She's rocking a bold leopard maxi skirt, yellow crew neck blouse and a fedora. She accessorizes her look with a pair of super cool geometric shape sandals and a fun mix of bangles. Now, this CollegeFashionista is a great example of how to rock a great trends at once without going over kill. Even though she's in on the animal print trend, she's rocking it in the form of a flowing maxi skirt. She then pairs it with a cool and loose yellow blouse in a shade that compliments not only her leopard, but also her skin tone. The feminine and flowing fit of the skirt really pairs well with the loose but slightly revealing top. Not into animal print? No worries. You can pull off this look with any printed maxi just be sure to take a few precautions.

One being, the great lesson of focus. This Fashionista is a total success with letting her print shine and not choosing a top or accessories that compete with her skirt. Instead of going super trendy with all of her clothes, she chose to do a more classic style top which allows her accessories to be a little more trendy. This helps her to steer clear of “trying too hard” territory. She tosses on a easy fedora, mixed-match bangles and sandals with geometric shape details. So remember while we are approaching summer, it's okay to follow trends. Just follow them in your own way. Make them effortless, colorful and cool for spring.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Breaking The Rules By Wearing White

We have all heard of the popular fashion rule that states no wearing white before Memorial Day and no wearing white after Labor Day. But what fun is fashion without breaking the rules?

I spotted this Fashionisto and fellow classmate on a windy but gorgeous day downtown after class. He's breaking fashion rules by sporting distressed white denim, a cool blue tee, athletic sneakers and a little black jacket.

It is always great to see Fashionistos taking style risks at my school, which is dominated by girls. But just because some of us may not wear athletic sneakers does not mean there isn't a style lesson to be learned, ladies. Fashionistas all over can take notes from this guy. Wearing white before Memorial Day is a style risk anyone can take. Spring is a great time for light or bright colors of any shade and white is no exception. To take this look to a lady friendly place, try pairing white denim with a floral top. Feeling trendy? Try a top in pastel shades of blue, green, pink or lavender. These are all gorgeous colors we watched grace the spring 2012 runways. Finish off your look with a light nude metallic or a pair of braided sandals in your spring color of choice.

So be brave, break the rules and bring out your whites early!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Bringing Back Bohemian

When we think about spring most of us think of nature; we think about sunshine, light rain and all of the colorful flowers and plants. Well what style fits better into this natural season than bohemian chic? This week’s CollegeFashionista channeled exactly that into her cozy natural look.

I spotted this Fashionista heading into a little vegetarian spot just off campus. She looked so chic yet so natural and comfortable, I knew I had to get her picture. She’s sporting a little scoop neck crop top, a high-waist maxi skirt, simple black flats and a wrist full of colorful bracelets. Now while this look is very natural in palette, if you’re feeling a little more colorful this spring or summer then it's okay to turn up the color. Try a coral colored chiffon maxi skirt or try a bright colored or braided sandal instead. And don’t forget to layer up in cool bracelets and bangles for that personal touch.

The great thing about this look is that it’s so easy to incorporate trends and different layers of style to fit with your personality. If you lean a little more to the edgy side, try a chiffon skirt and elevate it at night with chunky black booties, a motorcycle jacket and a high bun, or keep it cool like this lovely lady and accentuate your accessories.

So remember, take notes and try to incorporate the feeling of spring into your wardrobe.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Feeling Floral

It has been another gorgeous week in Washington, DC and it has been bringing out the best of spring fashion. This week’s style advice sheds light on an extremely popular spring trend: floral. As we all saw, floral was a focus of many designers during fashion week for Spring 2012. It is clear that this CollegeFashionista did not miss the memo. I spotted her doing some shopping on the fashion-filled streets of Georgetown and knew I needed her for this week’s subject.

This look is provides a great style lesson: How to go bold without going overboard. While some Fashionista’s out there can mix prints on prints like it is their instinctive calling, many of us struggle with clashing. And others just prefer to take a more simple approach to style.

Either way, fear not. Because this week’s Fashionista shows us how to do it right. She’s sporting a blue floral dress by Juicy Couture, nude platform sandals light accessories and a solid camel trench. This look reeks of fun –chic. The dress is covered in that gorgeous blue floral print, but has this great elastic belt built into the garment. This is an amazing way to break up the print but more importantly to cinch in every woman’s best asset – the waist. You can also get this look by using a skinny waist belt. Besides the silhouette victory, a major kudos goes to her for allowing the dress to be the statement by pairing it with cool minimal accessories. She has topped her look with a nude sandal which is great for spring and is not visually fighting the dress, a cool ring, hot pink polish and again, the effortlessly chic essential: a solid trench.

She has really given us a great lesson in how to rock a fabulous print. So be sure to take notes from this Fashionista. And remember looking amazing this spring doesn’t always mean extra time in your closet. Fall in love with florals and let them speak for themselves.

Elevate this look with a small and simple straw bag with color details that screams summer.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: In The Trenches

What could be more essential, more classic or more perennial than a trench? This week’s CollegeFashionista is a good friend of mine and although she is always on the cusp of fashion, when I spotted her this Friday after school looking like this, I knew she was it.

Any Washingtonian can tell you that D.C. is the city of business, education and politics, so classic sophisticated fashion is a must for the majority. And because this week’s weather has been so amazing I have been seeing trench coats all over the streets of the city. As we all saw, trench style jackets, coats, tops and even jumpsuits were all over the runway for spring 2012. It's clear that this Fashionista took note and elevated her simple trench to a personal and eclectic place this week.

She’s rocking a short navy blue trench jacket over a cropped trouser jumpsuit with a pair of banging chunky heel booties and a thrifted bowler hat. Pairing the jumpsuit with this jacket is the easiest way to turn something from cute to chic in minimal time. That is truly the beauty of the trench: the ability to easily toss it on top of anything, no matter how style-less it may be, and instantly appear together and timeless. That means, you can take the Fashionista route and pair it with a cool cropped romper, or even a printed one. Wearing a printed romper with a solid and simple trench shows your personality but also helps to break up the head to toe print. Keep a simple shoe and one statement accessory to pull the look together. Just not in the mood? Pair it with a plain white top, blue jeans and ballet flats. Feeling downright lazy? Toss it on top of that Victoria's Secret PINK sweatsuit. No worries, no one will ever know.

With all of the gorgeous weather we have been getting in D.C., there is no excuse to hide under all of those winter layers. Come out of the trenches that are winter and show off your spring style!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Show Your True Colors

With the weather here in D.C. getting progressively warmer, people have been showcasing the colors they love for spring more. In this case those colors are lady-friendly pinks and blues. I spotted this colorful Fashionista coming off the metro going to school. She was the brightest in dress and in spirit, I knew she would be this week’s subject. She has incorporated two spring trends that work in this look — color and florals.

She’s sporting a sheer pink blouse paired with a blue/purple colored denim, floral flats and a beaded statement necklace. This look is perfect for a long day of class and it's easy and cool for spring. What this CollegeFashionista did best in this look is edit. She realized that with using these punches of color, it's best to use a more simple silhouette.

The great thing about this look is that it can work for so many people and in so many different settings. If the bold colors are a little much for your style, try this same look in pastels like mint green. You can also try a blouse with an embellished collar for something a bit more unique. Try tucking your top in and pairing it with one of spring’s top trends — floral pants.

Winter in D.C. makes it easy to get comfortable with sticking to your business shades like black, blue and gray, but be sure to use this nice weather as a chance to go against the grain. Show your true colors for spring with color blocking, neon, ladylike pastels and floral prints.

P.S. Elevate this look with another layer: try a cool printed crew neck over that colored blouse and don’t forget to let that collar show!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Channeling Travolta

This week’s CollegeFashionista turned heads at school with her obvious nod to the classic 1978 film Grease. This Fashionista decided to take on the ever so difficult task of identifying a theme or inspiration without roaming into costume territory. She conquered this task by keeping the look personal and modern by taking a less literal approach and incorporating her own statement accessories.

The most popular image of bad boy John Travolta in this film portrays him in an all black ensemble, sporting a black or white tee tucked into a pair of super fitted black pants with that classic leather motorcycle jacket and signature slicked back hair. While this look was great for a man in such a role especially during that time; why try to copy that look if you can recreate your own?

This Fashionista takes note and does exactly that. She begins her look with a white tank and layers a comfy oversized denim button-up over top. She creates a cool contrast by grounding her look with a pair of leather leggings and edgy black boots. What could possibly say bad girl more than leather, right? But not only does she get a thumbs up for her use of leather, but more so for choosing a less obvious route and pairing that sleek fabric with something rough like denim. Finally, she ties the look together with a softly curled up-do held by a red bandana, edgy hoop earrings and my latest obsession — a red pout.

This week’s CollegeFashionista serves as more than a display of great personal style: she is also a lesson and reminder to us that all things fashion start with inspiration. Whether that is a film, a song or even a walk through the park — don’t forget to get inspired and most importantly, don’t forget to make it your own.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Cozy Casual Cardigan

We have all experienced it — struggling to wake up early for school or work while hearing the wind against your bedroom window and feeling absolutely mortified. Then the most common question of a Fashionista arises, “Ugh, what am I going to wear?” and instantly a little panic hits. Yes, we have all been there, numerous times. Waking up early is one thing, but waking up early when it is 30 degrees outside is a totally different task.

This week’s CollegeFashionista is actually a classmate of mine in an eight hour long Friday class and when she walked into class in this easy outfit I knew she was the one to profile this week for my style advice. This look is a perfect example of how to look gorgeous and comfortable without having to try or think too hard in the morning.

She’s sporting a loose printed cardigan in a super soft wool blend, this way it is both cute and super warm. She then keeps your attention upward by pairing the print with a black sheer top, which creates contrast against the texture of the sweater. Finally, she grounds the look with simple black leggings. Pairing the cardigan with a neutral like black helps to keep the look easy and chic. She finishes everything off with fun floral rings, a whimsical robot necklace, a loose braid and a gorgeous smile. Have a little extra time on your hands? Try pairing the printed cardigan with a V-neck top in a complementary color, dark wide-leg denim, heels for height, fun bangles and stackable rings.

We all know how hard it can be getting dressed during these cold, early mornings but remember there are easy ways to show off your style too. So when you’re standing in your closet in the morning and all seems lost, try elevating something cozy and casual.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Show Off Those Socks!

Showing socks has been a trend Fashionistas just cannot get enough of. We have all seen them somewhere or another, whether they’ve been really high or really low. Socks have been elevated from the realm of undergarments to an actual accessory. The trend may seem new, but think back to Cher in the comedy movie Clueless. Remember that sassy school girl in her knee high socks? Well, the statement sock trend made its come back in spring 2010 and Fashionistas around the world are determined to keep it around.

This week I saw a classmate sporting her over the knee socks on a break from class and I knew she would be the perfect CollegeFashionista to feature for this trend. She pairs her socks with a pair of black leggings for comfort, warmth and contrast, throws on some comfy black boots, a zip-up hoodie and a detailed denim vest. Finally, she finishes off her look with a black cross-body bag. This outfit is the epitome of classroom ready style: quick, easy and cute.

The best thing about this trend is that it isn’t reserved for any specific look or style. Feeling edgy? Try a pair of cut-off shorts with thick printed tights for style and warmth. Top them off with a thick pair of colored socks and combat boots. You can couple this look with a printed tee and heavy statement coat. A little too close to the edge? Try something a little more ladylike: a sheer button-up paired with a circle skirt, sheer tights and thin polka-dot ankle socks for a peek of personality.

These personality socks are finally a trend for everyone, so take advantage of it! Save those plain white footies for the gym and opt for a pair that will show off your style.