[While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.]

She’s a senior and while she may be dealing with a bad case of Senioritis, her style certainly isn’t. No matter what time she wakes up in the morning – sometimes ten minutes before class…and sometimes ten minutes after it’s started – Jessica always stays fly and manages to pull on something cute. Even if its her simple staple look – one of her many v-necks, a scarf, and a pair of comfy jeans. She just makes everything look good. What got me to notice her in a sea of students wearing jeans and v-necks, though?

Her hot pink Longchamp bag and a fantastically contrasting bright scarf. This girl just knows how to stand out.

Name: Jessica
Year: 2010
Major: Political Science, Global Health Certificate
Jessica in 3 words: tongue-in-cheek, spontaneous, eclectic

1) Describe your personal style.

I’ve never really defined my personal style; it’s pretty eclectic and definitely varies with my mood. I’m from San Francisco and people sometimes tell me I have that easy-going West Coast vibe: skinny jeans, colorful Chucks, v-neck tee, and scarf. I love v-neck tees and have them in every color. Sometimes I’ll feel more girly and wear a pretty sundress with sandals or flip-flops (never heels, just too uncomfortable for me). I don’t know, I go through phases! I’ve been through a punk phase, a boho phase, a hipster phase…I don’t have much time to get ready in the morning, though, so I definitely go for something comfortable and easy to wear. Read More »

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

I’ve known Meagan since elementary school, and she’s always been one of the happiest people I know (she’s a cheerleader so she has to be, I guess). Her clothing choices are always full of color and spunk, and she is the definition of cute: a tiny body with a big personality that shines through her outfits. She doesn’t sacrifice comfort for fashion, however, because she believes that fashion is not necessarily about looking good, but feeling good. And that is the most inspiring thing I’ve heard about fashion in a long, long time.

Name: Meagan
Year: 2012
Major: mechanical engineering
Meagan in 3 words: levelheaded, nerdy, friendly

1) Describe your personal style.
Casual and comfortable, but definitely cute. Most days you’ll see me in a nice top with jeans and flats. I’m very down to earth, not overly girly with lots of make-up or anything dramatic. Just comfy and cute.

2) You can’t leave your house without your ________.
Cell phone.

3) What is your favorite store to shop at?
Nordstrom – they have everything you need from outerwear to underwear. Read More »

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls (and guys!) on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

Meet my childhood friend, Alex! He’s one of the best dancers I know, and represents the new era of fashion that incorporates a street style mixed with urban chic. Every time I see him he’s always dancing; whether it be popping and locking while talking, or doing the finger tut. And all the while in Nike Dunks and a sick graphic tee.

He may be a dude, but his fashion inspires me. If only I could look that cool in a pair of shiny gold kicks.

Name: Alex
Year: 2011
Major: Business and Economics
Alex in 3 words: Loud. Passionate. Dance(r).

1) Describe your personal style.
My personal style is a mixture of different influences. I really love the colorful shirts and sneakers of the west coast but I also love graphic tees and crazy fitted hats. Essentially, I try to ensure that whenever I go out, no one else looks like me.

2) You can’t leave your house without your ________.
59fifty hat. Read More »

As you may have gathered from my previous articles, I am a shopaholic.  Even if I have no money, I can’t help but scour the internet for deals at the online sample sales (seriously, check out Ideeli, it’s amazing).  And even though I can’t always buy sustainable products, I still try to buy in sustainable ways.

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S. Read More »

Yeah, I know this is blurry. It's hard to capture such fabulosity.

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

And if there’s one girl who’s got some fashion courage it’s Lauren. I spotted her on campus because, well, it’s impossible not to spot her. She’s always decked out in bright colors, bold accessories and some serious confidence. Oh, and her perfect hair helps, too.

We started talking fashion and before I knew it, we were back at her dorm. Where she showed me her closet. Sigh. It was a wonderful place.

Name: Lauren
Year: 2012
Major: Spanish and Religion
Lauren in 3 words: Chill, fly, gansta

1) Describe your personal style.

I have a very eclectic style; I definitely go for bright colors and fun animal prints, something really crazy. You can tell by my hair. Fierce.

2) You can’t leave your house without your ________.

Ipod. For sure. Read More »

There are some people who always come to school looking like they just picked up whatever piece of clothing was in their line of sight, that may or may not be clean (determined by the ever scientific “Sniff Test”). Then there are others who are always dressed so fashionably that you wonder if they live in a clothing store. Or how freaking early they wake up to pull an entire outfit together before making the trek to class.

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style. And maybe a restraining order or two. But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

Enter Sarah.

Even though she isn’t in college anymore, Sarah still exudes the typical college girl enthusiasm for new clothes and the word “sale.” When I approached her and begged to take a picture of her look, she agreed… but only if I took a picture of the back of her skirt. She wanted to show off the best parts of her look: the pretty metallic details and ruffles next to the rich color of her scarf.  She’s also got this very Nicole Richie, I-didn’t-try-too-hard twisted pin-up braid going on that’s super cute and complements the entire look perfectly.

As a recent college grad, Sarah is always busy running to and from interviews and meetings. She doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on makeup and hair, which she doesn’t mind. Her style philosophy: a cute outfit to match her bag and long, flirty eyelashes. Sweet and simple. I love it. Read More »

There are some people who always come to school looking like they just picked up whatever piece of clothing was in their line of sight, that may or may not be clean (determined by the ever scientific “Sniff Test”).

Then there are others who are always dressed so fashionably that you wonder if they live in a clothing store. Or how freaking early they wake up to pull an entire outfit together before making the trek to class.

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style. And maybe a restraining order or two. But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

So meet Chloe. Whenever I see her on campus, she always has the cutest outfits on that make you think of picnicking in green meadows and somersaulting across the grassy field. Her style is always really fresh with girly touches like headbands and hair pins, and plenty of gold-toned jewelry to go with. And no one has ever seen her without a cloth bag. Ever. She has defined her own style and done it well. That is why Chloe is my muse of the week.

Name: Chloe M.
Year: 2011
Major: History
Chloe in 3 words: outgoing, treehugger, spontaneous.

1) Describe your personal style.
Feminine with a twist. I love shopping at vintage stores, you can always find something that is unique and so YOU at the same time. And there’s less of a chance you’ll run into a girl wearing the same thing. Fashion crisis averted.

2) You can’t leave the house without your ____.
Hobo bag! You can fit anything you want inside it, a pack of gum, a notebook, sometimes even a laptop. I seriously have one of every color. Read More »

There are some people who always come to school looking like they just picked up whatever piece of clothing was in their line of sight, that may or may not be clean (determined by the ever scientific “Sniff Test”).

Then there are others who are always dressed so fashionably that you wonder if they live in a clothing store. Or how freaking early they wake up to pull an entire outfit together before making the trek to class.

While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls (and guys!) on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style. And maybe a restraining order or two. But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.

And to kick off this whole revolution I chose my friend Shane. I couldn’t think of a more fashionable person; he makes bold choices with his wardrobe daily, making him not only my best dressed guy friend, but my best dressed friend. Period. I mean, isn’t his whole silver eclectic vibe amazingly hot?

Here’s the deets:

Name: Shane Yang
Year: 2010
Major: English with a minor in Chinese
Shane in 3 words: Urban, metro, chic. Read More »

I love shopping, but I just can’t help but feel a tad guilty every time I invest in another mother-earth-will-cry-when-I-wear-this kinda number.

I know that the clothing industry contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, and tons of waste, but I really can’t bring myself to be Goodwill’s number one customer.  Don’t get me wrong, thrift and consignment shopping is awesome, especially in economic times such as these, but once in a while I want something new of my own.

So what’s a girl to do?  Find cute, eco-conscious clothes that don’t make you look like you’re wearing a sack of potatoes.  And that’s exactly what I have done.  All of these have been cuteness certified by yours truly, so feel free to go ahead and splurge!

Plato’s Closet:  This is one of my personal faves.  It’s a consignment shop, but this place is anything but shabby.  They have tons of designer jeans for super cheap – plus they’re pre-broken in.  I also sell a lot of my clothes here because you get money up front instead of having to wait the 10 years for your senior prom dress to finally sell.  Cute clothes, money in your pocket, and green shopping – what more could you ask for?  Check out the Plato’s Closet website for locations in your area!

Good Society Denim: Now to move on to the new stuff.  The best thing about Good Society denim is that their clothes look like high quality designer jeans with all the benefits of an organic label.  They only use 100% fair trade organic denim, making all of their products entirely sustainable.  The top of my wish list is their Straight Cut Denim in Raw, which, at the semi-meager price of $93 (hey, it’s cheap compared to the $210 True Religions everyone is wearing), is soon to become a reality.

Stewart and Brown: Established in 2002, Stewart and Brown is one of the top non-granola-y green brands out there.  They have a cute, Urban Outfitters-esque style featuring clothes only made from 100% organic cotton grown from non-genetically modified seeds and other sustainable fabrics.  Plus, they donate 1% of their profit to various charities to keep giving back.  Pick up one of their cute dresses and then bask in your eco-conscious glory.

Beyond Skin:  100% of Beyond Skin’s shoes are vegan and made from entirely earth-friendly materials such as polyurethane leather and polyester satins.  And like Stewart and Brown, Beyond Skin donates a percentage of their profits to environmental and social projects.  I personally recommend the Cherub pumps in black hemp (you can’t even tell it’s not leather).  All products are shipped from England, so it’s not the most eco-conscious thing for us Americans, but it’s definitely better than the fugly pleather alternatives.

You know what they say in baseball: “Three strikes, and you’re out!” And now we know the same is true in Project Runway.

But more on that later.

First let’s discuss Tim Gunn in flip flops and Wayfarers. If that’s not the best moment in Project Runway history, I’m not sure what is. I just wanted to pinch those little cheeks. But there was no time for that, what with the surfwear team challenge!

Oooooh.
Aaaaah.

Everyone knows that team challenges are a disaster and a half, so I had a feeling this episode was going to be pretty delicious. I immediately began placing bets (with myself) as to who would work together best, who would go up in flames like a Sambucca shot, and who would just sorta coast through the challenge and get zero camera time.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that Ra’mon and Milk Dud the dud that is Mitchell would be a whole lot of hot mess. Especially after Mr. Mitch declared that he chose Ra’mon so he could “carry him.” I normally love me an adorable gay man, but this guy is just too much.

And how does he welcome his partner to the team? By criticizing Ra’mon for picking out “some pretty ugly things.” You know what, Mitchell? Ra’mon might have an eclectic taste in fabrics, but at least his clothes look good. Yours, on the other hand… well, we’ve all seen your crap coming down the runway (and the nipples exposed beneath it). And so did the judges, which is why you haven’t made it out of the bottom two yet!

Ooooh, SNAP! Read More »