Style Guru Bio – CollegeFashionista

Why You Should be Wearing Seaside Stripes This Season

Before you finish packing that suitcase stop to check if you’ve included this summer’s most popular trend in your vacation wardrobe. If you watched the recent fashion shows, then you know what trend I’m talking about: stripes. Stripes have always been a classic, however, this season, they dominated the runway in the form of colorful seaside stripes. While these stripes do look great by the beach side and pool lounge chairs, don’t be deceived by the name. The name “seaside” stripes do not mean they’re solely reserved for those occasions.

To prove it, I walked through the streets of Central Jersey in this playful blue and white seaside striped blouse. For a more flattering look, I left the top two buttons unbuttoned and then tied the bottom front into a bow to make the top slightly form-fitting. Next, rather than pairing the shirt with boring white jeans or shorts, I decided to go for a bolder look with a copper button-down denim skirt. Surprisingly, the two different colors of blue, instead of clashing, ended up complementing each other and drawing out both shades of blue. The combination of the lightweight blouse and the denim skirt allowed me to walk in ease through the 97 degree weather. Tip: If you want to make it even cooler. Unbutton the shirt and wear a spaghetti strap tank underneath.

From my handbag collection, I chose a pastel pink bag for a pop of color to liven up the entire outfit (as shown in the slideshow above). My favorite part of this bag is the rose-gold sequins lining the straps of the bag.

Moving onto the accessories—the key to creating your own personal style. I never leave the house without at least one accessory. For this outfit, I chose two gold pieces: a gold criss-cross ring and a diamond-embellished gold choker with the outfit. For my final touch, I placed a couple of freshly picked lavenders in my breast pocket.

Stripes are such a versatile trend. Besides this outfit, I’m excited to see how many more ways I can play around with this summer’s most popular trend.

Any trends that you’ve been obsessed with? Let me know in the comments below!

How to Style a Minimal yet Chic Summer Look

Hey guys! My name is Sammy Napolitano and I grew up in Livingston, NJ, which is a short thirty minutes from the greatest city in the world. As a child, I took frequent trips to New York City with my mom and sister. As I got older, these trips evolved into day long adventures with my best friends. You can find us brunching at the cutest restaurants or shopping at just about every store in SoHo. Of course, we always take an obscene amount of Instagram pictures along the way.

Recently, I moved to a new and unexpectedly trendy city: Columbus, Ohio. I am a rising sophomore at The Ohio State University, studying business and minoring in fashion and retail merchandising. I love my school (go Bucks!), exploring my new city, good food, online shopping, and of course fashion!

My love for fashion started off a little later in life as I spent my first 10 years as a die-hard tomboy. I refused to wear jeans, paint my nails, or wear my hair in anything besides a high ponytail. As my sports career fizzled out in high school, I traded in my sports jerseys for leather jackets, and my cleats for new shoes. However, my tomboy roots haven’t completely left me. I still believe sneakers can be worn with any outfit, I avoid bright pink clothing at all costs, and comfort is definitely a number one priority in the way I dress. However, I have finally learned to embrace a good pair of jeans every now and then.

It’s hard to categorize my personal style in one way, but I would consider myself to be pretty minimalist. I like simple prints, neutral colors, dainty jewelry, and classic white sneakers. I enjoy dressing up simple pieces by adding a cool statement jacket, trendy sunglasses, or my favorite pair of shoes. Currently, I have been obsessing over vintage inspired pieces to add some fun to my outfits.

The jacket I am wearing here is my absolute favorite piece in my closet at the moment. I finally found a BlankNYC leather jacket that I can justify wearing all summer long because of its cute floral print. True to my minimalist self, I opted for wearing a simple black top and white shorts. I loved the distressed detailing on the shorts and the straight neckline of the tank top. Both details add an element of style to an otherwise simple outfit. Finally, I wore my round Ray-Bans, my favorite Free People leather mules, and a pair of dainty gold chokers for the perfect city chic look.

What do think of this look? Let us know in the comments below!

Samantha Limon

What’s up, fellow Fashionistas and Fashionistos? I am Samantha Limon (yes, that is Lemon in Spanish), a little freshman at Cal State San Bernardino who is currently studying psychology. I know, I know, what am I doing here with all these fashion and business majors? I just have a love for finding clothes and making the outfits my own. Although I don’t dream of being big in the fashion industry, I find my love for fashion always making its way into my life. I was taught growing up that how you present yourself is important, and with a mother who was a Fashionista in her own right, dressing to impress had become ingrained in my life. I cannot wait to begin this amazing internship as a Style Guru!

Let me tell you a little more about myself—I grew up in California. My relationship with living here is up and down just like the weather. Being in California has taught me to love and appreciate both the beautiful outdoors and the exciting rush of city life. Trips to the beach, mountains, and LA are some of my favorite things; breathing in the fresh open air after a beautiful hike, or having that exhilarating feeling that the streets of LA offer is something I can never turn down.

I have always been involved in something, whether it was sports, clubs, or a job. When I came to college, I had to get myself involved in something, and what better way than to join a sorority? I recruited with Kappa Delta and I am so thankful for it. KD has made my college experience just so amazing and exciting thus far, and offered so many opportunities…including discovering what CollegeFashionista is (shoutout to Mary!). I love music and I am what I might call a “concert junkie”…where my wallet weakness lies (…and with food of course). I listen to almost everything depending on my music mood, and my fashion seems to mold to that, which is something I really like about myself. I don’t tend to just stick to the latest fashion trends, and I always throw in my own twist!

Summer weather is slowly inching its way in to California, and that gave me the perfect opportunity to break out my new favorite sundress.

Backless is in, and when this adorable backless dress (pictured) was on those thrift store racks it was an “I-got-to-have-you” moment. Sundresses can never take a wrong turn when paired with a pair of wooden wedges, must-haves in every Fashionista’s closet. I gave this outfit my own little flare by adding a cute copper bracelet, mustard yellow ring, and a Bohemian-style ring on my thumb. To top this look off, I threw in a tan sun hat, because, after all, what yells out “summer is here” better than an adorable floppy hat?

I’m beyond excited to share some #RAD outfits with you all, and begin this amazing journey as a Style Guru. I want people to know that being unique is amazing, and to never be afraid to wear what you love!

Just keep struttin,’ and feel free to drop some of your own summer sundress-ing tips in the comments below!

STYLE GURU BIO: Katie Schwartz

My name is Katie Schwartz, and I’m so delighted to be back with the Guru Gang for another stylish semester. I’d like to think that my infatuation with fashion was something that ignited at a specific moment, but nothing really comes to mind. Instead, as I got older I just found myself becoming more and more excited every time I pieced together an outfit. Now I know that I want to take this passion and turn it into a career. I’m currently a junior at Rollins College in Orlando, Florida. However, I’m still not quite sure exactly what area of the fashion industry I would like to work in, or how I’m going to get there (scary, I know). Nonetheless, I’m taking strides by majoring in public relations, learning all that I can about the fashion world, and posting fashion and lifestyle related videos on YouTube. All I know is that I have a tremendous amount of ambition and I’m constantly putting it to use.

Here’s a few things you need to know about me: I’m unconditionally and irrevocably in love with every dog I meet. I prefer tea over coffee. The list of TV shows I want to watch just keeps getting longer and longer. I work in retail and for my school’s marketing and communication office. I fancy brunch dates, and you’ll often see me wearing oversize sunglasses. Lastly, I’m fixated on capturing moments and telling stories. I’m that person who takes candid pictures of their friends at gatherings. Due to this fixation, I’ve developed a keen eye for fashion. Clothing is how I tell my personal story and express my daily thoughts and emotions.

My style is constantly evolving, so my outfits are never identical. My latest obsession is bomber jackets; they’re a great statement piece for any outfit. While my fashion sense is always developing, an item of clothing that will always stay close to my heart is a simple denim miniskirt, especially when it has retro detailing like a zipper or buttons in the front. Another staple of mine is a good pair of sneakers. Whether it’s Converse All Stars, Keds, or Adidas, having classic sneakers on hand makes styling any outfit incredibly easy.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me and fashion from my point of view. I can’t wait to see how all of the Gurus inspire each other as this upcoming semester unveils!

STYLE GURU BIO: Ana Martinez-Ortiz

I am Ana Martinez-Ortiz and I’m a Style Guru with CollegeFashionista! I am very excited to be dipping my toe into the world of fashion and style this semester, and I hope that I can help some of you find your own unique look that matches your lifestyle and tastes. I am a senior at University of Wisconson-Milwaukee, home of the Panthers, where I study Spanish and journalism. My goal is to combine the two and find a career that allows me to utilize both of my majors and allow me to travel.

Growing up I had a horrible sense of style. I once insisted on wearing polka dot leggings with a striped shirt because it was my birthday, despite the fact it clearly didn’t match—not even in that way that outfits clash but still look good. As I got older my interest in the fashion world grew and so did my sense of style.

These days, I tend to avoid patterns in favor of monochromatic pieces that are easy to match. My style is pretty basic, almost leaning towards minimalistic. I prefer wearing earthy tones that bring out my eyes and pairs with my preferred natural look.

Here I am wearing one of my favorite go-to looks, partly because it’s super to easy and partly because most of the items were on sale. The sweater, a recent purchase from H&M, is one of my favorites lately because it’s stylish yet simple and keeps me warm during Wisconsin’s harsh winters. The sweater is loose and just long enough to match my style; sometimes I roll the sleeves up to give it a different look.

For bottoms I stuck with my favorite pair of black jeans, also from H&M. Black pants are great and everyone should own at least one pair. These tan boots were purchased over the summer from Target and have become one of my favorite pairs. They’re basic and they match with almost anything. In this case they paired nicely with my white sweater.

For accessories I wore my watch from Urban Outfitters and a gold chain necklace I purchased at a craft fair. The watch has a brown leather band and the face has a map of the world, and it pairs perfectly with every outfit. At the end of the necklace is a metal cutout sun painted teal, it matches with the sweater and goes with the minimalism of the outfit.

I look forward to sharing more articles on fashion, style, and lifestyle this semester. I hope they not only inspire you, but encourage you to try something new.

STYLE GURU BIO: Kyra DePersia

Salutations! My name is Kyra and this is my first semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista. I’m beyond excited to combine two of my favorite things, writing and fashion into one fantastic internship. I’m currently a second year marketing student at Philadelphia University with intentions of declaring a minor in fashion merchandising and management next semester. I’m also heavily involved in one of the fashion clubs on campus as the shadowing treasurer.

I’ve always had a love for fashion, not only because of its exciting nature, but because of its artistry. Fashion is simply wearable art and I find that to be one of the greatest things about it. Fashion’s ability to tell the world whom one is is another one of its best traits. Fashion is the easiest and fastest way to express oneself without words.

My passion for literature and film is an immense inspiration for many of my outfits. I draw most if not all of my inspiration from fictional characters in books and movies. My muses range from Holly Golightly to Mia Wallace. I would describe my style as girly grunge. I absolutely love mixing materials like velvet and denim with pearls and other delicate accessories, essentially combining Holly’s and Mia’s style.

For example in my pictured outfit, I paired a dressy, burgundy velvet romper with a light wash denim jacket and black, high-top Converse. I’m wearing a black turtleneck and tights underneath the romper to tone down its formal vibe which is something I do fairly often. I also chose to follow the metallic trend by wearing a pair of metallic glitter-banded socks.

I can’t wait to see what my first semester as a Style Guru will bring. I’m sure the experience will be #RAD as ever!

STYLE GURU BIO: Rachel Notrica

My name is Rachel and I’m super excited that I have been given the opportunity to be a style guru this semester. Here’s just a little background on me, I am originally from New York but I currently live in Florida. I’m a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University where I am majoring in psychology and am a sister of Theta Phi Alpha. In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family (if you’re reading this, hi!) and, of course, watching Netflix. Some of my favorite shows include Criminal Minds, The Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, and Gossip Girl.

When it comes to fashion I’ve never considered myself to be a Fashionista, but I know that I have always loved clothes. Some of my style inspirations are Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, and Gigi Hadid. I don’t think there’s one specific category to represent my style but there is one thing I can tell you, I love to wear black as you can see by the photos above. Some of my favorite outfits are similar to the one featured in this article, where I’m wearing almost all black. For this outfit I wore basic jean shorts and a black tank, but to add edge I put on a leather jacket, a choker, and my favorite gladiator sandals. Overall I believe that with a stylish outfit comes a sense of confidence that could help you conquer anything. I feel like fashion is something so amazing because it has this ability to bring people together to do really cool things, like this internship. With that being said, I’m looking forward to a great semester!

STYLE GURU BIO: Kelsey Hassard

Hello #RAD Fashionistas/os! I’m Kelsey Hassard and I attend North Carolina State University. I am a sophomore majoring in fashion and textile brand management and marketing. I’m stoked to be kicking off my first semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista!

I’m an advocate for taking risks in fashion, discovering new music, appreciating art, eating good food and surrounding oneself with kick-ass people.

Originally from Long Island, just a few towns shy of the Hamptons and a quick train ride outside of the city, my style was influenced early on by quaint beach towns and boisterous urban cities. I believe in self-expression through fashion which is why I can’t ‘title’ my style one specific headline. But if I did, I would call it “Bo-hedg-y-ban”, an eclectic mix of bohemian, edgy and urban threads (but that sounds a little verbose).

At a bare minimum, 1/3 can compile my ensemble at any given moment… the color black (usually head to toe, because why not), my wrists stacked high and my neck layered in ALV Jewels, and last but not least, Steve Madden shoes. Whether I’m looking for an edgy finish to a blacked out leather look, or a bohemian statement piece to pop against my bronzed summer skin, Steve Madden shoes are my go-tos.

I’m a huge music guru as well; I can spend hours upon hours sitting in a coffee shop, perfecting a Spotify playlist. I absolutely love going to music festivals and indulging in nonstop music, art and fashion for days. Festival fashion has to be one of my favorite fashion genres. I love the endless opportunities that fall under festival wear, from metal accents and lace undertones to acid wash denim and studded leather.

For today’s look I paired an oversize Free People sweater with black distressed denim jeans that I added a raw hem to for an edgier look. I topped off the look with classic black Chelsea boots from Steve Madden and layered ALV Jewels Nikki Choker and braided horn choker.

STYLE GURU BIO: Rae Crescas

It was the day before I left for Thanksgiving break that I found out I was going to be a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista. I was ecstatic, and proceeded to squeal like a little girl. Besides being able to go home and tell my extended family at Thanksgiving dinner, the holiday where teens get their life choices examined by their aunts and uncles, I was even more excited to be a part of a creative outlet that combines both my love for fashion, and my passion for writing.

I am a freshman studying fashion merchandising at Marist College. I grew up in a bubble, located in the middle of suburbia, just an hour outside of New York City. Growing up, I found that I didn’t want to have the same black legging, Ugg boot-wearing style as my fellow classmates (seriously, try to convince me that leggings are pants and you will fail). So I drew inspiration from both New York and my suburban upbringing. I have a different style than most of the people who I was surrounded by, I used the city as my inspiration while still taking some inspiration from suburbia. I do not see this as a bad thing. Living in the world of fast fashion where trends quickly change, my style evolves just as fast. Therefore, my style is hard to define. However, I do tend to gravitate towards solid fabrics instead of patterns and have always worn a ton of white and a ton of black. I think there is something so simple about the two colors. They are able to make anyone look put together.

For this look, I chose to go with something more on the casual side. I believe that just because you are not in the mood to dress up, doesn’t mean that you should give up. I paired high-waisted jeans with a cropped sweatshirt, and leather jacket. However, I made sure that the jeans were high enough and the sweatshirt was long enough so that my stomach wasn’t showing. I try to stay away from showing bare midriff because I get painful flashbacks of middle school, where I now regret almost everything I wore. I like this particular outfit because it is comfortable, but still put together and trendy. I paired black slip-on sneakers to go with the comfort of the rest of the look and called it a day.

I hope you enjoy this look and reading this article as much as I did creating it. I can’t wait to continue sharing my fashion inspirations with you this semester.

STYLE GURU BIO: Nikki Bara

Hey there, fashion lovers! My name is Nikki Bara and I am currently a junior at the State University of New York at Oneonta. Studying fashion merchandising, I am in my school’s three plus one program partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and will hopefully be attending the institute this coming fall for my senior year.

I am so excited to be starting this internship as a Style Guru this semester! I see so many inspiring Fashionistas around campus every day and I hope to share their styles and inspirations with you all. This internship is such an awesome opportunity to let me do what I love to do: spread knowledge and my personal love for fashion and how people can use fashion to express themselves.

I am from Syracuse, New York where the weather is always unpredictable—going from an ice storm and below freezing temperatures one day to sunny and 55 degrees the next. As negative as it may sound, this is a great way for me to explore different trends and styles at any time of the year.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge neutral tones, thigh high boots, faux fur, and choker enthusiast. These are all such great accent pieces to add a little spice to any basic outfit, whether you only use one, mix and match them, or add them all. The faux fur is definitely the boldest of all. It demands attention and adds a lot of texture to the outfit, while a choker can add just a slight edgy vibe.

Fashion is the way I express myself and is my source of confidence. My goal for my future career is to spread that feeling and give people of all shapes and sizes the confidence they may desire just from what they’re wearing. Being a Style Guru this semester will hopefully allow me to do that from my styles, as well as other Fashionistas around my campus. I can’t wait to share with you all!