Digital – CollegeFashionista

Add This Podcast to Your Fall Semester Playlist

During my junior year of college, I took a listening class where I had to listen to seven hours worth of a material from a podcast. I thought it would be the most dreadful assignment I would ever have. Strangely enough, I became hooked on the podcast series Pop Fashion. Podcasts are like magazines for your ear. All the content you need is available without having to stay focused on one item. You can listen to them straight from a website or application, or you can download and have the ability to listen to them offline. Listening to a podcast can be mesmerizing. Hearing someone’s voice and having them put expression into it makes the story really come to life.

PHOTO: Daisa Harris

If you’re not listening to this podcast already, you should be! Pop Fashion is described as a podcast for fashion, news, trends, business, and fashion crime. They air on a weekly basis, and each episode tends to be in anywhere between 54 minutes to an hour. More importantly, I enjoy the fact that they don’t stick to the basics of fashion. They are smart and insightful. For instance, they touch upon retail, politics, food, and e-commerce (since everything ties back to fashion).

PHOTO: Daisa Harris

The hosts of the show, Lisa and Kaarin, are hilarious! They keep you entertained and tell you honest facts without sugarcoating the news. Kaarin and Lisa don’t have voices that put you to sleep or are super obnoxious that after five minutes of listening you wish you never hit play. You will get all the facts and they keep the information simple and easy to follow along. You don’t have to be an expert Fashionista to keep up with these ladies.

Add this to your weekly agenda and sync this to your Bluetooth speaker while you’re lounging at home. What other podcasts are you listening to? Comment your favorites below!

Additional photos by Daisa Harris.

5 Apps Every Freshman Should Download Now

If you think about it, our smartphones are like clothing; we don’t leave the house without wearing clothes just like we don’t leave without our phones. Grabbing your phone is a natural instinct, like taking off your heels the moment you get home. Checking a notification on your phone is like that annoying zipper on your favorite pair of jeans that just won’t stay zipped, so you’re consistently checking it throughout the day.

Now, think of the App Store as shopping and trying clothes on at the mall. If you see an app that looks like it will be useful, you download it like you would impulse buy a floral, cold-shoulder top at Forever 21.

Then, you explore the app, use it for a couple days, but after that, you probably forget about it, as it stays there for months wasting memory on your phone. This unused app is the same as that top you bought that you wore twice and now it sits in your closet taking up space.

Just like clothing, there are some apps that you use all the time and some that you never even click on. From studying to cooking, here are five functional apps for a college student I guarantee you will use at least once a week!

PHOTO: Lex Kelly

1—Amazon Kindle

Regardless of where you buy or rent your textbooks from, it is going to be expensive! In my experience, depending on the textbook, I have found that downloading the E-book with the Amazon Kindle app is often cheaper than purchasing the actual textbook. You can download a free sample or the entire book to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

2—Egenda

If you’re like me, writing things down in my agenda is helpful, but I still need more reminders. Egenda is an electronic agenda in which you to enter in all of your assignments for the semester. It also sends you notifications on due dates and reminds you to study for upcoming exams.

PHOTO: Daisa Harris

3—CoinKeeper

This budgeting app allows you to track your expenses and see where you spend your money the most. It separates your expenses into categories such as eating out, gas, groceries, etc. Then, it helps you create a budget for yourself. If you forget to enter your purchases, CoinKeeper sends you a daily notification reminding you to keep track of your money and stick to your budget!

4—Thrive Market

As a college student, eating healthy or organic can be challenging, especially if you’re on your school’s meal plan. Plus, grocery shopping can be an all day affair if you lack your own transportation. With Thrive Market, you can get a vast variety of organic and gluten-free food for half the price that the grocery store sells them—all delivered to your door! A membership is $65 a year; however, there is a free 30-day trial!

PHOTO: Cassidy Clark

5—Tasty

Buzzfeed’s Tasty app has video tutorial recipes from breakfast to dessert. The tutorials are simple and easy to follow, especially for someone who is at the beginner stage when it comes to cooking.

Find any of these apps interesting? Have any other apps you love to use while at school? Let me know in the comments below!

Vlogging Gear 101—What to Know Before You Get Started

You probably clicked on the title of this post because you’ve been thinking about starting your very own vlog channel. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let me show you how to choose the right gear before jumping in front of just any lens so that you can take the vlogosphere by storm!

The very first thing you are going to want to purchase is a camera suited to your vlogging aspirations. Keep the following three questions in mind when browsing for one:

Do you need a flip display?

Flip displays are great if looking good at all times and from any angle is crucial to you. A word of warning about flip displays: make sure not to focus on your face too much. Looking into the lens will come across as more confident and natural.

What lifestyle are you conveying?

If you want to feature adventurous content, then an action cam is the thing for you! Action cams have wide-angle lenses for you to capture more excitement in one frame. If you plan on doing sit-down videos like makeup tutorials, however, an affordable compact camera will suffice.

Is the audio important?

If the audio is an essential part of your vlog, get a camera that allows you to attach an external microphone. If your ideal camera has no microphone jack, simply record the audio on a separate device and sync it to your video on the computer.

Found your ideal camera? Great! Now it’s time to consider camera settings. Your settings will depend on personal preference. If you love movie-like motions and want to work with slow motion, go for 60 FPS. FPS stands for frames per second, or the individual shots being taken within one second of filming. If you want to keep it more relaxed, stick with 30 FPS.

Shaky camera action probably won’t be the best look for your vlog, so I highly recommend investing in a decent selfie-stick or, better yet, a bendy tripod. It’s important to have portable gear to be able to film wherever and whenever you want. Having that extra stability for your camera will really make a difference!

Lastly, never underestimate the power of lighting. Good lighting makes such a difference when it comes to the quality of your footage. A movie shot on a smartphone in natural light will look better than a clip filmed on a fancy DSLR in artificial lighting.

Do you have aspirations to be a viral vlogger? Let me know in the comments down below!

Tips for Capturing the Perfect Summer Moments

September is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to let the summer sun shine on your next photography project. Don’t let the good times slip away without getting some seriously repost-worthy pictures in. Here are some easy tips to try out next time you pick up the camera on your next adventure.

The Golden Hour

It’s no secret that famed photographers have sworn by the magic lighting that comes from a “golden hour.” While not everyone can have the mastery of Herb Ritts, everyone can definitely benefit from the gorgeous lighting from a nearly-setting sun. Find a location outside with plenty of space for natural light to come through. Next, experiment with the sunlight’s varying tones throughout the day. Everyone’s style is different, but with so many hours of daylight, you’re bound to find your very own perfect hour of lighting.

The Right Place at the Right Time

A good photographer will make anything and everything look incredible behind the lens. Sometimes an unforgettable picture is made up by capturing that perfect subject at just the right moment. While this may be a bit more of a challenge, don’t be discouraged from keeping an open mind and a ready camera lens. Maybe it’s a butterfly flawlessly landing for a split second, or the timely gust of the wind that just turned your bestie into a runway model. Whatever that fleeting moment is, you’ll be ready to catch it with just a hint of patience luck and patience.

The Color Catch

It goes without saying that capturing the spectacular spectrum of colors we see is one of the quickest ways to get a great picture. However, using color as a centerpiece in your photographs calls for a special balance between intensity and content. Start with finding a color that catches your eye, or maybe a group of different colored items that feels satisfying to your artistic palette. Play around with different angles and lighting, and soon you’ll find that perfect splash of color in your portfolio.

The Honest Take

While many of us are more than willing to make our significant others take countless pictures of our outfit, some of our best pictures are when we aren’t even paying attention. Candid pictures can reveal some of our goofiest and unflattering pictures alike, but they are by far the most memorable parts of any photo shoot. So, next time you’re trying to get that perfect take for your bestie’s Instagram, keep the camera rolling and click away at all of the laughs and priceless moments you share.

Know any other Vogue-worthy photography tips? Let us know in the comments below!

How to Market a Brand on Social Media

Do you have a brand that you are promoting on social media, or that you are struggling to promote? Or perhaps your brand is gaining attention, but you’d like to step it up on social media. Your “brand” may actually be yourself. Fear not, because in no time at all you too will be a social media whiz with these six simple tips and tricks. You may want to grab a cute notebook and pen to jot down some notes!

1—Content. Always have great content, especially when starting out. This includes awesome photos with great lighting, and meaningful posts and captions. You can use a camera, or you can use your beloved smartphone instead.

2—Interact with followers. After creating a post, be sure to interact with your followers. Follow accounts that are similar to yours as well as brands you admire. Like and comment on posts of those you follow and reply to comments on your own posts.

3—Use hashtags (properly). Always use hashtags so that others can find your posts, but be sure to use them properly. This means using hashtags that are commonly searched, rather than making up your own. Be intentional; make sure they relate to your post and make them readable. Some acceptable hashtags are #fashion, #style, #vegan, and #foodie. You can also use related hashtags that are not used as much so that your post has a greater chance of being seen. Examples of these are #fashionblogger, #fashionista, #instayum, and #whatveganseat. Remember to stick to three to ten hashtags per post.

4—Respond to both positive and negative comments. Make sure you address negative comments on your social media accounts. If a follower has a concern about your brand or product, make it right and apologize, if necessary. Ignoring negative comments will make it worse unless of course, it is a rude comment that can be left alone. You don’t want to be rude, sarcastic, or argue with your followers.

5—Be “real”. Rather than putting up a fake façade on your social media accounts, let your followers in and show them who you really are. This can be done by showing a behind the scenes look into your photos. Using Snapchat or Instagram stories will enable your followers to feel more connected to you.

6—Use Google and Instagram Analytics. If you have a blog or website, using Google Analytics will provide you with detailed statistics about visitors to your site and help you understand what works for it. There are third-party Instagram analytics tools, such as Iconosquare, which tracks follower growth and losses, the best times to post for maximum engagement, and your best performing content.

Hopefully, these tips will help you engage with and grow your audience in order to successfully market your brand on social media!

Do you have any tips for marketing a brand? Let us know in the comments below or by tagging @Cfashionista on social media.

7 Apps Every College Student Totally Needs

Whether you are on your way to class, studying with a friend, going out for the night, or just working out, you always have your phone with you. Since millennials use their phones for both social and educational reasons, here are seven apps I believe every college student should have.

1—Venmo. With this app, you can transfer money from your credit/debit card right to your friends’ accounts! No need to have to remember to pay them back, just transfer the money right then and there while waiting in line for that must-have burrito.

2—Uber. Uber is a “taxi service” where you can set a “pick up location” and a car will be on its way immediately. Uber is perfect when you are at the library really late during finals week or after a night of going out when those heels can’t take one more step. I think Uber is very helpful and inexpensive. Uber rides vary in price, but staying around my college town, my payment is always under $20!

3—Find My Friends. This app lets your friends know where you are at all times if you share your location with them. In this crazy world we live in, you never know what may happen. It makes me feel safe that my friends know where I am at all times incase something does ever happen to me.

4—Pocket Points. In the beginning of the semester, you can upload your schedule and Pocket Points will track when you are in class. If you stay off your phone during your classes, your points will rack up. Once you get a certain amount of points, you can use them towards your bookstore, favorite eateries, and sometimes for online shopping like Amazon.

5—Ur Campus Portal. This is the most important app and it helps you stay organized. It has everything from dining hall menus, maps, updates from your professors, and even upcoming events at your fingertips! This was helpful because if a professor canceled class, I got a notification right away. Or, if you are an incoming freshman and don’t want to look lost with a big map, just use this app’s map and no one will know.

6—Order Up/Uber Eats. These two apps will deliver food right to your apartment or wherever you are on campus. Too busy studying in your room and do not have the energy to make food or walk to get food? Then get it delivered straight to your door!

7—Quizlet. This app lets you create notecards and will play games with you to help you study. Not only can you make your own note cards, but you can search your class and professor and notecards that students have made in the past will come up. I think it is much easier to have all of my notecards for all of my classes organized on my phone rather than having to keep notecards organized in my backpack!

What is your favorite app? Let me know in the comments below!

5 Ways to Make Your Instagram Goal Worthy

School is right around the corner for most of us, and if you’re in the same boat as I am, your social media game is lacking. I don’t have a lot of time to think about my feed during school and work so I came up with some tips to help you get your Instagram back to its former glory.

1—Consistency is key. When you’re perusing your newsfeed and you see someone post a really cute OOTD, it leads you to their page. A pet peeve of mine and many other Fashionistas is that they post once every two weeks or so. Consistency is key to make your feed look organized and to keep the viewers interested in your page.

2—The gear doesn’t matter. A trend I’ve noticed popping up in the photography world is that many photographers participate in challenges where they use cameras that aren’t digital. I’ve even seen people use children’s cameras before. The gear doesn’t matter, it’s how you use the camera that makes a picture look good or bad. You could even use an instant camera or your phone camera!

3—Let your creative ideas come to life. If you’re anything like me, you have these crazy visions for Instagram posts, but you get self-conscious because it’s “too creative” for your feed. Something I’ve noticed is that people love seeing creative pictures because it gives them inspiration. My favorite accessory to wear transitioning from summer into fall to stand out is a fiddler’s cap.

4—Make sure you switch it up. Instead of having a feed that only consists of selfies, try switching up the types of photos you post. For example, you post an OOTD picture, amazing right? The next day, you should post a picture of the matcha latte in a cute coffee shop. Not only are you going to be consistent, but you get to be more creative with flat lays, graphics, etc. My favorite pictures to post to Instagram lately have been pictures of my summer to fall outfits, my favorite trend this season is mini denim skirts.

5—Create a mood board on Pinterest. Pinterest is a great tool to use if you can’t get inspired out in the real world. The only problem with Pinterest is that there are so many pins to get inspired. This is where you can consolidate the best pins into one idea. This has helped me organize my ideas and what I want to see on my social media feeds, especially Instagram.

What are your favorite tips to perfect your feed? Comment below!

4 Podcasts That Will Spice up Your Commute

I used to be a die-hard music-only kind of girl. Every commute required a playlist of its own, and without one, the trip was utterly pointless. But during the summer of last year, I decided that I had had enough of Spotify playlists. I replaced my music apps with the newly discovered podcast app that was hidden away in my miscellaneous folder on my iPhone. Podcasts have changed the radio game forever, and I’m definitely about it.

There are many podcasts available on iTunes, Google Play, and other smart phone stores, but that doesn’t mean that every show is worth listening to. It can be difficult to find the gems hidden in the sea of podcasts, but when you discover one, it changes everything—your commute and your downtime. I’ve compiled some of my personal favorites that I think everyone should check out next time they take a road trip or are stuck in traffic.

1—Love Me, CBC Radio. “Love Me” was the first podcast I ever came across, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. The description of the podcast writes, “Love Me is a CBC original podcast about the messiness of human relationships.” And oh, is it ever. Each 20- to 30-minute episode consists of two personal essays that will simultaneously make you smile and have you sobbing shamelessly. After a year long hiatus, CBC recently started the second season of “Love Me” and based on the first episode, it was worth the wait.

2—Watermark Audio: The Porch Channel. “The Porch” was a podcast that I did not think I would enjoy. As a liberal Christian, I knew that almost any Christian-related podcast would agitate me. But after hearing decent reviews, I decided to give it a chance, and now I can’t stop listening to it. Admittedly, I don’t agree with everything that the preachers discuss; however, their approach to exploring controversial topics is refreshing. Currently, they are doing a series called “Bad Advice” and the message behind every sermon is intriguing.

3—Modern Love, WBUR and The New York Times. “Modern Love” is a podcast created by WBUR and The New York Times that rivals CBC’s “Love Me.” The podcast features personal essays from writers across the United States, sharing “stories of love, loss, and redemption.” If you don’t have time to touch up your mascara before heading into the office, then this podcast is the one for you—heartfelt without the tears.

4—Someone Knows Something, CBC Radio. “Someone Knows Something” is for those of us who enjoy crime stories and mystery. Unlike the podcasts mentioned above, this podcast features criminal investigations and a search for answers that will have you looking over your shoulder every five seconds. CBC started the second season investigating the disappearance of Sheryl Sheppard with documentarian David Ridgen. Although “Someone Knows Something” keeps the commute home entertaining, I would avoid listening to it late at night.

Do you have any awesome podcasts you’d like to recommend? Let me know in the comments below.

How to Hack Your Fall Semester—Decorative Styling Tips for Your Laptop

Waking up for an 8 a.m. class is difficult enough, but dressing up for it is a daunting task that many college students usually ignore. So, when your OOTD is leggings and a sweatshirt, you can look to other aspects of your life to style: your laptop. Having your laptop represent your style is a major time saver in the morning, and who wouldn’t want to be able to accessorize with technology?

1—Pick a color scheme. The colors you choose to decorate your laptop will help organize your stickers and case when you actually go to buy them. Not having a plan before purchasing the accessories will often make your decorations look either too chaotic, or boring. For my laptop, I chose black and white for my main colors, with splashes of pink and blue to stand out.

2—Choose a case. The first step to styling your laptop to is to pick a case that represents you. Be sure to stick to something simple, since you will be covering it with stickers. My laptop has a black and white marble case, which leaves plenty of negative space to add stickers. Be sure to make sure you pick the correct size case to purchase for your laptop.

3—Choose some rad stickers. A person’s laptop stickers say a lot about them—their interests, hobbies, favorite TV shows, movies, where they’re from, and more interesting details. My laptop has my favorite band lyrics by The 1975. It also has the logo for my favorite movie, Clueless, and an Otto the Orange sticker to represent my school. Additionally, my laptop is equipped with a Delta Phi Epsilon sticker to showcase my sorority. There is a Kim Kardashian sticker and a SpongeBob Squarepants sticker to show my funny side. On top of that, there is a Wawa sticker to show that I’m from Philadelphia and a “shooketh” one to show my favorite funny phrase!

4—Rock your new laptop. Show up to that 8 a.m. on time bursting with confidence and style.

Do you have any hacks to styling other aspects of your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Why I Never Leave Without a Camera

We live in this big, crazy world filled with beauty and creativity tucked every corner. Even so, it’s incredibly easy to miss all of these little wonders. Life happens, your schedule fills up, and you’re rushing from place to place. Keeping busy is great, but sometimes we get so preoccupied that we overlook some important sources of inspiration.

I go to an art school where I study photography, but that’s not why I can’t leave my house without at least three cameras. It is the reason that I found this life discovery, though. I have sufficiently trained myself to be a competent passive looker, but I’ve found that when I have my camera and am actively taking in my surroundings, I see so much more.

I’m not just talking about a pretty landscape that would make for a good picture. I see people with amazing, entrancing style, architecture with imaginative shapes and designs, and I hear music with captivating sounds and voices speaking words that transcend into disquisitions in my ears.

I try to walk as my main mode of transportation. I get a big backpack and load it up with cameras of all kinds. I throw on a pair of comfortable (but still fashionable – obviously) “walking” shoes. And I put on my pink sunglasses because life really is better looking through rose-colored glasses.

My point is that every creative experiences a dry spell of inspiration from time to time, and I’ve decided that this simply happens when I’m no longer looking. Even serendipity requires some sort of stimulus. Having a camera gets me in the good habit of taking in as much as possible, and providing me with abundant content to compile a collection of inspiration to create with.

Life is just so miraculous, and sometimes we forget to take in the wonders that are right next to us. Hopefully anyone in a creative rut will find my weird lifestyle to be of some intrigue, or maybe those that are still constantly motivated will appreciate a new method of gathering inspiration.

Are you capturing the world around you? Tag @Cfashionista in your posts!