I remember staring perplexed, horrified, at my laptop screen when the spring runways showcased a lot of bright orange last year. What were designers thinking? Who in their right mind would wear orange, let alone a neon shade of it? Fast forward a few months, that person was me, accompanied by many hopefuls. The state of my mind is arguable, though. I was lured into the trend and now I can’t imagine a time pre-bright orange or teal or any color that will blind you when the sun hits it. Of course, we live in Irvine and not in an editorial spread, so everything is toned down times a million. Ironically, it wasn’t the orange dress that made me look at this Fashionista, but her heels. I tried that once before and was defeated within the hour, so I figured she was well worth this week’s attention.
Name: Ana Bonn
Year: Freshmen
Major: Undecided
College Fashionista: Why would you wear heels to school?
Ana Bonn: I’m not the tallest person in the world, so the wedges help me out a bit. Besides, I’m not wearing six-inch heels, wedges are not that uncomfortable.
CF: What are your summer must-haves?
AB: Anything bright, denim cut-offs and my bikini, of course.
How To: Orange, like every other color, has lots of shades. If you don’t want to bust out looking like a highlighter, you can choose softer tones or even combining it with other colors and fabrics. This Fashionista chose a more suburban-chic, pairing the orange dress with nude wedges and a denim jacket. I would say go for the highlighter look and own it, but that isn’t for everyone. Contrast, mix and match – that’s the key for this look to work. And remember, why would you not want to look like a fabulous traffic cone? (Kidding, I think!).