I know I ask myself all the time where someone may have gotten that piece of clothing or accessory that I would love to acquire for myself, and this is going to put spotlight on those individuals at the University of Florida who fit the description, emphasizing the hidden treasures that should be worn more often or that I’ve been inspired to experiment with.
This blog can be a little fashionable inspiration for others as well. I hope, anyway, that this will cause many a "fashionista" to sigh heavily upon realizing they've found out where to get that article of fashion gold. I, Melissa, am on the hunt!
“I like my money right where I can see it…hanging in my closet.”
—Carrie Bradshaw
Culture-shocked back to America
Ankle boots. Chino pants. Alexander McQueen. Oh how the mighty have risen! Fashion in England is comparable to what I hope my closet consists of within 10 years. I was in love with the diverse and eclectic fashions I saw on the Tube, in my internship and even in the local pub with which the owner came to know us at. Not to mention that the fashion printed within the luxe pages of Schon! Magazine where I interned at became my go-to inspiration on those gloomy London days, which I came to find where not as rare as those in Florida were.
Then I came back to college town. Khaki shorts. Sperrys. Frat hats. Oh how the collegiate have aimed so low. If I had a dollar for every time an overly confident, stereotypically dressed frat guy strolled into class I would be able to pay my way through college. What happened to the elegance and pride taken by displaying a fashionable ensemble? The workout shorts and frat tanks are just not doing it for me as everyday wear, although they seem to be a staple of many female students at UF. Nothing against the leisure of sweatpants, but I crave the urgency that women clacking around in their high-heels and sprinting onto the Tube with a beautifully-pressed suit exude in the less-glamorous situations in London.
In an effort to credit my fellow classmates, I am looking forward to seeing what the new collegiate winter-wear will bring. Well, winter in Florida at least.
London calling…soon
I’ve never been out of the country. I’ve never been immersed by another culture than my own. Sure, I’ve been up and down the east coast of the U.S. and other sporadic states across the nation as far as California, but I’d like to venture onward.
I cannot contain the enthusiasm brewing inside me since I found out about 6 months ago that I would be embarking to London, England this coming summer 2012 for an internship.
In this blog, I’ve covered fashions across UF campus that have sparked my interest. I can’t even fathom what I’ll be covering in England. Yes, i’m taking “The Chic Hunt” with me across the ocean! Actually, Europe in general will be the canvas with which I paint my blog pictures in words. Beautiful cashmere, silk and cotton words.
For the next 4 months, however, I am still in Florida in all its beach-bum, bikini-clad glory. Well, it will be again soon.
The weather in Florida has been chilly these past few days, with the low last night sinking to a chilly 25 degrees. This has Floridians in a panic.
I do love the eternal scarves as i like to call them. Those circle scarves that connect to form a large loop of scarf material that you wrap around your next however many times as desired. I have a dusty rose pink one with tassles that I have not worn as much as I’d hoped to. Now is my chance.
Enjoy this beautiful one that I’m slightly obsessed with. Coral and stripes together are one of my fashion kryptonites. Rock them while the weather stays cold, Florida!
(Source: etsy.com)
A college campus may have some stereotypical fashion trends, such as the more typical one being collegiate style of course. In many cases it seems that this look constitutes a more preppy feel.
Sororities, for example, have given me prime examples of this preppy style. Fall is very accepting of such a trend, as collars poking out of sweaters and khaki cotton shorts are seen on many a fashion trend update.
My friend on campus was wearing this outfit shown above and I instantly fell in love with the pairing of the pale purple of the cardigan and the kelly green of her Tommy Hilfiger shorts. This was not an overbearing preppy style, but more of a classic look that would fit the preppy collegiate description in a realistic portrayal.
Clicking on the picture will show how Glamour provides a different approach to this preppy style. However, similar to my friend’s outfit, it pairs a longer sleeved top with shorter bottoms for a balanced look that is perfect for a transition into cooler weather.
Tights appear as an inspirational season transition
I was feeling a little extra inspiration to write another post on this cool, breezy day that has struck Gainesville. It seems to be a trend which is telling me, in a feeble attempt, to stop wearing shorts.
It’s not that I don’t listen to the weather. It’s just that when I change out of my shorts into jeans, it’s as hot as a sauna by midday! Also, shorts are cute all year, except maybe with one addition in winter.
Tights, not leggings, are the cute pop of eccentricity that transitions the warm weather shorts of Florida into a manageable, not to mention fashionable, update for winter.
I say tights because I am not in any way a fan of the fore-shortening aspect of leggings. I love having long legs! I’m also biased, as I am a dancer and am not a stranger to wearing tights for every dance practice, each week for the majority of my life.
Tights are adorable whether they are a solid color or some other texture, such as lace which you can’t go wrong with. Jeans and pants are great in the winter, but tights spice up an outfit and more importantly keep you warmer in those cooler months.
I own four or five pairs of tights, which I would wear under skirts and dresses. It hadn’t really occurred to me that they would be welcome adorning the legs someone wearing shorts over them.
However, high-waist Levi shorts are so cute and have been so fashionable these past few months that there’s no way I won’t explore this substitution for jeans.
I’ve seen tights continuously worn on campus, and have heard of students getting them from Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and other accessory shops.
Glamour, as usual, provides more in-depth visuals to be enjoyed.
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2010/09/the-dos-and-donts-of-wearing-tights#slide=1
When in doubt, go for the classic: stripes
Without a doubt and without flaw, stripes rear their head around the leaf-barren trees of winter.
Specifically, it seems sweaters are the culprits for sporting the majority of this pattern, or at least the amount of stripes are innumerably present across the board since the weather became cooler in Gainesville.
I have nothing at all against stripes, as I in fact have many striped pieces in my closet. Every year they take their spot as a fall must-have, and of course a spring must-have with all the nautical inspiration spring never fails to bring.
In fact, stripes were so abundant on the UF campus in the past couple of days there was no way one picture could capture the full stripe-decked affect.
The consensus of striped sweaters, from girls I’ve talked to on campus regarding their ensembles, seem to come from Forever 21 or some small thrift shops. It seems bargain-shopping is in the air.
For extra bonus points, sport bright, wide striped-sweaters for a slight twist on the usual stripes. A striped skirt may even be a cute new take on the style.
Two weeks closer to a London coma
Ever since arriving in London it has been one nonstop whirlwind of British accents, foreign brands and pubs on every corner. Since hopping off the plane two weekends ago, I’ve managed to explore not only London but the deep crevices of the pub crawls, museums and markets, frollicking my way to the bottoms of countless pints of Fosters and jugs of Pimms.
London is something like being in a surreal British movie without any acting. The air is so thick and tainted with smoke I feel as though that would justify the sky’s gray, I’m sorry it’s “grey” in the U.K., demeanor. British accents are overshadowed by the sandal-clad tourist attempting to “mind the gap” at the tube station. Apart from the occasional McDonalds and Forever 21 to keep me grounded in my American roots and from my seemingly disheveled mentality, London is actually everything I hoped and more. In fact, I love it.
I’ve never been so out of my element and so comfortable at the same time. My internship at Schon! magazine is not at all what I anticipated, but getting a taste of the life at a fashion magazine is probably only something I would have been dreaming about a year ago when this whole trip to London was nothing but a light at the end of the tunnel, careening through the dark pits of my mind along with marriage and children. Ok, maybe not as deep in my mind as those topics, but it paints a picture of how I can’t believe such an experience is occurring so soon in my young adult life.
I could seriously write about my experiences abroad thus far for days, from the left-side driving to the British fashion to my upcoming and past trips. I could even touch on the drama and cliques within my internship group, but that’s not something I need to waste precious London time worrying about. In the mean time, I’m going out at every free second and trying something new every day, whether it be my first trip to the V&A museum or my last pint of Stella. You Only London Once, so I’ve been reminded. I hope six more weeks of eight-hour work days and countless late nights out don’t become the death of me. Amsterdam this weekend will prove interesting though.
However, since this blog is supposed to be a glimpse into fashion according to me, I believe noting that denim jackets are back in style in London is essential, and exciting. Not only could I not be more happy that I brought mine to wear over sundresses when the weather finally does decide to recognize that it’s summer, but I’m contemplating trying the British style of wearing sheer tights underneath denim, bottom-caressing shorts. My Florida mentality is still veering me towards gladiator sandals and tank tops, but maybe I can squeeze in a Union Jack symbol into some aspect of my wardrobe as the pride of Great Britain is brewing around every corner. When all else fails, say cheers!
A tribute given to long-time inspirational styles
New York Fashion Week 2012 was an enormous fashion success, from the outfits worn on the runway to the outfits adorning the attendees of the show. While it was in September, I have been taken aback currently by a designer that I must share.
Lace and floral prints are two style genres I live by and revolve a large portion of my wardrobe around. Designer Miu Miu at fashion week embodied both of those elements in one of the cutest styles I’ve seen on the runway this year.
Both prints/textures are not only seasonally appropriate, but are so versatile they could be seen as tights, dresses, shirts and even pants to name a few. I am in love with this Miu Miu collection and see both styles on campus on a daily basis.
In fact, half of the people I’ve featured in previous blog posts have sported either one or both of these trends. This post should be considered an overall homage to the two amazing styles.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html?ref=fashion#/spring_2012_miu_miu/slide_show/
Waist-belts remain a staple accessory for every season
I’ve loved the belted sweater trend since I was faced with the popularity of waist-belts. They made a major appearance in stores a couple years ago, and were seen adorning the waist of many girls in pretty loose and fitted dresses.
Fall’s trend of belting a sweater or cardigan with a waist-belt is such a cute way to spice up a simple sweater-jeans ensemble.
Inspired by various students on campus embracing this relatively cold weather we’ve been experiencing and in the spirit of homecoming week, I belted my orange, Forever 21 cardigan over a blue, Aeropostale tank top. I loved the look because it accentuated my waist, was an easy style to create and eliminated the “grandpa sweater” mentality some cardigans have acquired.
Glamour has even named it a top weekend-wear fall trend.
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2011/08/fall-2011-top-5-trends#slide=8
I’m not that big a fan of wearing animal skin/print. Even faux fur isn’t something I would normally pick out.
However, it is still fall and Glamour has dubbed snakeskin as one of the top five trends of fall. It has been noticeably popping up all over UF. I’ve seen snakeskin purses, belts and most of all, shoes.
A friend of mine has these amazingly cute snakeskin heels that I would definitely show off. For a more wearable option, one of my peers was wearing these snakeskin ballet flats.
These shoes were too cute to not feature and the brown and black of the snakeskin really caught my eye when paired with the vibrant red of her sweater.
When asked where she got them, I was surprised to hear she got the shoes at T.J.Maxx, which sells brand name items at affordable prices. It’s like bargain-shopping music to my ears!
To explore the world of trendiness, click on her picture.
Florida surprised this morning with the temperature at even the peak of the day being in the 50’s. While I love the blue, sunny sky and the brisk breeze accompanying my walks to class, I am still a little nostalgic about having to give up my shorts just yet.
Although this is only a cold front after the rain Gainesville experienced yesterday, the change is pretty welcome for the most part. Specifically, the array of boots and sweaters among my fellow peers is beyond abundant.
Weeding through the students to gain some fashionable inspiration, I stumbled upon one on my way out of my classroom. It may have been the neon pink, over-sized sweater that caught my eye, but the entire outfit instantly sparked my interest.
Her extremely cute multicolored scarf is from Anthropologie. When I heard this, I exclaimed how much I love that store, even though I can never afford the prices that it charges.
Also, check out the brown lace-up boots. The whole outfit screams ready for winter!
