How to Make Your Outfits More Interesting Using Detail

Whether you’re going out to dinner or going shopping for the day, a stylish outfit is always important. No matter what outfit you put on, it should define you. An easy way to define yourself through your outfits is with little details or embellishments. A pair of pants or a cotton T-shirt is completely transformed when the slightest bit of pop is added.

PHOTO: Kelly Rogowski

A trend that is taking the fashion world by storm right now is jeans with fringe at the bottom. This trend is something that everyone can rock because they are just another classic denim piece to add to your collection. These jeans can be bell-bottomed with crazy long fringe to make a statement, or they can be skinny jeans with a little fray on the bottom just to spice up your look a bit more.

Other types of pants besides jeans can also be used to make a statement using different types of detail. This can mean a patch on a pocket, a stripe down the side, or even an interesting material. These styles can be worn with an array of different shirts: a plain cotton T-shirt, a fuzzy sweater, or even a studded leather jacket.

PHOTO: Kelly Rogowski

Belts similarly bring a boring outfit some attention. A studded black belt can turn an all-black outfit into a more chic look, while a colored belt can bring an all-white outfit some flair. A belt also makes a day outfit look more sophisticated and put together; blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt can turn into a whole new look when paired with an interesting belt. The details and embellishments that are part of an outfit are what make it interesting and unique.

Comment below to let us know what type of details you incorporate into your style!

Featured image by Kelly Rogowski.

5 Tips for Having the Best Freshman Year Possible

The applications have all been submitted, the decisions have been made, and the deposits have been sent. The time is finally here… college! The biggest, most anticipated four years your life and your first step into the world of adulting. I get it—starting a new experience in a completely different environment surrounded by unknown faces can be daunting, but it can also be extremely exciting. I am here as your digital fairy godmother to assure you, everything is going to be okay. Here are five tips that will hopefully ease your nerves and get you ready for the big day:

1—Get a planner. Now I know that this may seem not super important, but planners are essential for making sure you submit your assignments on time and get to go to Saturday’s big game. College is going to be filled with countless interesting extracurriculars and fun activities, but since you are primarily there to learn, you have to make sure you balance it all, and a planner is perfect to help you with that. Try this one from Rifle Paper Company ($34).

2—Make yourself feel at home. The more comfortable you feel at school, the less likely you are to be homesick! Decorate your room with pictures of memories that bring a smile to your face and memorabilia that reminds you of the people you love.

3—Take care of yourself. In college, it is so tempting to just eat a bunch of junk food, stay up all night, and wear pajamas all day, every day. When you’re feeling like this, grab an apple before leaving the dining hall, or take a walk instead of a nap during the day. Maintaining your mental and physical health can sound tedious, but it’ll pay off in the long run. Trust me.

4—Create a cute study environment. Having a study space you actually enjoy will make the annoying and exhausting task slightly more enjoyable. Getting cute school supplies, like these adorable sticky notes ($12) or gel pens ($12) from Ban.do, will definitely help you make it onto the Dean’s List.

5—Say yes. If someone asks you to lunch, go. If there is a big event going on in the lounge, stop by. If you hear an announcement for a big football game, watch for a little even if you don’t have any clue about what’s going on. The best parts of college are the spontaneous moments spent with new friends. Season five of Gossip Girl will be waiting for you when you get back, I promise.

Hopefully some of these tips were helpful for you! The most important thing to remember, though, is to stay calm! Everything will work out fine.

If you’re starting college soon, what are you most looking forward to? If you’re already in college, what’s your favorite part? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Simple Ways to Elevate Any Look When You’ve Overslept for Class

Back to school season is upon us and getting up early before your 8 a.m. class to get ready is not always your first priority, understandably so. If you are like me and love to wear simple outfits but hate feeling like you keep repeating yourself, you’re going to love this. I am all for blue jeans and a white shirt but sometimes you want to spice it up a little and I am going to show you some easy ways to elevate any look!

Elevating your look is actually quite simple. If you start out with the basics, like some denim and a white shirt just add a few things and you’re set! A few of my favorite things to add to an outfit are some rings, dainty necklaces, earrings, neck scarves, cool sunglasses or maybe some statement shoes. While you might be reading that and thinking those are way too simple to do anything, it’s all in the details, my friends. Little things like jewelry and other accessories really add to your outfit. They are an easy way to make it look like you put thought into your look when in reality you didn’t.

1—Neck scarves. These are becoming so popular again and that is great for us girls who love to dress more casual. Simply wearing this around your neck instantly makes your outfit look way more thought out.

2—Sunglasses. Sunglasses can make almost any outfit look chic and fashionable. They are definitely an accessory I always carry with me.

3—Rings.

I think rings may have been one of the best accessories ever created because they are so easy! They take up barely any room to store and add so much to a simple outfit.

What are your must-have accessories? Let me know in the comments below.

3 Must-Have Sunglasses Styles for an Oval Face

We often find ourselves buying a pair of sunglasses that we think will look nice, then later come to find out they don’t. It’s always good to know what face shape you have before buying a pair of sunglasses. If you are like me, oval face and all, then here are three sunglasses styles that work for oval faces.

Having an oval-shaped face it means a narrower forehead, high cheekbones, and narrower chin. It also means hitting the jackpot when it comes to pulling off just about any pair of sunglasses. Then, there are times where the sunglasses are too big or too small, making our faces not so attractive.

1—Slight cat eye style. With a slight cat eye style, not only will your face look slimmer but it also helps raise attention to your eyes instead of your chin. Due to our narrower cheekbones, a slight cat eye, or even a retro cat eye style, becomes a new favorite.

2—Half-moon round style. A half-moon round style is neither all the way round nor all the way square, it’s an in between. This sunglasses style is one of my favorites because it enhances all the right features. With a half-moon round style, not only will you focus more on the sunglasses, but also on the appealing features of your face.

3—Bring it around town round style. For a bring it around town round style, as I call them, these sunglasses are as round as they get. They often have a line across the unibrow area making the style edgier. This style of sunglasses goes with about any hairstyle as well as clothes. With its edgy style, there is no going wrong!

Next time you buy a pair of sunglasses make sure you know your face shape. If you are an oval shape, make sure to give these three sunglasses style a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Let me know if you give these sunglasses style a try in the comments below, as well as other styles you think I must try!

Beauty Trends Everyone Should Try Out This Autumn

Beauty trends have come from runways to the streets. Before beauty trends were only seen on fashion shows but now people are spicing up their everyday looks with cool statement lipsticks, wild liners, and outstanding hair accessories. Our Style Guru shared her favorite beauty trends for the upcoming season.

Black Ribbons

Ruffles and ribbons have been on trend for a while now but designers can’t seem to get enough of them. This season’s trendiest way is to replace your hair tie with a velvet ribbon. Pair the velvet ribbon with cat eye makeup and red lipstick. I guarantee that your Saturday night look will be noticed. In addition, this trend is also student friendly since ribbon can be found at your local yarn shop.

Hair Clip

The hair clip is a new shocker. They can be the perfect detail in your party look or make your everyday hairstyle super chic. Brands like Topshop and H&M have a wide variety of hair clips from basics to more statement pieces. An easy way to start is to pin your hair up above your ear but trendsetters will part their hair with a golden hair clip.

Bright lipstick and No Makeup

Don’t feel like wearing makeup after the summer break? Get back on track with your makeup routines step by step by starting with just lipstick! Bright lipstick will give your sun-kissed skin extra glow and make it look super fresh! If you’re suffering from uneven skin tone, you can wear a layer of BB cream and even up your moles with light beige eye shadow and a hint of bronzer. Boldest ones will choose a bright orange lipstick this season but classic shades of pink and red are perfect for beginners.

What do you think about these beauty trends? Do you stick with basics from season to season or do you change your beauty routines? Let me know by commenting below!

How to Make Your First Apartment Unique and Memorable

Making the transition from your freshman dorm to an off campus apartment can be intimidating. It can include double the furniture, the roommates, and the responsibility. We all hope to style our first place to look straight out of an HGTV show, but being a little more daring can give a space much more personality and flare that can set your new place apart from the rest.

It is almost inevitable to have to buy a couple more pieces of furniture to fill the new space. New furniture can sometimes be expensive, without having the exact finish you are looking for. If you are picky like me, then going to a thrift store and picking up old pieces and making them exactly how I want them helps me make my space my own. With a new paint job and a little bit of love, any piece of furniture, whether it be for storage or decoration, can fit perfectly in a new place.

If you are confused about where to start, think about how to make your new place feel like home with personal touches. Being from Virginia Beach, I like to incorporate light tones and seaside elements. It can be as simple as maps of my favorite shoreline or surf magazines that double as decoration inside an old wooden crate. When putting pieces together, don’t be afraid to make everything match perfectly. As long as a general theme throughout is maintained, the rooms will flow together without having the need for all matching furniture sets. Details like these do not go unnoticed and make the home personalized to your unique experiences.

Can’t think of a specific way to incorporate personal touches? A great way to add originality is by adding foliage. Plants make a space feel clean and fresh while allowing room for creativity on the placement and choices of the greenery. I recommend starting out with succulents because they require little maintenance for a busy schedule and can be placed in geometric spaces such as in eclectic terrariums or pots.

The best advice when jumping into styling a new place is to not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and portray what you want your space to embody. Treat your living space just as you would your wardrobe. Take risks, don’t compromise your style, and don’t be afraid to change up the look once in a while.

What unique pieces do you have in your apartment? Show us on social media! Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.

5 Hairstyles to Try This Summer

If you’re looking to change up your look this summer, you don’t need to replace your entire wardrobe, in fact, you don’t need to spend much money at all. The way you style your hair can make a world of a difference. Here are five easy hairstyles that are perfectly versatile for any type of look this summer. All you need are some bobby pins and hair ties and you’re good to go!

1—The Half-up Bun. The first style is super effortless and looks it too. Instead of a normal half-up/half-down style, mix it up by tying the top half into a simple bun. You can curl/wave your hair and enhance these waves with a texturizing spray for a more boho look.

2—Half-up Waterfall Braids. Continuing with the half-up/half-down style, you can waterfall braid the sides to add a more intricate detail along the sides. You can even secure your hair in the back with a detailed hair pin.

3—Low Braided Side Bun. It’s summer and it’s hot out, so sometimes you just need to get it all out of the way. To give your bun this look, braid your hair to side first, and then twist it into the bun. Then, slightly pull out some parts of the braid to give it more body. Leave some wisps of hair out in the front so that it doesn’t look too formal.

4—Side Braid. Sounds simple enough, right? It is, but, try to make it more interesting by adding some extra braids into your hairstyle. Before braiding your hair, braid one of the three parts and work that into your side braid. You can also braid a piece from the other side of your hair so that a braid wraps around your head into the side braid. Try tying the braid with a bow hair tie.

5—Deep Hair Part. As easy as it is to part your hair differently, it can tremendously change your look. A deep hair part can give you an edgier vibe. Twist your hair behind your ear on one side and add a bold ear cuff to take it to another level.

These hairstyles only take minutes to recreate, so grab some hair ties and bobby pins and get going!

Which hairstyle do you like the best? Let me know in the comments!

5 Steps To Mastering More With Less

Mastering more with less is something I discovered as I began transitioning from high school to college. I noticed how my style transformed along with the new obstacles I had to face as the years of college went on. Now, by my junior year, I have completely become in sync with this minimalistic style that has grown on me. A minimalistic Fashionista enjoys using small details as strengths, sporting neutral color palettes, and embracing simple silhouettes, because she knows less can give you more. Check out these easy tips to help you showcase your minimalistic style!

1—Choose simple silhouettes. When choosing silhouettes, it’s best to choose a balance between conformity paired with something shapeless. In this look, I paired my lace-up leggings with this shapeless, oversize, high-low blouse. This allows surface details of clothing like ruffles, fringe, or lace-ups to be the focal point of your look.

2—Choose monochromes and shades over saturations. Over the years I began wearing more shades/monochrome colors, more black and white and replacing saturated colors. Shades of color tend to flatter skin tones much better and are super on trend right now (mauve, nude, olive). While shifting your color palette, you’ll remain the same creative Fashionista you are, but you’ll be using the minimalistic style to leave the same statement.

3—Swap your florals for some minimalistic prints instead. Avoid pairing multiple prints and instead choose one print paired with a solid color from another article of clothing. Florals are beautiful and very hard to give up, but sometimes all you really need is a classic pinstripe. Stripes and gingham provide the simpler alternative. A white T-shirt is instantly elevated with a gingham skirt. This tassel trim pinstripe shirt that I’m wearing here is simple and just as eye-catching as a floral.

4—Stick to a solid color or textured shoe. Solid colors often enhance outfits perfectly; I promise less can be more! For this look, I wore my Coach slip-on sneakers which are perfect for many outfit creations. When strutting a minimalistic style, a printed shoe is fun, but not always necessary. Texture provides depth without being as vibrant as a printed shoe. Therefore, straps, rhinestones, buckles, clasps, or even a fashion-forward platform is truly all you need.

5—Layer with simple jewelry. Finally, finish off with some jewelry! I love jewelry, especially gold because it enhances my skin tone very well. For this kind of Fashionista, you don’t need elaborate statement pieces. Instead, choose effortless jewelry, but several pieces of it. Hence, simple jewelry and lots of it is ideal for a minimalistic Fashionista. Since I layered my necklaces and rings here my look remained simple but fashionable.

Now, I hope these tips were helpful. Show us how you rock a minimalistic Fashionista outfit on social media! Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.

The Perfect Summer Look

Looking beautiful and effortless is something we all want to achieve this summer. Loose beach waves and a simple clean makeup look are a match made in heaven. Have you ever wondered how you can achieve effortless beachy waves look like this, but weren’t exactly sure how? This Fashionista shows us how she gets these waves, and how she rocks her beautiful summer look!

This look has summer written all over it. The hair and makeup combined with the white lace shirt makes me want to take a vacation to the Hamptons as soon as possible. She uses a medium sized wand to achieve these waves and just adds a little bit of hairspray. The waves are great for any occasion, and it looks like she came right from the beach! She keeps her hair looking healthy by applying Biosilk from time to time. Her makeup is also so stunning and the perfect match to go with the waves. She uses Sephora for foundation, Covergirl blush for the perfect rosy cheek, and of course some black Maybelline mascara! Her lip color is from Tarte and is the perfect shade for a summer day or night.

Now for the outfit! This white top is the ultimate summer top. Flowy, effortless and perfect for any occasion. The top is paired with light wash, high-waisted jeans and lace-up nude wedges. We also can’t forget about accessories. This Fashionista rocks some periwinkle Kate Spade earrings to achieve the perfect pop of color to add the finishing touches of this look. Summer is one of the best times to rock all of your favorite looks from head to toe, and this Fashionista has definitely done that.

Do you love this summer look? Let me know in the comments below!

How You Can Layer Up This Summer

Layering may sound like a term only used for the F/W season, but don’t be fooled—summer fashion has layers, too! It’s easy to feel stuck when putting together summer looks because it feels too hot to wear anything more than just a tank and shorts, but let’s be real, that can get really boring really fast. I have five ways to add interest to your wardrobe this season using layers, texture, and accessories without making you melt in the summer heat.

1—A light, slinky slip dress. This dress is perfect for the heat, but may not always feel appropriate or comfortable to wear on its own. To add a little something, throw a white, or even graphic, T-shirt underneath! Make sure it’s not too tight but still fitted to avoid the need to pull it down all day. To add another layer and an extra pop of color to this look, I chose to add a little scarf as a neck tie.

2—The graphic T-shirt. The T-shirt doesn’t have to stay underneath the dress this summer. Mix up patterns and combine styles by wearing a graphic T-shirt on top of your favorite floral sundress. To play up the edgy side of this look, you could add a choker of your choice.

3—The bralette. Bralettes always add something cute to an outfit, but sometimes they don’t get the attention they deserve. To really show off your bralette, put it underneath a completely sheer shirt. I accessorized my edgy take on this style with a thin studded belt and a bandana around my neck.

4—Mesh sleeves. Long sleeves may seem out of the question in the summer, but this style doesn’t add too much material on the arms. A mesh long sleeve can go under any T-shirt to add texture and to bring your top from simple to bold.

5—The bodysuit. Wearing a bralette under your low neck or sleeveless tops is so expected. Opt out of “the usual” by wearing a bodysuit underneath instead. Here, I chose to go boho with a white lace layer under my flowy tank. It peeks out over the low neckline and covers the deep armholes so that I never have to worry about what’s showing when the tank inevitably shifts around. To add even more layers in the accessories, I went with my favorite layered necklace.

I paired most of these looks with my favorite black slides from Steve Madden that you see in look number two, but all five can go with anything from sandals to sneakers or even booties! On a chilly summer night, my go-to top layer is always a denim jacket which I would wear with any of these looks.

Show us how you’re wearing your layers this summer on social media! Don’t forget to tag @CFashionista.