Author: Wrenne Evans

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Patch it Up

Moms are always a great resource for vintage finds. I remember the first time I dug around in my mom’s boxes of old clothes and found her old denim jacket that I now wear constantly. I remember being shocked that she had pieces that would normally be in an expensive vintage store. It is definitely safe to say that some of my most worn articles of clothing have come from my her boxes of clothes from college. Some of the most interesting years of trends have come out of the ’70s and ’80s and finding these vintage pieces is easy if a Fashionista/o has any relative that holds on to old clothes.

When I found this Fashionista, she told me that she found her cut-offs in one of her mom’s boxes from high school. This Fashionista’s mom hand-patched all of her patches with the exception of ones she put on herself. These cut-offs are a great example of fashion history being passed down through generations of people and are easy to find. Cut-offs are the perfect summer bottoms because they are always in style and can be dressed up or worn on a casual summer day.

With her patched cut-offs, this Fashionista added a black halter crop top, black Dr. Martens and an animal print backpack. To get her look, you can either DIY your own cut-offs or get these pre-made cut-offs from Urban Outfitters. To DIY cut-offs, grab a pair denim shorts and hit up a local thrift store or flea market for patches. To get the rest of this Fashionista’s look, try a halter crop top from NASTY GAL and Dr. Martens 1460 boots.

Before you go out and shop at a vintage store, remember to go through a mom or dad’s old clothing. You never what you might find; plus, you could save some money!

 

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Trends From The Past

Running into a Fashionista that combines her own personal style with hot trends is always my favorite thing. I have seen this Fashionista around campus and she has always dressed to the beat of her own drum. It seems that often times students stray away from multiple trend outfits, but this Fashionista has always combined her, as she called it, hippie chic style, with big trends. In this particular case, she chose a flowy gathered skirt with peplum.

This Fashionista chose to take a more fall tweed peplum and give it a summery twist. Adding to her tweed top, this Fashionista wore a gold satin skirt that she claimed was perfect for moving around in the summer heat. She also added a light cardigan to add even more color to this look. To finish her look, this Fashionista accessorized with pieces of jewelry she had collected from around the country.

If you take anything from this post let it be that there is nothing that catches my eye more than a Fashionista taking other seasons’ trends and pulling together a look. This Fashionista proves that tweed is not just for fall. She takes her tweed peplum and adds different textiles and tons of color.

To get this Fashionista’s look, try this peach peplum top from MatchesFashion. For a gold skirt like this Fashionista’s, try this Vero Moda maxi skirt from ASOS. If you like this Fashionista’s statement necklace, try this one from Topshop. Remember to never be afraid of past trends and making them your own. A true Fashionista/o makes her or his own trends.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Dorothy No More

It seems that everywhere I look Mad Men–esque trends are popping up. I see it in house ware and also in fashion. These retro looks inspired by ‘50s Drapers have popped up in several past resort collections including Oscar de la Renta and Marc by Marc Jacobs’ spring 2013 line. Summer is the perfect time to bust out a cute retro look like Betty Draper.

This Fashionista channels the retro trend with an adorable gingham dress she found at a vintage store in Nashville. Gingham is a staple print for any Fashionista/o seeking out a retro look. This all-American print was all over the Oscar de la Renta resort 2013 collection mentioned before. The designer took a print usually associated with everyone’s favorite gingham-clad and ruby-slippered girl from Kansas to new heights. And for the 2014 resort collections, Versace took a traditional gingham print and combined it with a floral to create an amazing cutout swimsuit. The best part about this print is that it is versatile and comes in many different forms. Whether it is cat-eye sunglasses, wedges, dresses or button-down shirts, even the smallest amount of this print can bring together a retro look.

Gingham can be worn in numerous ways without looking like Dorothy. This Fashionista chose to toughen her retro dress with a studded belt she thrifted. To get this Fashionista’s look, try this gingham Fit & Flare dress from Taylor Dresses at Nordstrom. For a similar belt, snag this ASOS Leather Skinny Link Detail Waist belt.

Gingham is a print that, when worn and styled correctly, can give any Fashionista/o retro flair without looking too western. If wearing a large gingham print, like a dress, pair it with something studded for an edge. For just a touch of gingham to your look, try a pair of wedges or a headband. However you wear gingham, confidence and a little accessorizing is all you need to complete a retro look.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Sawyer Chic

I grew up in Tennessee and was always asked if I walked around barefoot in overalls. Of course my answer was a big no, but it was not until this Fashionisto that I really saw the potential in the article of clothing that is overalls. When I found this Fashionisto, I immediately thought of Tom Sawyer and other overall-dawning characters of the south. Going for a more updated industrial look, this Fashionisto could be a modern day Tom whitewashing a fence. He chose to pair his denim overalls with a striped tee and athletic shoes.

While this Fashionisto chose to style his overalls by cuffing them and pairing them with a light shirt for ultimate comfort as he biked around Nashville, they can be worn for tons of uses. For running errands while avoiding sweatpants or running shorts, overalls are a perfect alternative. Slip them over your favorite basic T-shirt and throw on a pair of sneakers and the errand run will be a touch more stylish. If long overalls aren’t your thing, try overall shorts!

To get this look for boys, try this American Apparel striped T-shirt and these vintage OshKosh overalls. For girls, these Urban Renewal overall shorts are perfect for the hotter summer days to go over this Splendid striped shirt from Shopbop. Accessorize with your favorite summer shoe to complete this look.

Overalls can be fashionable when worn correctly. They give any Fashionista/o a fun way to switch up their summer attire with just one piece. They can be worn for an industrial chic look or just a comfortable piece of clothing for riding your bike in. Either way you style them, overalls aren’t just for Tom Sawyer.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Dye It Red

How does one bring fashion to a music festival? These sorts of events are sweaty, loud and dirty. But any Fashionista at one of these festivals knows that her style will follow them. Plus, Fashionistas always go all out for these events. I have seen everything from handmade bandeau tops and Levi Brand Jeans cut-offs to designer dresses. Festival gear should always be lightweight and easy to move around in. This Fashionista gears up for Tennessee’s biggest music festival, Bonnaroo, in a new maxi dress that she was very excited to share.

This Fashionista was festival-ready in her red tie-dye dress from Urban Outfitters. She shared with us that it was a new purchase and had already become her favorite dress. With slits on both sides of the dress, this Fashionista was able to move about without feeling stuck to her dress. She even gave a demonstration of how easy she could move by waving around the slit sides of her dress. To finish her look, she wore black wooden wedges and accessorized her bag with band buttons.

This festival bound Fashionista has a look anyone can get, whether you are attending a music festival or not. A relaxed maxi dress is a summer must for any Fashionista’s wardrobe. I love this Soft Joie tie-dye maxi dress from Shopbop. If you aren’t a fan of the maxi dress, try this Somedays Lovin dress from Karmaloop. To finish this Fashionista’s look, snag this Isis Wedge by NASTY GAL.

Whether you are cut out for the music festival circuit or not, festival wear can be worn all summer. A flowing maxi dress is the perfect summer essential for comfort and fashion and is a good staple for the on-the-go Fashionista. But the best part is, maxi dresses are always trending and can be flattering on all shapes and sizes.

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: The Mismatched Print Clash

I can always appreciate an outgoing Fashionista/o around campus. They always leave an impression on the school and seem to be the ultimate trendsetters. This Fashionisto was not one to pass up, seeing as he was walking around campus in several hot trends. He had no fear of weird looks as he sported a pair of bright pink pants. He also clearly had no fear of color and clashing prints, one of the more popular looks currently trending. Spring and summer runway shows, like Proenza Schouler, featured crazy mismatched prints as essentials for the spring and summer. This Fashionisto chose to pair an animal print button-down with a pair of pink pants and a printed bomber jacket.

Even in the hot months of the summer, Nashville gets a couple rainy and cold days. A bomber jacket is the perfect light jacket to top off a look on a cool day. This throwback piece is an essential for any Fashionista/o looking for an athletic look. Plus, printed bomber jackets are easy to find from vintage stores. I love this McQ by Alexander McQueen men’s bomber. This Fashionisto kept it old school by adding his Nike Sweet Classic High Tops and his animal print button-down. This Fashionisto happily admitted most of his outfit was from the women’s section, but we found this men’s animal button-down as a great substitute.

We all have a tendency to only sport one trend at a time, but there is never anything wrong with clashing trends and clashing prints. And guys, never be ashamed to own women’s clothing!

STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK: Washed Out

Finding a good summer pant is no easy task. White jeans always seem to be not exciting enough plus no one ever wants to wear a dark denim on a hot day. I know that I find myself steering away from shorts when I want to get a comfortable summer look. Sometimes we just want to be able to wear summer pants without getting unbearably hot. Although pants never seem to be ideal for hot days, a true Fashionista/o never sticks to the common thread.

This Fashionisto shows us that the summer pant is very possible. He found the perfect summer denim that not only gave him a relaxed summer look, but also a comfortable solution to summer denim woes. This Fashionisto chose to keep his denim look casual by sporting a vintage acid-washed denim that had a relaxed fit to keep him cool during the hot summer day. He also topped the look off with a red gingham button-down and Sperry Top-Siders Original Boat Shoe.

When I normally think of acid-washed denim, I think of crazy spotted jeans that were popular quite some time ago. This Fashionista brings out the best of the acid-washed denim trend with a pant that can be worn by men and women. To get this look, try your local vintage store for ’80s and ’90s era acid-washed denim. Online vintage stores like The Rusty Zipper hold amazing era pieces perfect for any Fashionista/o’s wardrobe. For women, try these vintage Pure Jeansware jeans and for men, try these Levi Brand Jeans from the ’80s.

Remember, finding the right match for a summer pant is tricky. Stick to lighter colors and a loose fit to keep your summer look from getting uncomfortable.

STYLE GURU BIO: Wrenne Evans

As a kid, I spent every waking moment flipping through magazines and admiring the latest trends. I remember thinking that I could not wait for the day I was old enough to fit into what was trending. Although I have spent most of my life in a school uniform, I took opportunities to express myself through fashion outside of the classroom. My friends would always laugh at me when I would sport a new look that seemed odd. I would always tell them to go look at the most recent runway shows.

The girls at my uniformed private school always leaned towards a preppy designer look while I was off thrifting. Thrift stores hold some of the best cheap finds that are currently trending. But my favorite part about thrift stores is the unique finds at every store. You really never know what you will find when you walk in the door.

For inspiration, I always turn to gurus like Jessie from the YouTube channel, Sunbeamsjess. I love seeing someone pull together pieces and create a look that is innovative and easily acquired. Jessie has fully convinced my friends and me on many occasions to buy things, just based on a video she posts. I also seek inspiration from the people around me every day in Nashville. This town is fully of creative energy and I have found that surrounding myself with these people has inspired many of my fashion choices.

Denim and leather jackets are staples in Nashville and I have found myself interchanging the two all throughout the year. I especially love this asymmetrical Vince leather jacket. While I inherited my denim jacket from my mom, NASTY GAL has a good selection of jackets, including this Levi’s one, in their vintage section. I always love to pair my jackets with muscle shirts like this one from Urban Outfitters and have accessorized both of my staple jackets with band buttons, a popular touch to many jackets in Music City.

I am thrilled to be CollegeFashionista’s newest Style Guru for summer 2013. I look forward to sharing the latest trends at Belmont University throughout the summer!