Cool, calm and comfy. This Fashionista’s outfit captures the epitome of Katie Holmes’ relaxed style. From her ballet flats to her loose high waisted pants, this Fashionista knows exactly how to balance style with comfort! The trends thrown at women via fashion magazines and designer collections have the tendency to devour one’s sense of style and thus are partly to blame for many identity crises. The key to staying trendy and not selling out is to rock trends while maintaining a consistent undertone of your personal style in your daily outfits. For example, this Fashionista preserves her down to earth demeanor by incorporating casual adaptations of 2011 summer trends. The tints of trends in her outfit echo the fashion world’s current nautical, denim and stripes obsession. Along with the skinny belt and high waisted pants, the striped shirt and denim jacket is a timeless combination. Shbina Bola has created a cohesive outfit colored with this season’s latest trends and her individuality. Trends can be overwhelming; choose those which empower you—not devour you.
Name: Shbina Bola
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science
CollegeFashionista: What one word encapsulates the essence of your look today?
Shbina Bola: Casual-chic. Yes, that’s one word because the hyphen indicates the synergistic element in my outfit.
CF: Who is your ultimate style icon?
SB: Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Conrad and Katie Holmes—the good girls of Hollywood who rock classic looks with a modern twist.
CF: What is one of your most favorite purchases?
SB: My Uggs because they are so comfy! Just kidding, it has to be my boyfriend blazer.I love that thing to death. It's such a versatile item and can literally “professionalize” any outfit! Definitely a staple for all university students!
CF: Any current store obsessions?
SB: Aritzia and Club Monaco. I love Aritzia; their clothes are so me! I call it bootleg-runway-chic because you can buy top trends there without murdering your bank account! As you can tell by now, I love casual chic clothing. Thus, Club Monaco is my nirvana! I love everything Club Monaco—they produce quality clothing which endures the ruggedly studious lifestyles of UofT students!
CF: What do you miss most about winter fashion in the summertime?
SB: Obviously, layering and winter boots! I love scarves, tights, cardigans and sweaters—the more worn at once the better! Sad thing about summer is that the sun and humidity levels outlaw layering. But I still try, as you can tell in my outfit.
How To: Add pizazz to your high waisted pants by pairing them with combat boots and folding them from the bottom to create a cropped look. If you are insecure about your height and are hesitant to try high waisted pants, try high waisted shorts. From Marc Jacobs to Mulberry, spring 2011 collections are sated with high-waisted shorts. These beauties are the masters of the art of contouring. They create the illusion of longer legs and a smaller waist because their rise (from crotch to waistband) is longer than the actual rise between your crotch and waist, and the waistband is placed at the narrowest part of your torso. However, if you fear you have a short torso, then low rise shorts would be a more appropriate choice because they elongate the torso. You can turn your daytime outfit including high waisted shorts into evening wear by adding on a pair of stockings underneath them. To maximize trendiness, pair them with a striped shirt; horizontal and vertical stripes are BACK!