[Last week one of our writers told you why she thought sweatpants should never be worn in public. A lot of you had some heated opinions, most of which disagreed and supported the argument for sweatpants -- wearing them from your bed to class...and everywhere in between. Turns out a few of the CC writers agreed with you, so we invited one of our lovely ladies to state her case for the other sweatpants lovin' side.]

Because our first go at deciphering the (ugly) language of sweatpants created such a stir, we’ve decided to give our readers what they want: a rebuttal argument in defense of our beloved, timeless sweatpants.

Clap your hands say yeah!

First, lets take a short stroll down memory lane. It is 8:54 on Monday morning in Burlington, VT and I have class at 9:10; the bus (UVM has five separate campuses all linked together by a bus system) comes at 9. Since I’m just rolling out of bed, I’m reaching for my sweatpants (if I’m changing pants at all).

Yup, that’s right, I’m grabbin’ my sweats. I’ll be the first to say it: I love ‘em!

So, for all of you that fled so quickly to the defense of my favorite sleepwear, lets dive right into the nitty gritty. Sweatpants, while they are definitely neither fashion forward nor even fashionable, are a definite YES for college girls. Here’s why: Read More »

Reject-proof pickup tactics

How much clothing should a person own?

Just more reports that Lea Michelle is a b*tch

Is your girlfriend’s ex off limits?

Pink looks like she is about to POP

Prom through the decades

3 relationships statuses Facebook should have

Prepare to swoooooon

10 things we LOVE about James Franco

The secret to dieting is….

There are some fashion rules you should follow.

Never show your legs and your cleavage at the same time? That’s a good one.
No denim on denim? Also a keeper.

Then, there are those rules that should just be ignored. Your purse doesn’t always have to match your shoes. You can mix prints. And most importantly you can wear white after Labor Day.

Of all the rules put forth by the fashion police, this one has always baffled me the most. Why is white only acceptable between Memorial Day and Labor Day? Why is it that this one color has such a limited lifespan, only to be paired with bikinis and boy shorts? From the plain white t-shirt, to the classic white button down, to winter white pieces, the color white is essential to every wardrobe, all year long. Below are some pieces that will make you want to wear white every day. Read More »

Before the big clean-out. And this is only one half.

Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month we’re following Kelly as she proves to her mom, and her wallet, that she can go one month sans shopping.

Finally, the last week of my challenge. I never thought I’d get here without sneaking around UrbanOutfitters.com at midnight to get my window shopping fix (Okay, so maybe I did it once. Or twice.), but here I am. And surprisingly, I’m not counting down until 11:59pm, April 30th with my credit card in my hand.

In other words, it was a successful month. There was a lot more to be learned than just limiting my purchases of white shirt after white shirt after white…you get the picture. Keeping track of all of my expenses was much more eye opening than I thought.

According to my paychecks (assuming that they are correct) there are literally hundreds of dollars that I can’t account for, because Starbucks here and there is never really Starbucks here and there. Every coffee, Jimmy Johns sandwich, tequila shot, etc., adds up to a pretty shocking number in the end.  For me, the purpose of keeping tabs on my expenses this month was solely to see how much I spend without a budget. Now that I know how much I’m spending on going out every week, I can make an accurate budget to keep me from ever spending that much again. Sure, I’ll have to switch from Martini Night to $1 Draft night, but after pre-gaming, Skol tastes the same as Grey Goose anyway. Read More »

That's not me. I wouldn't be caught dead in those shoes.

Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month we followed Norah from Drake University successfully get her swell on. This month we’re following Kelly as she proves to her mom, and her wallet, that she can go one month sans shopping.

Hello. My name is Kelly, and I’m a shopaholic.

I get more delight out of buying a new pack of Hanes v-necks than eating a Marco’s grilled cheese after bar close. Vogue is my porn of choice. Updating wish lists on all of my favorite online stores would be my favorite hobby. The feeling I get when someone compliments an outfit is complete ecstasy, and when I click “Confirm Purchase” after a successful skirt hunt, I reach the purest levels of happiness.

In that moment, life is perfect.

And my bank account officially hates me. I haven’t been able to put any money into my savings account for months because everything left over after food+bills+booze=clothes. I currently owe $142 to American Eagle, $86 to Victoria Secret, and my credit card is at its limit. I hide bags in the trunk of my car and tell my boyfriend I spend only $50 when I spent $150. Money leaves my pocket faster than ugly waitresses claim they had an affair with Tiger Woods and Jesse James and I’m sick of it. Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Zappos, DailyLit.com…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there. And more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

How often do you see a picture of a celebrity in a magazine or online and wonder where she got that amazing jacket/purse/pair of shoes?  If you’re anything like me, it happens all the time. But as I’ve found, it’s not always easy to find the answers.

Until I discovered Coolspotters. Read More »

So, I live in the Midwest and that means the onset of October is practically winter. I have only about two hoodies and sweaters that are anywhere near stylish, and I really want to do a complete fall wardrobe overhaul, but there’s just one tiny problem—I have about enough spare cash to buy a box of mints from the Old Navy checkout aisle, and that’s it.

Not even the Budget Stylista can help me out.

I can’t be the only one in this situation, right? Yeah, I thought not. Luckily, I came up with a solution that has seemed to triple my wardrobe and even saved me that extra money for some emergency Old Navy mints. Ready for it?

I reorganized my closet.

That’s right! I know it sounds like the opposite of groundbreaking, but roll with me here for a minute. It took me almost a whole day, but once I rearranged everything—and got rid of a bunch of old clothes along the way—it was like I had completely new stuff. My method was Color Organization, and it’s about what it sounds like—I took everything in my closet and sorted it by color. (Think Forever 21.) So if I had a purple formal dress and purple cut-off denim shorts, I put them next to each other. Yes, really.

You might think that all this created was a disorganized closet, but you’d be amazed by how many killer outfits I’ve put together since arranging things that way. Not only did I reassess everything I owned (most of which I had completely forgotten about!), but I was able to think of what I owned in a completely new way. I tend think in terms of color and what colors might look good together, so this has been revolutionary for me. It makes getting dressed in the morning soooo much easier (and more fun!); I just look at the colors and grab a few things that look good together. No thought, no fuss, no crawling under my bed to find that box of sweaters I put there last summer.

If you’re a color gal, too, give it a try. And if not, try one of these other organization systems on for size: Read More »

Some people were just meant to be naked.  They worked hard on their bodies (or were blessed by some freak chance of natural awesomeness) and I won’t stand in their way of presenting perfection to the world.  Hell, I always say that if I had the goods, I’d be showing ‘em off, too.  However, there’s a reason I’m not showing my “goods” to anyone.  Some people just look better with clothes ON.  Like me.  And these dudes:

Leonardo DiCaprio.

The man is smoldering on the red carpet…and pretty much everywhere else you find him with clothes on.  However, the beach (and we’re not talking the movie)?  Leo is a bit heavy on the man boobs and whatnot.  He should stick to the jeans + tee shirt rule at the very least. Read More »

Last week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to share their biggest piece of advice for dudes. Then I passive aggressively sent that link to every guy I know. What can I say? I’m a philanthropist.

This week I asked the writers to dole out the advice again. This time, though, we’re dishing it to the ladies. Not because we hate, but because we want to stop our fellow females from making huge life mistakes. YOu know, like wearing full makeup to the gym or starving themselves to fit some unrealistic standard of beauty.

Share your own nuggets of wisdom and advice with your sistas in the comments section.

Kiki – University of Missouri: Friends don’t let friends date Justin Bobbys. Also, you can probably get that top for $24.80 at Forever 21.

Gemma – NYU: Cliche but true: chicks before dicks. Men can be awesome, but you’ll have more fun if you spend less time thinking about ‘em, do what makes you happy, enjoy your kick-ass friends, and then let a lucky fella or two come along for the ride.

Alex – Lakehead University: Don’t compromise yourself for a boy. You won’t have to change anything about yourself when someone loves you.

Leah – Ryerson University: If you have to think about whether a piece of clothing is too short or too tight, it probably is. Read More »

[Life isn’t black and white. As much as we wish we simply loved or hated things, there is often that whole annoying gray area in the middle. Like how we love our BFF, but we just don’t know if we love him like THAT. Or how we love trashy TV, but we’re pretty sure it’s ruining our lives. Damn you, gray area; you make decision-making that much more complicated!]

I’ve always been baffled by American Apparel. Do I love their array of colorful t-shirts and skirts, or am I absolutely terrified by their unitards/gold lame leggings/sales guys in skinner jeans than mine? How can a store with such awesome clothes also carry things like this? Help, I’m torn.

Love it:

Is anyone else a huge fan of that dress you can wear practically 237 ways? I have one in black and it’s the perfect go-to dress for pretty much any occasion. It looks great as a halter, and can also be worn as a going out top or even a long skirt for more conservative occasions. Plus, as the name dictates, their clothing is all made right here in the US of A. And for all you green fashionistas – cotton from America is exposed to far fewer harmful chemicals than that produced overseas. Clothing with a conscience? Count me in!

Loathe it:

Eww, eww, EWW- have you seen their Yo Mama ad campaign? No one, let alone a lady with a watermelon in her belly, should wear a neon blue jumpsuit. It’s really embarrassing. And to be honest, why should I pay $17 for a t-shirt when I can get one that’s just as cute and probably half the price at Target?

So honestly, what do you all think? Is American Apparel totally hideous or is it quirky cool?