Author: Tiffany Borrego

These Summer Boots Were Made for Walkin’

Things are starting to heat up in Florida—this means it’s time to bring out the shorts, comfortable tops, and… boots? This month’s Fashionista decided to bring out some thigh-high boots this summer and totally rock them!

Since I had been studying abroad in Spain for five months, I kind of lost a feel for what Florida style was like. I was getting used to very eccentric outfits, lots of fur, and black. As soon as I got back, I remembered how nice it was to be able to wear shorts and sandals with some loose, breezy tops due to the extreme heat that we have. But fashion is always about taking risks, and to me, thigh-high boots in summer would seem like a risk, but not to this Fashionista.

She used these boots as the statement piece of the outfit with a chambray top and some white shorts, which scream summer. The balance between the basic clothing items and the boots mixes chic with edgy. It’s interesting to see how just one clothing item or accessory can completely change the feel of an outfit, but it’s never too late to try something new out!

If you would like to recreate this outfit for a girl’s day out or brunch with your friends, here’s how to recreate it:

1—Pick out your favorite pair of thigh-high or knee-high boots. This Fashionista is rocking a pair of Stuart Weitzman Highland Boots.

2—Look through your closet and find a cute chambray top. Everyone should own at least one because it’s the easiest item to style for the spring and summer time.

3—Finish the look with white shorts. This is another item that everyone should have for spring and summer. It matches with everything. You can dress it up or down and you’ll be ready to go!

Now that you know how to rock this look, what are your opinions about it? Would you rock thigh-high boots in summer? Let me know in the comments below. If you decide to recreate this look, show us on social media. Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista!

Embrace Your Inner Boho Hobo in 3 Easy Steps

I am going talk about a super simple look that I’ve been loving lately because who wants to look all cute in the Florida heat if you know you’re going to sweat right through everything as soon as you step outside anyway? Am I right or am I right?

The look that this Fashionista is rocking is something extremely simple but still comfortable and cute. This Fashionista is always looking super boho-chic while channeling her inner “hobo” as well. We’re all college students and sometimes want to be hobos—but always stylish hobos. We wanted to keep this look simple because the main focus is how effortless and minimalist it is while still being cute.

To achieve this look, just follow these three steps:

Keep your makeup to a minimum. Prepare your face for the sun and heat with some primer that has SPF in it so you can kill two birds with one stone. Keep your foundation light, or even wear some BB cream, tinted moisturizer, or powder foundation. For the eyes, use a neutral eye shadow with some waterproof mascara, and don’t forget to highlight so you can even blind God with the glow.

Embrace your natural hair. This is a step that has been a little hard for me to deal with because my hair doesn’t really do anything naturally. If I don’t want to heat style it, I’ll just put it into a French braid when I get out of the shower, let it dry, and bam! You magically have mermaid hair. Even though this Fashionista’s hair is natural and I’m totally jealous, we can try to achieve her mermaid hair too.

Wear your favorite comfy clothes. You can wear ripped jeans, a comfy, loose T-shirt, and your favorite sandals. This Fashionista loves her Birkenstocks and definitely knows how to rock them, so these are a staple item in her closet (and in mine too!)

Are you ready to become a boho hobo now? I think so! If you decide to recreate this look, make sure to show us on social media! Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Grunge With a Side of Glam

While studying abroad, inspiration comes from many different places: students travel from all over the world to one place, tourists surround you, and you are immersed into a brand new environment. I have always said that it is important to experiment and step out of your comfort zone, and this study abroad experience gives people the perfect chance to do so.

Today’s Fashionista is a model back in the U.S. and has a lot of fashion and beauty knowledge due to her exposure through the modeling world. We debated on what type of outfit to use for this month’s post for a few hours and finally decided to pair two completely different styles together—grunge and glam. She said that the main focus of her look was her shag vest but that she was nervous pairing such a feminine piece with ripped jeans and combat boots.

To me, pairing such unique pieces together gives an outfit more personality and makes it so much more “Instagram worthy.” Not a lot of people experiment with their outfits in this way, and even though this outfit is different, it’s extremely easy to recreate with pieces you already have in your closet. With a rare or uncommon piece as a focal point for your outfit, you have the chance to work with many other unique pieces to complete it.

All you need to recreate this look is a fur or shag vest, a ruffled blouse, your favorite ripped jeans, some cute and comfy combat boots, and accessories to top everything off.

Textures will be your best friend and don’t be afraid to mix and match and try something new. Experimenting is the key to fashion because if you experiment, you will have the chance to find out what your style is really about.

STYLE ADVICE: 2017 Meets Frida Kahlo

The weather in Spain is finally transitioning from the frozen tundra into the beautiful, cool, and breezy spring! This transition means it’s time to break out the thin jackets, booties, and ripped jeans—pieces everyone should have in their closet! Since spring is among us, it also means it’s time to start moving towards floral patterns and bright colors instead of just staying with earth tones and more basic pieces.

For this month’s style advice, I used a Fashionista with unique taste in clothing to portray one of my favorite trends of the season—embroidery. Embroidery spices up any outfit just because of the beautiful detailing that each piece has. It gives an outfit a more unique and cultural feel just by adding one piece as a focal accessory or clothing item. Today we used inspiration from the widely known Frida Kahlo due to her use of bright colors and prints. My Fashionista has a Mexican background and I love how this jacket brings her culture out for everyone to see. It’s such a unique statement item that can be paired with a dress, skirt, or jeans.

For the outfit, she paired the jacket with a pair of black ripped jeans and gray booties while keeping the accessories minimal but also unique. She mixed tones of silver and gold with her choker and her rings because she thought it would add a “different” touch, and since her rings also have different textures, it gives the whole look a rustic vibe.

For you to recreate this look, all you need is an embroidered statement piece: a jacket, blouse, skirt, or even a pair of jeans—and basic pieces that you have in your closet for day to day wear. It’s easy to recreate and super stylish, so get ready to rock your inner Frida and show off those embroidered pieces for the springtime!

STYLE GURU STYLE: Winter is (Still Not) Coming

Despite the fact that it is already January and technically the coldest month of the year, Florida is always behind in its seasons or it just never catches up. Florida usually decides to have one winter day a year, so the rest of the time, it’s summer or spring.

Since I’m not a true Florida girl and I love the wintertime, I try to embrace the winter fashion as much as I can. For today’s look, I decided to incorporate some of my favorite trends of the season with my typical, black everything. Velvet has been such a huge trend since the end of last year and I never expected to become so obsessed with it. In this month’s outfit, I am wearing a velvet camisole with some high waisted, black jeans. I wanted to make the basics more wintry so I decided to add a short sleeved cardigan that has a black and white knit and then I pulled everything together with some leather booties with cutouts and buckles.

This look of basics paired with unique pieces has become one of my new style obsessions. It is so easy to just pair some simple jeans and a T-shirt with a printed cardigan or velvet boots. There are always new trends coming into the light and you don’t have to throw away your whole wardrobe just to be able to incorporate these pieces into your daily outfits. The easiest way to incorporate it into your style is just to pair it with your favorite clothing pieces and you’re good to go!

STYLE GURU BIO: Tiffany Borrego

Hello to all my fellow Fashionistas/Fashionistos! My name is Tiffany Borrego and I am a junior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, back again for my fifth semester with CollegeFashonista! I am double majoring in international and global studies and Spanish language and I am so thrilled to be back as a Style Guru and social media intern this spring!

Writing my Style Guru Bio is one of my favorite things to do during the semester because it really gives the readers an opportunity to learn more about me and other Style Gurus. I grew up in Tampa, Florida with a Venezuelan mom and a Cuban dad. Ever since I was really little, I have been obsessed with fashion and beauty. I would raid my mom’s closet and try on her size seven high heels, put on red lipstick, and strut around the house. This sparked a big interest in first, the color red, and second, fashion and beauty. Apart from that, my dad is a journalist and always exposed me to the world of writing and photography. I now love photography, writing, music, filming, playing instruments, and traveling. Within the past few years, I have become obsessed with social media, especially Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat because of my love for photography.

My closet is 99 percent black, but if a piece isn’t black, it’s probably black and white. One of my favorite quotes is, “Yesterday I wore black. Today I am wearing black. Tomorrow I will wear black,” and I always say that I live by that quote religiously. Having this obsession is really great because it gives me the chance to experiment with different fashion styles but still stick to a comfort zone. My style usually ranges from hipster to preppy-chic to rocker to boho. While I also do love experimenting with prints and other colors, but black is always my go-to for everything.

Today, I decided to show you all a super cute winter outfit because… I am studying abroad in Madrid, Spain for the next four months! I am thrilled to be able to be across the pond and living the European tourist life for a few months, so I definitely wanted to showcase my stereotypical tourist outfit for my bio this semester. I’m rocking a Star Wars ugly Christmas sweater (I know, it’s not Christmas time anymore but I’m a huge Star Wars fan…) that is perfect for the 25 degree weather I am attempting to survive. Parkas, like the one I’m wearing, are very popular in Europe because they’re light but keep you warm, and I always style mine with some basic jeans and comfortable leather boots for walking. I’m also rocking my new and super cute Quicksilver backpack that I got here that is perfect for traveling and for school!

I can’t wait to get to know you all and don’t forget to follow me on my social media to check out my adventures in Spain!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Winter Is (Not) Coming

I don’t know if you have ever heard of this strange phenomenon called “winter,” but for us Floridians, that word is practically out of our vocabulary. I promise you, if you ask a Floridian Fashionista what their favorite winter clothing items are they will definitely say: shorts and tank tops. Maybe you’ll get the occasional bootie or crocheted sweater, but that’s not too common. Living in Florida, fall and winter don’t come around (except one day of the year when it actually gets below 60 degrees), but as fashion lovers, we have to find a way to embrace it at least for a few hours.

This month’s Fashionista embraced the true December weather and decided to rock a super cute and comfortable winter outfit. She is wearing an outfit composed of essentials that every guy and gal has in their closet, making it extremely easy for anyone to put together. She styled a beautiful crocheted lace-up sweater with some olive green jeans and tied everything together with some beige booties and a floppy hat. I think the piece that brings everything together is the sweater, due to its simplicity and also its uniquely designed neckline. Sometimes it’s hard to wear a sweater like this because of the heat, but since it is a V-neck and it’s not made of extremely heavy material, it’s easy to pair with any light jacket or colorful jeans.

If you live in colder weather, you can still wear all these pieces! Just make sure to bundle up, wear an elegant trench coat over your outfit with some thigh-high boots and gloves and you’ll be ready to take on a true winter. Also, I can’t believe that this is my last post of the semester. I’m so happy to say that I will be returning as a Style Guru next semester, so I will see you guys next year. Happy Holidays and a happy New Year to you all!

STYLE GURU STYLE: Suede, Leather, Fringe And Fall

When you think of fall, what are the first things that come to mind? Maybe golden leaves falling from trees, earth toned clothing or pumpkin spice lattes (or that may just be me channeling my inner “white girl”). For me, fall is a time where I think of dressing in cozy sweaters and leggings, but also rocking some suede and leather.

Since I live in Florida, fall doesn’t really hit us hard like other parts of the country, but of course I try to embrace it as much as possible in my day to day style. I have really been loving suede lately, as I did last fall, but I have really enjoyed pairing it with different patterns and textures. Today, I am rocking this suede fringed tank top due to the extreme heat that we are currently experiencing here, but since it’s a tank it’s much more comfortable to wear. This suede isn’t super thick either so it’s extremely comfortable for any season too! For bottoms, I decided to wear my favorite high-waisted black jeans from PacSun with some leather lace-up heels. I would have never tried pairing these textures together, but when I tried them on, I knew I had to wear them together!

I’m a person that loves venturing out into the usually terrifying world of mixing and matching patterns just because it gives me the opportunity to make my own unique style. I have a very boho, rocker, chic style and the reason why I know that that’s my style is because I have experimented with it. Sometimes it’s kind of scary to walk out feeling mismatched, but you have to try something new in order to know if you like it.

My tip to you: go out and buy unique pieces that you find and see how you can pair them together. Definitely buy one suede piece, one leather piece and maybe something with a cool print or pattern.

WHAT TO WEAR: The ’90s Are Back (To School)

Summer has officially come to an end and the back to school season is here! Time to go shop for new outfits and school supplies, to get back on the sleep schedule that you dread oh so much and to plan out what you’re going to wear on the first day of school.

Being a college student makes planning a “first day back” outfit a completely different situation compared to high school. Dress codes? Those don’t apply in college. You can show your head, shoulders, knees and toes as much as you desire. When planning a back to school outfit, you have to keep in mind a few very important factors when you do decide to plan your outfits—time, comfort and first impressions.

When you wake up for class, you always want to wake up as late as possible because you know those extra five minutes of sleep after hitting the snooze button are going to change your whole mood when you decide to finally get up. Next, comfort is a must since you will be walking around campus and it will be hot, especially here in Florida. Lastly, first impressions are always important. Need I say more?

This Fashionista decided to channel her inner Boy Meets World style and rock a simple dusty pink cropped sweater with a color-blocking windbreaker on top, ripped jeans and some chunky, wooden heels for her back to school look. This look was comfortable enough for her to walk around campus, but also cute and chic put together with basic pieces that we all have in our closets. Outfits like hers are hard to pull off sometimes because it’s a combination of time periods and styles, but hey, if you want to step out of your comfort zone and rock it, you know you can!

STYLE GURU BIO: Tiffany Borrego

Hello there Fashionistas/os! My name is Tiffany Borrego and I am a junior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. I am currently double majoring in international and global studies and Spanish language and I am so thrilled to be back as a Style Guru and social media intern for CollegeFashionista this fall.

I grew up in Tampa, Florida in a Venezuelan and Cuban household so culture is a big thing, especially when it comes to food. I love photography, writing, music, filming, drawing, playing instruments and traveling. I have become obsessed with social media within the past few years, specifically Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat because of my love for photography. I feel like these platforms can unite people with the same passions and showcase your own favorite things in a completely different way with every post that is made.

For those of you who know me, you know that my favorite colors are black and white. In my past three Style Guru Bios, I have talked about how much I love dressing in black. There’s a quote that says, “Yesterday I wore black. Today I am wearing black. Tomorrow I will wear black,” and I live by that quote religiously. But in regards to my fashion sense, it is honestly all over the board. Some days I feel like I’m a punk rocker for the early 2000s and dress in black jeans with black combat boots, then other days I feel like a basic white girl at Coachella with a fringe vest and crochet top. That’s the best part about fashion—it is something that you can change every day and be who you want to be with only changing what you’re wearing. Being a Fashionista has definitely expanded my love for different styles and colors as well.

Today’s look shows my preppy side with some printed shorts, a flowy white top and my favorite pair of Sperry Top-Siders. I added my Alex and Ani bracelets which have become a tradition because of their monthly recurrence in every one of my CF posts; my Louis Vuitton Neverfull and a voluminous braid to accessorize my outfit. To be completely honest with you, my preppy side never really shows itself unless I wear shorts like these with boat shoes, but I paired preppy with boho so mixing styles is definitely becoming a comfortable way to dress for me.

This is my fourth semester with CollegeFashionista and I know that this is going to be the best one yet. Being able to express myself through fashion, photography, writing and social media with hundreds of other people that love the same things I like to do is an amazing thing that I am blessed to be a part of. I can’t wait to get to know you all and don’t forget to follow me on my social media @TiffanyGeovana!