Tara Guaimano – CollegeFashionista

BEAUTY BAR: Light and Loose

This Fashionista’s embroidered denim jacket was snagged directly from her mother’s closet, helping her to craft a unique look straight from the vault.

Her natural waves sit right beneath her shoulders, confirming her laid-back style and loose aura. With her brownish-red tinted hair, dark eyebrows, and natural lip color, her features are showcased in the most raw way possible.

The denim jacket, with colorful flowers embroidered on it, provides a genuinely vintage look, as she recalls her mother buying it from Chico’s in the 1990s. Each flower is embellished with tiny rhinestones, artfully redefining the vintage trend with a genuine piece from a floor set released two decades prior.

The silver rings on both of her hands further identify her ability to incorporate unique pieces into her everyday looks. Including a dainty miniature bent teaspoon wrapped around her middle finger and a brown stone accentuating her pointer, this Fashionista’s artful hands hold the seams of both creativity and innovation among today’s most popular trends.

With a genuine vintage piece and her light makeup look, this Fashionista nails a beauty look that truly defines her personal style and personality. Intricately designed and put together, layer by layer, she redefines both ’90s fashion and constant trend cycling with her own personal flair.

Her American Apparel jeans are cuffed at her ankle, showcasing her black booties. Draped over them sits a black, long sleeve mock neck dress, further defining her light and loose look. She layers these garments expertly, confirming both her laid-back persona and personal style.

This Fashionista nails a cool and classic look with both her natural beauty and her raw denim garments. With every detail, her personal style defines unique craft and trend redefining in the coolest way possible.

Stay RAD as usual. Catch you guys when it gets warmer out!

WHAT TO WEAR: Sleek Watch, Blue Socks

This Fashionisto stands classy and confident, sporting an elegant watch complimented by earthy layers, embellished with his colorful personality—bright, blue dress socks.

Equipped with a military jacket, a henley sweater, and a cool smile, he stands tall in the best of menswear. The outfit is centered around his unbuttoned, cream colored henley sweater balances a laid-back look with a classic layering style.

An olive green, military jacket sits atop of the sweater, featuring multiple pockets and snap buttons to create the best balance between style and durability. He hangs his green reflecting lens sunglasses on his unbuttoned neckline, adding a vibrant dosage of a contrasting shade of green.

His classic, dark khaki joggers are given a unique, fun complement with this Fashionisto’s consciously crazy choice to slip on bright blue dress socks. In between two contrasting browns, he artistically utilizes clashing colors and styles to showcase his individuality in the most vibrant way possible.

With a cool, classy outfit , it is important to incorporate trend-bending pieces that are unique to your personal style and preference—and this Fashionisto keeps cool and down to earth with blue socks.

His dress shoes solidify the professionally earthy look, adding a sophisticated look that stays true to his personal style. He also sports a sleek watch to contribute to the layering style, holding together each piece.

This Fashionisto successfully crafts a balance between cool and sophisticated, utilizing his creativity and unique pieces to put forth his sickest campus style.

So, take inspiration from our Fashionisto and stay RAD(ical) as usual—rocking the rest of your semester!

STYLE ADVICE: Freely in Flannel

With a few unique pieces and an abundance of earth tones, this Fashionisto layers up to craft an incredibly cool and classically laid-back look.

By pairing a lightweight, dark green hoodie with an unbuttoned flannel, this Fashionisto creatively combines two staple pieces to create a casually stylish look. Capable of dressing up or down, the flannel (which is gently unbuttoned to reveal a unique layer) appropriately showcases its versatility. Both pieces feature warm earth tones, blending shades of forest green and pairing many potential styles, creating his unclaimed look.

Dark, skinny khaki pants wrapped with a black leather belt tactfully tie the outfit together, providing different earth tones to easily blend with the greens above. Cuffed at the ankle, the pants reveal gray ankle socks and chic Nike shoes.

The shoes’ pure white finish and perforated design secure the unique nature of the outfit, providing a variation of a popular footwear choice. These shoes further develop the outfit’s skater-vibe, ensuring both comfort and coolness while helping him to deliver his laid-back persona and earthy style.

This Fashionisto effortlessly morphs trendy menswear into his own personal style, with some popular pieces combined to establish his layers of freshness and individuality.

Inspired by this Fashionisto’s effortless aura and layering creativity, I offer my best style advice this month—to always stay cool (but warm) by layering up unique pieces and utilizing each to persist your personal style in the most genuine way possible.

Stay RAD(ical), as always, and continue to creatively flourish and sport your sickest style on campus.

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Back in Black

This Fashionista returns back in black for this spring semester, ready to take on the season’s chill in her coolest attire.

Sporting a sleek fur vest over a black cable-knit sweater, she keeps warm by layering up and utilizing faux fur as a winter staple. Contrasting dark accents with distressed, straight blue jeans that have a thick leather belt wrapped around them, this Fashionista crafts a cool and casual look to perfectly kick off her semester’s style.

The black fur vest is super sleek and classy, as it adds a glamorous, yet edgy, flare to the outfit. The black-on-black look keeps the fur subtle and cool, providing a unique and creative variation to this year’s vest trend.

Her layered necklaces, with boho-inspired tassels and wooden beads, add a free-spirited vibe to the rugged nature of the outfit. Each wooden or silver bead is strung by thick, cream colored hemp and decorated with unique, earthy hues. This detail perfect ties together this Fashionista’s balance between a casual and edgy style.

With straight cut, blue distressed jeans, she keeps the look a bit more laid back, as the fur vest could give off a more serious vibe. The casual look is solidified with weathered, flat booties.

This Fashionista proves her ability to stay true to her own style while being subtly influenced by current trends with crafting this outfit. She has conquered a classic winter look, nailing use of trending styles without masking her own personal taste.

So, take this Fashionista’s tips and keep warm this semester in style. Layer up with faux fur and boxy sweaters, but utilize personal touches and tiny details to create your coolest look in the coolest weather.

STYLE GURU BIO: Tara Guaimano

My name is Tara Guaimano, and I am pursuing a degree in communications in journalism and public relations with a minor in political science at Marist College. I am beyond excited to return to CollegeFashionista for my second semester this spring!

With spring semester still being infiltrated with the coldest temperatures and most brutal wind chills we’ve seen yet this school year, I will be covering the coolest styles to mock the coolest weather yet this season.

As my personal style is inspired by the carefree vibe of the Jersey Shore, the nature of each look I sport has been crafted by my growth beside the sea. This semester, as we get past the cold, I will continue to look towards the winter sun, as my style persists beachy vibes all year long.

With tons of turtlenecks, big sweaters, and my obsession with flannel, winter fashion is super easy to keep cute and cozy when bundling up for that walk to the library. I try to utilize utmost inspiration from Free People’s winter collection and winter surf brand catalogs to stay balanced in the midst of the East Coast’s oscillating seasons.

On campus, I am often found sporting my round-framed, John Lennon sunglasses with almost every outfit throughout every season. This winter, I will show CollegeFashionista the fluidity of cool sunnies through any form of weather—especially when the sun reflects off the January snow blankets covering your campus.

This semester, I will utilize lots of layers and lots of memories of watching the rolling ocean waves to inspire a comfortable winter style, as warm as the summer rays.

So, through the cold, stay as RAD(-ical, dude!) as possible—and rock your sickest style throughout the following, weather-confused months.

BEAUTY BAR: SoCal Naturale

Through brutal wind tunnels and below freezing East Coast temperatures, this campus Cali-girl conquers the cold—with the help of her San Diego spirit, some warm summer memories and a few extra layers.

This coast-to-coast Fashionista has found the perfect way to bring Cali vibes to New York, keeping her style roots and West Coast inspiration intact. Utilizing cool tones and memories of watching the rolling ocean waves, she rocks a raw, beachy-bohemian spirit all winter long.

This Fashionista nails a natural look with minimal makeup, preserving her sun-kissed skin tone throughout the winter months. With a light and thin layer of BB Cream, she brightens and smoothes her skin tone.

Although it may not be as direct as California’s, the Northeast’s sun creeps up and leaves her face with the sneakiest sunburns on bright winter days. BB Cream is super hydrating and protects with broad-spectrum SPF 30—assuring that the face is always protected from the winter sun. Her look also sports her long lashes, accentuated with a tiny bit of mascara, and curled with an eyelash curler.

Her vintage denim jacket, with an oversized appeal and a leather collar, insulates her long, black tunic long sleeve T-shirt and gray color-block scarf. The brown leather accent turns a season-neutral denim jacket into a winter staple—as the unique piece was picked up from a California thrift store.

The long, black tunic is a perfect transition piece for a warm-weather, boho style, as it mocks the nature of a light, flowy summer top. Keeping warm with some insulating leggings and a thick scarf, she layers up in the coolest way possible.

With hands decorated with weathered silver rings and wrists stacked with Alex and Ani bangles and string bracelets, she carries pieces of home with her in every outfit that she puts together. These metal accents are successfully paralleled within the buckles of her brown leather booties, featuring tiny cutouts for a classic, worn look.

So, with tousled, blonde waves and a fresh tan—thanks to a Thanksgiving break spent back home—this Fashionista directly carries the SoCal culture to the chilly Hudson Valley. Stay rad(ical, dude) as always, straight from SoCal itself, and keep the golden state of mind with you to stay warm for the next few months!

STYLE GURU STYLE: Defined by Earth Tones

John Lennon sunglasses, boyfriend jeans and earth tones are my style essentials this season, providing a free-spirited look to beat out the snow and freezing temperatures that are way-too-soon to come.

Growing up in a small beach town, there came an inherent style inspired by the forms of earth surrounding me, as sand tones and ocean blue hues have defined my wardrobe. However, with the highly anticipated arrival of November’s chill and my great deal of denial that all traces of summer are officially gone, darker earth tones have infiltrated my closet.

I usually try to incorporate reminders of the summer sun into my everyday style, which gets tough in the midst of crisp air and brutal wind chills. I settle to at least use some inspiration from the earth in its seasonal path during my least favorite months, with rich greens and yellows to mimic the nature around me.

Off-the-shoulder tops became a staple part of my wardrobe during the warmer months this year, as my closet flooded with whites, blues and summery hues of light blouses with bare shoulders. This olive green thermal sweater sits below both shoulders, transitioning the trend into the fall/winter seasons. With its baggy, comfortable style, the bare shoulders add a unique flare to a simple thermal top.

The open-heeled, black booties serve as the perfect transitional piece for November, creating a closed-sandal look, complete with wraparound buckled straps. The open backs secure the outfit’s free-spirited vibe and boho-inspired style.

The big blanket scarf captures the essence of the season, with its mixed color-blocked shades of green and gray. Beneath it hangs my cowrie shell choker, my latitude and longitude bar necklace and my Saint Christopher medallions. I wear these four pieces every single day to keep me physically grounded to home—they have become a vital part of my everyday style identity.

Since the sun stays bright during Northeast winters, sunglasses remain a year-round staple in order to conquer the blinding reflection off of the bright snow blankets. Round sunglasses with regular brown lenses are my frames of choice for the season, as they add a laid-back flair to every outfit.

So, finally trade those sandals for some cut-out booties, let the earth around you inspire your everyday look and stay RAD(ical, dude!) all season long!

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Something Suede

Somewhere in between ’70s hippie chic and relaxed boho, this Fashionista has found a way to incorporate a unique piece into her fall style, by moderating and mastering one of the season’s most popular trends—suede.

With the fall rolling in, this season is bound to be flooded with shades of earth tones. This Fashionista has seemingly found her perfect shade of suede and nailed an effortlessly unique fall look.

The top’s babydoll style allows for a relaxed and loose look, as it sits far across the shoulders and flounces at the waist. The light tan color gives the suede a less flashy look, as compared to the darker, more festival-associated tones.

Stacking up beaded bracelets instantly makes any outfit unique, as this Marist Fashionista rocks an off-white, handmade string bracelet from Nicaragua and her room key around her wrist. This Zoey 101-inspired method creates a super personal, stylish and efficient addition to her decked-out wrists. With a gold drop necklace complementing the open V-neckline, her jewelry’s detailing personalizes and adds a little more color to her earthy outfit.

Paired with black, destroyed skinny jeans, this Fashionista adds an edge to the playful form of her top. Cuffing her jeans at the ankle in order to highlight her boots, she conquers the weather confusion of October in Poughkeepsie, as it truly transitions into the real crisp of the season.

Her Chelsea style ankle rainboots stand ready for any weather condition while also sporting a classic fall earth tone, olive green. These unique boots combine a handful of the season’s classic bootie norms, really creating the perfect balance between style and durability. Their shiny finish dresses up any outfit while staying water resistant, in order to conquer the rough weather that will soon creep up on us!

The most effective looks are crafted with personal touches. This Fashionista has conquered a classic fall look with classic fall pieces, but also subtly uses this season’s most popular trends without masking her own personal style.

So use the Poughkeepsie foliage as a natural inspiration this fall, while also utilizing super unique details to make this seasons’ trends your own.

WHAT TO WEAR: Summer in September

As the summer gets old and the air grows cold, style and comfort are tough to align when the seasons begin to change. Since the exciting, yet a little sweaty, first few weeks of fall semester do not necessarily align with its “fall” label, summer weather will still linger through this September at Marist College. Try to beat the heat and still incorporate a taste of fall fashion this month just like this Fashionista has– finding a way to bring her carefree, beachy style and attitude to the classroom for the start of the semester.

Pairing classic denim Levi shorts with a flowy button-down, this Fashionista creates a beachy, cover-up look to wear comfortably to those 8:00 a.m classes when the sun is out and the humidity is high.

The autumn foliage-inspired earth tones of her shirt, combined with its oceanside style, create the perfect transitional look from summer to fall. The frayed ends of the top’s fabric bring a chic, worn-out look to the lazy mornings of walking to class alongside the river. Like this Fashionista, wear a light and thin shirt with some classic denim to not only craft a cute, relaxed look for your early morning and early season classes but also to really bring some beach vibes to relieve the stress of a new semester.

This Fashionista shows off her layered necklaces, featuring two Saint Christopher Medals and a bar necklace, to really personalize her classroom look. She also shows off her stacked bracelets, made of earthy stones and tones, and her silver wave-shaped ring. Some natural looking jewelry always adds a personal aspect to any outfit.

So this September, while the sun stays hot, stay cool on campus while still incorporating some summer inspiration. To help transition from watching the shore break to watching the leaves turn brown and red over the beautiful Hudson River, this Fashionista has nailed a look to ride through her classes as smoothly as the ocean waves.

Always stay RAD(ical, dude!), and let a relaxed style mimic a relaxed, stress-free fall semester!

STYLE GURU BIO: Tara Guaimano

My name is Tara Guaimano, and I am pursuing a degree in communications—journalism at Marist College. I am more than excited to become a part of the unique style-sharing community at CollegeFashionista for this fall semester.

Spending summers on the New Jersey Shore and growing up beside the ocean, my personal style is inspired by the carefree vibes of the beach. For as long as I can remember, I have sported a white, puka shell choker around my neck and have insisted on wearing flip flops until late October. As a young girl by the seaside, I lived by Billabong’s slogan, “Life is better in boardshorts.” But with some modification and discovery of how I could incorporate my love for the beach into my daily style, I crafted a look directly inspired by my upbringing (and Free People, of course).

Whether it be in the heat of the summer sun or in the crisp winter wind, my style persists of beachy vibes all year long. With blue sea hues and earthy sand tones, each outfit I put together not only gives off beach vibes and reminders of the summer sun but also, and more importantly, connects my outer appearance to my inner roots.

I always have tried to stay true to a natural look, as the beach has uncovered for me the lengths that a relaxed, more raw appearance can reach. For example, beach hair, a product of the salt water after taking a dip in the ocean, creates an effortless look. This concept can be applied to every aspect of fashion—you can never go wrong with showcasing your natural self and a style that reflects it.

This semester, I will utilize earth tones and memories of watching the rolling ocean waves to inspire a natural, beachy-bohemian fall style at CollegeFashionista.