Bleach Tie-Dye—A DIY Twist on This Great Trend

Tie-dye, as we know it, has been around for decades—the colorful dyeing technique rooted in the hippie culture that thrived in the ’60s. However, similar dyeing techniques date all the way back to ancient times. My experience with tie-dye has been a long journey filled with rainbow-stained hands, crafting with friends, and super casual T-shirts. I’ve probably had at least one DIY or store bought tie-dye shirt in my wardrobe since elementary school—I’m no stranger to tie-dye.

But… this time I tried out a new (and improved?) method.

Directions

All you need are three things: bleach, a T-shirt, and some rubber bands. I got my plain black shirt from a thrift superstore, which is a great idea because it’s cheap and shopping at second-hand stores supports sustainability.

Just a little warning: I highly recommend doing this project outside and wearing clothes that you don’t really care about. This is especially true if you are messy like I am!

You take a shirt and simply pinch the part of the shirt where you want the center of the spiral to be. Then twist all of the fabric until the shirt is in a spiral and secure it with several rubber bands. Afterwards, grab the bleach and have fun with it!

Those last steps are where you can get creative—there are a bunch of other designs for tie-dye besides the traditional spiral, and the amount of bleach you pour on will obviously produce different designs as well.

This is the first bleach-dyed shirt that I have ever made. The design is closer to a splatter than it is to a perfect spiral, but hey the uniqueness is half the beauty of tie-dye! Next time I would add more bleach for a more prominent design.

This look is a little less hippie and a little more grunge, which I love. Plus, it’s one of those shirts that feels super soft and comfortable but has more style than just any old T-shirt. Not to mention that tie-dye has been trending lately in all types of products. So basically it’s like cheating but in a good way. You get to have a unique and cute top while feeling like you are wearing a shirt to sleep in. It’s truly the best of both worlds!

Would you/have you tried dyeing with bleach? Comment below or tag @Cfashionista to show us!

3 Soft Grunge Beauty Looks for a Summer Switch-Up

If you’re like me, getting tired of the same hair color and styles happens pretty often. This summer, I’ve been experimenting with different beauty looks, one of those being soft grunge. Because I’m normally simplistic and girly when it comes to my beauty routines, I created these looks to change things up a bit. My inspiration for these looks come from all over: Tumblr’s soft grunge aesthetic, Ariana Grande’s hair ring look, the peachy makeup trend, and Pinterest ideas for hair chalk. All of this inspiration helped me create three unique and edgy soft grunge beauty looks for those of you who are looking to switch up your look.

Braids and Rings

I recently have been seeing hair rings everywhere but was nervous that this look was too edgy for myself. This Fashionista, however, completely rocks it. By channeling our inner Ari, we decided to go for this look. Hair rings spice up a simple French braid by giving it a trendy vibe. They’re super easy to put in and take out. This hairstyle is perfect for the beach, especially if you’re sick of that messy beach bun look.

Think Pink

Pink may not be the most “grunge,” but definitely fits the soft grunge style I am going for. I have used hair chalk many times and absolutely love it. It’s different, fun, and even easy to do, but the best part is that it’s not permanent. Sometimes it’s hard to commit to a crazy hairstyle, but because hair chalk rinses right out, it makes it easy to own a crazy look, even if it’s just for a day! This pink hair chalk was perfect for my goal of soft grunge beauty. All you have to do is wet the hair, apply chalk with gloves on, let dry, and apply heat (I curled my hair once dried).

Soften Things Up

With these intense hairstyles, I decided to soften things up with peach makeup. Peach eyeshadow is all the rage right now, and now I know why. It’s such a pretty color and looks so natural. It’s also perfect for the summer. To make sure our looks weren’t too edgy, the peach eyeshadow and lip we both have on softens the look up, ultimately creating the perfect soft grunge dimension between the hair and makeup.

How do you switch up your beauty routine? Let us know on social media @CFashionista.

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Fly With Me—What to Wear When Traveling

When it comes to traveling, dressing appropriately is key. Travel can be a stressful affair, and making sure that your outfit is as comfortable as possible can ease the anxieties that are caused by precise packing and running late for your flight. Staying chic yet comfy is the difficult part of coming up with the perfect travel outfit, but it’s not impossible. The type of trip you are making determines the level of comfort that must be reached. Here is the travel outfit that I came up with for my most recent trip from head to toe.

1—Sunglasses. They are a great accessory to protect my eyes from harmful UV rays while simultaneously completing my look. When you’re running late for your flight, you might not have time to do your makeup. A solid pair of sunglasses can take care of that right away. You can almost never go wrong with a pair of mirrored aviators.

2—Tops. T-Shirts are a good example of a piece that is relaxing but stylish to wear. In this look, I decided to go for a more grunge look with my Guess shirt which I tucked into my pants. Later, I threw on a black hoodie from H&M because of the chilliness in airports and planes. It’s a smart idea to take something that keeps you warm when it comes to traveling by plane.

3—Bottoms. Jeans can be both comfortable or uncomfortable to wear depending on their fit and fabrication. The jeans I wore were black high-waisted, ripped jeans that I bought from Express. The great thing about this pair is that it’s made of a stretchy material that gives the pants a snug, yet comfortable fit.

4—Shoes. Sneakers are the best shoes to wear when traveling. They are comfortable to walk in and easy to get in and out of when having to pass through airport security. I decided to wear my Adidas Superstars that are both trendy and comfortable to wear. What better way to finish off my outfit than with my classic summer white sneakers?

What is your go-to travel outfit that provides you with a chic yet comfortable look? Show us on social media by tagging us @Cfashionista!

Over”All” the Rage!

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. The pun I used in the title is lame and I need to be stopped. I’m going to pretend it’s funny and not pathetic, so let’s move on and talk about my favorite trend: overalls.

I’m going to be honest, when overalls first started coming back in style I wasn’t super excited about it. I never used to take many risks when it comes to fashion, so it sort of freaked me out when people wore them. But the more I saw them around, and really saw how trendy people made them look, I had to go out and get a pair. Now, my overalls are my favorite piece of clothing in my closet.

My favorite pair of overalls I own are the black ones I’m wearing in the above picture. They fit like a glove and almost make me look taller. (I’m 5’2 so this is definitely a good thing.)

My favorite thing about overalls is how pairing them with a cute crop top or T-shirt makes it look like you tried really hard to put together an outfit when you probably didn’t. It’s a really simple look that makes it look like you spent a lot of time putting it together.

A concern I had before buying my overalls was that I didn’t think I had anywhere I could wear them. I think I thought this because I was intimidated by how stylish they look. In reality, overalls look good for different occasions, depending on what you wear them with.

In the outfit I wore above, I’m definitely going for an edgier look with the white crop top underneath. This is more appropriate for a party or a concert. I paired them with my favorite black booties, a black wide-brim hat, a black choker (always), and my black sunglasses to shield my eyes from the golden hour.

For a more casual look, you could pair them with any T-shirt, which you can tuck into the overalls, and throw on a pair of sneakers. This is perfect for school, a day out in the city, or just for a coffee date with your friends. You’ll still look super cool and make people think your outfit took a lot of effort.

Want to know what the best thing about overalls is? They come in all different colors and styles! You don’t need to get long black ones like me. You could shorts style, denim in pretty much any kind of wash you could think of, and even in the form of a dress! I love how versatile overalls are, so you’re really able to show off your personality, creativity, and sense of style when you wear them.

Do you have a pair of overalls you’re obsessed with? Comment below, or share with us via social media on @CFashionista!

How to Style an Old T-Shirt For a Fresh Look

For the month of July, I decided to join in on the tenth 30-day wardrobe challenge and third summer version. The purpose of this challenge is to update or reboot my summer style. I would also be able to challenge my creativity and change up my personal style. This gives me the extra push to reach outside of my comfort zone by dressing in different styles and wearing unique pieces of clothing or accessories that I normally wouldn’t wear. Trying new things is always a great way to find motivation and inspiration. In addition, you get to learn more about yourself!

For day one, the challenge was to style an old T-shirt in a knot. This theme got me so excited because T-shirts are the most comfortable tops ever and you can style it up in so many different ways. I can probably come up with five different looks with just one T-shirt.

For the top, I cut off the sleeves, tied it up in a cute knot in the front and paired it up with a mustard colored skirt. I really like the color combination of this outfit. The dark T-shirt really helps make the vivid yellow pop out. Moreover, the graphic design on the T-shirt adds a little fun to this simple outfit.

To add more color, I added in red reflective shades. This helped my outfit look more bold and vibrant. The colors of the shades and skirt complement each other because both colors are vivid and have a lot of contrast. For the shoes, I wore my favorite flat mules. Now my outfit has a mixture of sophistication and a little bit of grunge vibe.

For the makeup, I decided to go vivid as well. I wore a matte red lip stain with a sharp cat-eye look. I did not use eye shadow because I wanted the natural look with bold lips. The bold lips match well with the contrasted theme of this outfit. I don’t usually wear a lot of bright colors but this colored theme made me want to wear more festive colors.

Join in on the 30-day wardrobe challenge and submit your photos with the hashtag #WWWsummer30 for a chance to be featured. Comment below how you styled your first old T-shirt challenge!

2 Grunge Gems for Summer 2017

Quite frankly, I have been looking forward to writing my first post for CollegeFashionista and becoming a Style Guru for summer 2017. Just to tell you a snippet of myself, I am majoring in fashion at Ryerson University in Toronto, where I study art direction, typography, graphic design, illustration, and so on. I couldn’t be more excited about getting inspired and taking pictures of my friends who share the common love for fashion. Christie, a Fashionista with beautiful ombre hair and bold red lips, had pulled together a contemporary grunge look here—she was spot on with two major summer revivals: the fishnet and the choker.

Fishnets were made popular by the flappers in the 1920s, who were looking for stockings that allowed a wider range of motion so they could dance more freely. Today, the fishnet stockings don’t have to be shown in its entirety, and Christie seems to know their game. She was playing with the peek-a-boo effect by pairing her fishnets with a pair of stonewashed, ripped boyfriend jeans, so you could see the fishnets showing through the ripped holes and her waist, but were still present enough to make a statement and add a feminine twist. Style is all in the details.

Another piece that brings the grunge look together is the self-tie choker. The two tiny white pearls on the dangles add another layer of polish to her outfit. She pulled off a black crop top underneath the choker—black on black is the soul of grunge. She also accessorized herself with a set of black cuff earrings and rings and a metal-trimmed clutch. The look was finished off with a pair of black patent Dr. Martens boots that gleamed under the summer sunlight.

Mornings and evenings were still a bit chilly in the past few weeks in Toronto, so it was always a safe bet to bring a light jacket with you. Christie wore a dark blue crimped shirt that was a perfect fit to her color palette. Once buttoned up, she was ready to go on a late afternoon date. Versatility is your friend.

Got some exciting grunge look ideas for the summer? Let me know in the comments below or post a photo on social media. Don’t forget to tag @Cfashionista in your photos!

Whether You’re Girly or Grunge, Here’s How You Can Rock Either Look

Everyone has a specific fashion style they love, and we Fashionistas die for all different types of trends. The different styles and trends you wear express to the world who you are. Personally, my two favorite styles are girly and grunge. You may hear the words girly and grunge and think, “how and what,” but trust me: throwing outfits together is as easy as one, two, and three.

When it comes to a girly style, what do you think of? I relate it to a girls night out, a sorority get-together, or my favorite: shop ’til you drop! No matter what the occasion is, you can’t go wrong with a dress, a trendy purse, heels (of course), and a ton of accessories! This Fashionista is wearing an olive green T-shirt dress, a fine-knit cardigan, and her comfy yet chic heels. She finished the look with a gold choker, her favorite pair of sunnies, and a cream clutch!

Now let’s turn this record over and grunge it up. Grunge style was very popular in the ’90s. This era is known for black, flannels, band T-shirts, and oversize clothing; leather, layers, and lace will be your best friend. This Fashionista is wearing black ripped jeans, a tucked in striped T-shirt, and her favorite jean jacket. To complete this look she is wearing a deep purple lip and Steve Madden Slip On Sneakers. This outfit gives off an “I don’t care” vibe, but it is still very put together. Pro Tip: Follow Cara Delevingne if you need inspiration on how to rock the grunge look!

Are you more girly or grunge? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Don’t forget to tag @Cfashionista.

How to Pull Off an Eclectic Sense of Style

Because our generation pulls inspiration from multiple eras and styles, I personally do not feel obligated to limit myself to the trends of one particular category. By bringing different elements of fashion into my wardrobe, I have developed a way to pull off my eclectic sense of style. As long as an outfit is tied perfectly together, it cannot fail. Different pieces can be mixed together as long as they complement each other!

1—Edgy chic. Starting off with the edgy portion of this look, I layered an oversize cropped top over a netted bralette and high-waisted shorts. For the past year or so, red has been a staple in my color palette. It gives the perfect edge to any outfit and pairs beautifully with black. The fishnet bralette that lies underneath is such a simple and fun way to add excitement to any crop top. Adding black and silver accessories, such as my purse, belt, and choker, give the outfit a more minimal, chic vibe.

2—Girly grunge. This look is a feminine twist on the long-lived grunge trend. With a pair of Kurt Cobain sunglasses, a black velvet scrunchie, and creepers, this outfit stays true to the early ’90s. I decided to continue the ’90s theme by wearing a straight neck dress and a dainty choker to add a girly flair.

3—Haute mom. Pun-intended, this mesh-lined cami perfectly represents summer street style. I just couldn’t resist completing the look with a good old-fashioned pair of mom jeans. The flattering and comfortable mom jeans are the perfect go-to and can make any outfit casual. Because of this, I haven’t owned a pair of low rise denim since 2013, and I never plan on going back!

What is your take on mixing different styles? Show us your take on eclectic fashion on social media. Don’t forget to tag @Cfashionista!

BEAUTY BAR: X’s And Bows

With spring slowly morphing into summer, we’ve had a lot of rainy dreary days here in Philadelphia. Not only that, but the semester is winding down, and so is our motivation. However, just because we are burning out does not mean that our style needs to suffer, especially when it comes to our hair and makeup looks.

This Fashionista was spotted with the most adorable, yet simple hairstyle and makeup look. She had styled her natural curls into a basic high ponytail, but she completed the look with a white bow to give her ‘do some added flash. Her makeup looked just as effortless with a natural eye look, done with Colour Pop’s limited edition shade, “Birthday Boy.” She used her Becca highlighter in the shade “Golden Opal Pearl” to give her cheekbones an extra pop. A bold red lip, in the shade “F-Bomb” by Urban Decay, brought her look together. If you are looking for an eye-catching look that is as easy as it is bold, a rich lip color, accompanied by a subtle highlighter, is the way to go.

She tied the look together in a trendy and simple way with a striped T-shirt and ripped boyfriend jeans. Her black lace-up socks, from Free People, and bright red Converse made a perfect match, to give her ensemble that extra detail. This Fashionista’s easy and stylish look is perfect for those last couple of weeks of the semester. A comfy T-shirt, baggy jeans, cute shoes, and an easy beauty look are the key to feeling and looking your best as the semester draws to a close.

BEAUTY BAR: Pop of Pink

Spring into the new season with a pretty pink lip shade! A bright pink lip color for spring is sure to add a pop of fun color into any outfit in your wardrobe. No matter what your style is, pink is sure to add that little something extra that you are looking for in your outfit.

This Fashionista’s look paired very nicely with the makeup trend. Her outfit is more on the western grunge side of the spectrum, which means pink isn’t just for the girly girls. She is wearing a frayed denim cold shoulder top with basic black ripped jeans and a pair of black studded booties. She also accessorizes by wearing dainty rings and even a cool bullhead bolero to tie the whole look together. The blue and black hues of the denim create contrast with the bright pink lip shade. Also, the bolero and the dainty turquoise ring add tiny details that help her outfit stand out. Her black booties have studded detailing along the back, which adds even more details.

If western grunge isn’t exactly your style, the pretty pink lip trend can still work for you. If your style is girly, try pairing it with a printed day dress and simple sandals. If you are more of a classic-chic kind of girl, then maybe wear it with a button-down top, high-waisted denim shorts, and espadrilles. Pink is such a versatile color and can go with any style for the spring. This beauty trend can easily work for everyone’s springtime makeup routine.