As college students, most of you spend a vast portion of your time in class, at the library or caffeinating at the nearest coffee shop. Although studying isn t the most glamourous way to spend your time, it is a great opportunity to show off your personal style and earn those A s! Lectures, labs, recitations and meetings can be a little less painful if you re sporting the right outfit. The perfect outfit for class is a combination of comfortable and stylish. You don t want to overdo it, but you don t want to wear sweatpants everyday either. Finding a balance between these two extremes is key to creating the picture-perfect look to fit with your busy schedule. This Fashionisto is rocking a look that appears comfortable, but also has a little flair of style. The black crewneck sweatshirt and tan khakis keep the look simple while the plaid scarf, black watch and brown lace-up shoes give this outfit the perfect edge. The plaid portrays a studious vibe, the khakis create a hint of professionalism, and the crewneck keeps the whole look casual. Bravo Fashionisto! Follow the basics of this look and you are sure to find an outfit that will make you look great and feel productive. Your day-to-day routine doesn t have to be drab. Grab a coffee, stroll to the library, write a paper or ace an exam in style! Waking up in the morning and putting on the perfect outfit could be all the motivation you need to breeze through your day with confidence and ease. One Simple Change: Do you have a dinner date after class? For a more formal event add a button-down dress shirt to replace the crewneck. This will create a more sophisticated and charming look that will be sure to land you the job, a second date, or a 100% on your presentation.
As college students with star-studded dreams and empty bank accounts, we tend to rely on inexpensive fashion-forward pieces that can be easily recycled in different outfits and styles. Finding solid color basics that can be effortlessly converted from casual to formal is key to adding depth to your wardrobe and most importantly saving some cash. Skip the weekend retail therapy and instead spend a Saturday digging through the piles of clothes you already have. You ll be utterly amazed by what you find. Don t be scared to bust out a 9th grade treasure. Most former fashion trends are oldies but goodies. Recently, faux leather skirts, leggings and pants have become a hot trend on campuses across the country. This Fashionista is killin it in a faux leather skater skirt complemented by a soft neutral sweater and a statement necklace. I love how the pieces contrast to create the perfect amount of incongruity. The look is subtle and sweet with just the perfect touch of sass. This look is caught in-between casual and formal, but can easily go either way with minor touches. Pants, skirts, shorts, tank tops, tights, etc. can all be layered or mixed and matched to create some unique ensembles. Use what you have! You ll look great and I promise no one will know your sweater is 6 years old. There are no rules when it comes to what you can and cannot reuse. Get creative. Use some of the high school treasures you dug out to dress it up or tone it down. Start by focusing on one crucial piece and add and subtract until you find the perfect balance. The secret to creating a look that is fashionable but distinctive to your style is being open to both old and new ideas. What is your STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK? Comfort! Whether it s a skirt, jeans, a full business suit or sweatpants make sure you re comfortable and confident. Looking good leads to feeling good!
Whether your interest in fashion is a hobby or a full-blown career, everyone has to start somewhere. This Fashionista is just a freshie and is already taking steps to dive into the fashion industry. She just recently created a personal account on Instagram where she features her own personal style, interacts with designers, and encourages peers to play a part in the Pittsburgh fashion scene. CollegeFashionista: What inspired you to create an Instagram page dedicated to fashion? Erica Spaeth: I ve been following many different designers on Instagram and I loved all the clothes they posted. I also joined University of Pittsburgh s Fashion Business Association last semester and by following Meredith Kearns (President of FBA) and seeing her CollegeFashionista profile, I decided to jump in and get involved in the best fashion photo sharing social network out there. Also, I made a CollegeFashionista profile so I could follow fashion trends cropping up on campuses all over. CF: What are some of the most popular trends you ve noticed at Pitt? ES: Pittsburgh is a colorful city, but it s always cold! A big trend in my area is colorful leggings- they are both stylish and practical. I like to wear leggings of all colors and patterns. I ve noticed lots of colorful, patterned leggings around Oakland. I have also noticed lots of cute scarves this winter. They are great accessories on cold or chilly days. CF: How do you stay up to date on current fashion trends? ES: I stay current in lots of different ways. I follow many different designers on Instagram as well as periodically check fashion oriented websites to see what new designers are carrying. I regularly browse Moda Operandi and subscribe to sites like style.com, Fashionista, and Textbook. I follow fashion writers such as Tamar Koifman, as well as following other Pitt students on CollegeFashionista. Being a part of the Pitt Fashion Business Association has helped to open my aperture wider and I ve been exposed to new trending fashions. Every meeting we discuss the latest developments in the fashion world. Last but not least, magazines are always a good go-to! CF: Who has been your coolest designer shout-out to date? ES: Tony Bowls is the official evening gown designer for the Miss America pageant, as well as a designer of retail prom dresses. I had posted a photo of myself in my prom dress, which he had designed, and coincidentally was also a replica of the dress that Miss America 2013 wore. Tony Bowl s prom manufacturer, and the evening gown sponsor of the Miss America Pageant saw my post and commented positively on it. The official Instagram of Tony Bowl also liked my photo. Getting acknowledgement from designers is awesome and I look forward to getting more designer attention! Learn More: Search @fashionista.pitt.ejs to follow Erica on Instagram!
Recently, Marques Almeida caught the attention of Fashionistas across the country with a new spring collection that is crafty, unique and gritty. The style is extremely edgy, but even with the grunge vibes the looks still maintain a very chic and glamourous quality. I don t think you can ever go wrong with black on black. Black is slimming and classy. A classic black ensemble is timeless no matter what style category it may fall into. Grunge is back in fashion and it s gaining momentum across the country. The 90s has resurfaced with a modern twist. Faded, ripped, oversized and layered pieces styled in just the right way can create a great look with a lot of texture and complexity that is sure to turn anyone into a punk princess for the day. I ve really tried to break out of the clean, sleek appearance and recently I ve gone for some more risky looks. Marques Almeida s spring collection inspired me to pursue some relatively out-of-the-box styles. Here, I m wearing high-waisted acid wash jeans, a simple black crop top, a black moto jacket, tall black combat boots and a checkered red flannel for a little pop of color. I added a lot of gold jewelry to brighten up the dark colors and create some contrast. Everyone needs a little bit of glam to go with every outfit. Accessories are a girl s best friend. I tied in the black and gold pieces of the outfit with a two-toned chevron, metallic cross-body hand bag. The gold aviator sunglasses were just a fun, spring accessory to go with the gold theme and add to the overall look. This show encouraged me to try some more dangerous looks. I toned down the Marques Almeida runway look into a much more casual, everyday look that I absolutely love. You aren t stuck in one style. Mix it up and experiment with trends if you re bored with your typical look. It s always good to experience new things even when it comes to what you wear. Get My Look: 1. High-waisted jeans. 2. Colored flannel. 3. Basic crop top. 4. Leather moto jacket. 5. Combat boots.
Recently, Thriftsburgh, a new consignment store opened up right on the Pitt campus. The store is a student led initiative that kicked off last week. The store not only raises awareness for social and environmental issues, but also provides students with a place to pick up some inexpensive thrift finds. I had the opportunity to chat with some of the students who organized the launch to learn more about Thriftsburgh and its cause. Name: Anna Greenburg Role: Student Organizer CollegeFashionista: What inspired you to open a consignment shop on campus? Anna Greenburg: We were inspired mainly by the volume of end-of-semester waste students leave on campus. We wanted to provide a place for students to bring the stuff they no longer needed for reuse rather than just throwing it out. CF: Where do most of the clothes and items available for sale come from? AG: More or less all of them came from a world-record attempt hosted by the Office of PittServes called Give a Thread. Paul and I and the old student government board environmental committee chair, Kacy McGill, were the student organizers of the attempt, but it was mainly headed by Misti McKeehen and Erika Ninos from PittServes. We tried to gather 150,000 articles of clothing, but only ended up getting around 111,000. Thriftsburgh got its start up inventory from the collection, the rest of which went to GoodWill, Dress for Success, and several other places. Many students have been donating directly to the store since we opened to receive store credit. We award half of the store-value of a donated article of clothing in store credit to the student. For example, if a student donates a dress we would price at $10 in the store, they receive $5 store credit. CF: How do you plan to use the proceeds from the store? AG: We plan to maintain a rainy day fund in case we need to make any large-scale purchases or repairs for the store. The rest of our proceeds will go to the Pitt Green Fund. The Green Fund is a team of eight students under the Student Government Board that reviews funding applications and allocates funding to sustainability-related projects on campus. This year we ve funded a coffee-grounds reuse event, three new hydration stations, a hydroponics initiative, and the start-up supplies for the thrift store, among many other projects. Learn More: To pick up some thrift pieces and contribute to the Pitt Green Fund, visit Thriftsburgh, located on the first floor of the O Hara Student Center. Thriftsburgh is great little shop with lots of available clothing and accessories. Check it out!