Oh, the glamorous life of college kids. From the lectures, to the parties, to the late night library sessions, to the awkward Sunday morning walk of shames. This is our weekly schedule. This is how we roll through the best four years of our life! Here in the Midwest, awkward weather has set in. One week, 85 degrees. And the next week? 36. This has caused much style confusion throughout campuses as I witness athletic shorts and tees worn to the clubs, denim shorts and tall UGG boots worn to the dining halls and even sequin dresses and wedges worn to class (uh, did you think this was Bar Hopping 101 or are you wearing your outfit from last night?). Granted, I’ve been a bit off myself. My thought process is along the lines of “60 degrees…warm enough for a short sleeve blouse but not enough for denim shorts?  It’s sunny and slightly warm out but my classrooms are already blasting out the cold air, so UGG boots and a tank top?” Awkward.

As your Budget Stylista, I’ve decided to go over affordable, proper spring attire for the library, classroom and local bar. Hopefully that chick from Bio who wears a maxi dress and Converse reads this post. Read More »

Roxy is a brand that I haven’t really looked into for a while. They were popular when I was about 13, but then that popularity died off shortly thereafter. However, Roxy has recently reinvented itself, going for more of a hipster look than surfer chic. Along with this new branding, comes new handbags and one in particular has caught my eye! Read More »

I’m not sure about your neck of the woods, but up here in Northern Ontario, snow is going to fall any day now. Biting winds and cool temperatures have become the norm and we’ve all hauled out our winter gear. Fur-detail is huge this season, especially when it comes to purses, but I just can’t bring myself to tote around a completely fur purse. I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t look like some dead rodent on a string. However, I did find a cute little wristlet with fur-detail that I could definitely handle!

Presenting the Poppie Jones Lodge Wristlet. I’m a huge fan of wristlets; they are great not only for a night on the town, but also for storing things like change and makeup. I always have a few floating around in my purse. Read More »

New York Fashion Week (and every other fashion week, for that matter) always unveils new fashion innovations. And this year is no different. As industy “pros” weigh in on what premiering styles they’re excited for, I say, “Guess what, fashion weeks? We don’t need these crazy, new high-fashion designs!” We have the old ones.

These past innovations are taken for granted now, but they still remain a college girl’s best friends. I can’t even remember how I lived before… Read More »

I hate to admit it, but I totally missed the TOMS boat last season. I remember walking around in my neighborhood, and noticing every girl who walked by was wearing them, which was surprising to me because the first time I saw someone wearing them I thought they were vintage.

“Has everyone been wearing TOMS and I missed the memo on how wonderful they are?” I thought to myself, looking down at my tattered flip flops.

I have to admit, when I first saw that girl wearing these (let me defend my vintage perception by explaining they were dirty and a mustard color) I was not a fan. Given the condition they were in and the way the fabric wrapped around her feet in that unique shape, I kind of thought they made her feet look like mummies. “Ew,” I thought to myself. “Is that some new hipster shoe?”

But, as with most trends, it didn’t take long for me to change my tune and realize they’re utterly perfect. And not just because of the motto and mission of the company: “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.™”

Let’s just talk about how cute this glitter style is! My main obsession with these is that they’re more than just super practical flats (because if I only wore shoes because they were practical I wouldn’t have scars on my knees from too-high heels and my sneakers wouldn’t be sitting in the back of my closet under a pile of dirty laundry). I’m digging these TOMS because they’re the fashion trifecta: unique, adorable and sensible. Read More »

Let’s be honest, money stored in your cleavage is not sexy. What comes next…your lip gloss, cell phone, camera? (You gotta be packing some major weight up there to store all that.) When your skinny jeans pockets are so tight and small that they’re non-existent, don’t be tempted to store things where you think no one will see. The only place money should be inserted into intimates is most likely not the kind of bar you’re headed out to this weekend.

I’ve been searching for the perfect clutch for years. I’ve been able to take my time because I’ve been spoiled by my boyfriend’s ridiculously deep man-pant pockets. It was working out well until I went overboard and tried to convince him it was OK to store my tampons in there…. I knew I had three options: get some man pants for myself, cut down what I bring out with me, or get a cute clutch to put all my Saturday night necessities in.

Option number three was definitely the most attractive once I found this Jessica McClintock Mini Bark Embossed Bag. Read More »

I’ll never forget the year that Uggs first became popular, also known as the year that everyone on campus started to look like the science school had cloned humans. Maybe you remember the trend from bottom to top: It started with the tan (salt-stained) Uggs, and the black leggings, and the oversized shirt-dress. Just thinking about it makes me shudder. After spending many winters with snow stuffed sneakers resisting the Ugg-ly movement, it’s time to praise a boot that dared to be different.

This must be the first winter boot I’ve seen that doesn’t look like the offspring of the Ugg, not even it’s second cousin twice removed. The Women’s Bayshore Tall Boot from Sperry Top-Sider is from another family entirely.  (Yup! Sperry’s aren’t just for East Coast LAX boys anymore!) If you don’t want to keep confusing your boots with your roommate’s on the way out the door, you definitely need these.

The genius behind these boots is that THEY LACE UP. Who would have thought that not every person’s calf is one-size fits all when it comes to boots? Well Sperry Top-Sider thought of it. Nothing is worse then buying a pair of boots just to realize you have to buy a bunch of new skinny-leg jeans just to fit them in your boots, and the only thing worse than that is soaking-wet jeans because your campus refuses to shovel properly. And when you see that set of stairs that’s still caked with snow 3 days after a snowstorm, you can skip down them confidently with the awesome tracking on these bad boys. These will save you a lot of butt-bruises, broken laptops and humiliation- trust me.

The black is definitely my favorite, and the trimming of fur on the top is a nice touch instead of knowing you have a bunch hidden inside your boot that no one can actually see. And no worries, animal lovers – the genuine shearling is made from pelt, which means the fur is simply shaved from the sheep. No harm done! Read More »

Baby, it’s cold outside. And the only thing worse than a cliché is freezing your little ears off after your campus inevitably plows your car into a snow bank. So while you’re stocking up on your extendable snow shovel, windshield brush/scraper, Uggs, long johns, scarves and gloves, here’s a friendly reminder of how much it stings when the wind takes advantage of your bare-naked ears.

Let’s be honest, our main concerns in the winter are not just staying warm, but also trying to avoid hypothermia without having to resort to the Michelin Man look. And it’s not easy. Between the puffy coats and the matching look-alike Uggs everyone will be sporting, the last thing you want is to be stuck with earmuffs that make you look like a chinchilla curled up around each of your ears and died.

The solution? A very affordable and sophisticated looking wrap, like a knitted headband that covers your ears. Like this one from paddicake.com. It buttons behind your head and is adorned with a beautiful knitted flower, making the knitted headband both incredibly cute and functional.

The best thing about this headband is that it won’t give you hat head! No need to worry about pulling off that adorable knitted cap once you get inside the building with the heat cranking to reveal a sweaty, matted mess. Unlike a hat, you can wear this with any hairstyle and not worry about a thing. Read More »

I’ve been afraid of patterned tights since Gossip Girl made them such a trend. They look a tad bit tricky to pull off, which so makes me want to be the one who can pull them off perfectly.  Now that it’s just chilly enough that bare legs are gawked at but a winter coat is on hold until someone gets if for you for Christmas (hey mom!), tights are an affordable accessory that can keep your gams both warm and fashionable.

Enter the Gams Games Tights form Anthropologie. A very detailed floral pattern makes the flowers in the thigh area look like they were meant to be that large, not like they’re stretched out by the unfortunate truth that thighs are bigger than calves (especially after a few too many late-night pizza binges). The detail is also so becoming and shadowy enough that you won’t look like you wallpapered your legs, an unfortunate byproduct of some other floral tights.

There aren’t a lot of pieces out there that you can wear on any given occasion that can be considered wearable art – unless you’re Lady Gaga. These not only look like an artist sketched them onto your legs with the grey colors and shading details, but they’re the simplest way to add a wow factor to a plain, tailored dress or a tired plain skirt. Read More »

I’m pining over something a little different this week. It’s a little outside my comfort zone, and that’s exactly why I’m in love.  It’s not a plunging neckline or a skimpy skirt, it’s actually a super cool ring.

So you think a ring that gets me a little nervous makes me boring? I’d have to disagree. There’s nothing wrong with playing on the safe side of fashion. For me, it’s finding ways of adding things into my wardrobe that are cooler than I think I am without necessarily having the major shock value. I like to get a subtle response out of people, whether it’s an approving double take or a friend that tells me something I own is awesome.

A ring that’s a little risky for me is a great way for me to get a reaction- I’d rather everyone was staring at the risk on my finger than a risk that’s risqué.

This dark, gemmed snake ring is the kind of accessory I would see on a girl on campus who I envied because she was effortlessly cool and edgy. I can picture myself as that girl when I see this ring, the snake twisted around a finger that’s curled around a cup of coffee, probably in the company of some hipsters playing guitar and killing everyone around them with their coolness.

OK, so maybe this ring isn’t going to change who I am, and I’m not hoping it will either. What makes the ring such a desirable object for me is that’s it’s not something I would usually drool over. It’s not exactly my style, and I like to invest in pieces that I can wear often, that are generic and go with everything. While that philosophy can make your bang for your wardrobe buck go pretty far, it can get a little monotonous (so maybe it does make me a tad of a snooze, you win). Read More »