While walking the NYC streets the other day I noticed a change in fashion. People were flaunting new prints, new colors, and, overall, new styles. After many head turning moments it finally hit me. Spring fashion has arrived! Now if you’re a total fashion nut like myself then you already have seen the runway shows and know all the new styles. But if you’re not then you’re in luck. I’m here to help! I’ve gathered the top 2012 spring fashion trends. Check ‘em out!

We’ll start with color first.

1. Pops of neon color: Mix a neon color (pink, green, blue, any color will do!) into your everyday attire. Add neon blue earrings or a neon pink satchel. It’ll brighten your outfit instantly!
2. Pastels: Spring is a pretty time and what’s prettier than pastels! You can mix an array of pastels. The soft colors blend nicely! However, sea foam green seems to be the most popular.
3. Orange: Orange seems to be the hit color in all departments. Entire orange outfits are cropping up everywhere! If you want a more simple style, stick to orange bags, jackets and shoes.

Next we’ll cover patterns.

1. Floral prints: So huge for spring. This is my absolute favorite trend! Floral prints are pretty, feminine and can add flare to simple outfits. Floral print pants seem to be all the rage. So find a pair as quickly as you can and hold on tight to them!
2. Tribal patterns: It seems as though the popularity of tribal patterns from winter has carried into spring. Tribal patterns are edgy and somewhat sexy. A tribal shirt or jacket can add edge to any outfit.
3. Bold prints: This is cool if not overdone. Bold prints are an article of clothing that have different patterns (swirls, geometric shapes etc.) and colors blended into one. These are great for any nighttime outfit.
4. Futuristic patterns: This goes above and beyond the classic patterns. Futuristic prints appear as though they are digital patterns on articles of clothing. If wearing a jacket with a futuristic pattern keep the rest of the outfit simple. Remember to not go overboard!

Finally the remaining trends.

1. Sporty: Don’t be thrown. These sporty looks are very feminine. Most of them show high collared shirts with longer sleeves or a broad shoulder jacket with a prominent zipper. Stylists are pairing these with cute, loose shorts and coloring them in pastels and pinks. The results are the perfect combination between feminine and sporty.
2. Colorblocking: This trend is exactly how it sounds. Clothing are designed with chunks, vertical or horizontal, of specific colors or shades of one color. Soon enough you’ll be seeing this style all over your favorite stores!
3. Peplum Ruffles: This is a very specific ruffle. It is one ruffle resting on your waist line either from your shirt or skirt. It’s very feminine and adds a bit of flare to an outfit.

Hope this helped. Happy Spring everybody!

[Lead image via curlychellez.blogspot.com]

[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:

1. Early Morning Classes

At some point in your college career you’re going to find yourself dealt the unfortunate hand of early morning classes. For some of us that might mean 8 or 9am and for our more grizzly bear-like friends, early morning classes might mean 10 or 11 (noon is pushing it, guys). Chances are after class you’re just going to roll right back into bed and take a killer nap. So why get dressed to just take it all back off again? Personally, I don’t like to actually get dressed until I’m showered and clean; there’s something about putting a pair of jeans on an unwashed and unloved body that just rubs me the wrong way. Sorry, but I’m not bending over backwards to put on a pair of jeans at 8am when the cutest boy in the room is still wearing his outfit from last night.  While the rest of the girls in the room might judge, be my guest. If you’re more interested in the condition of my clothing than of lecture going on up front, I think we know who’s going to walk away with a higher GPA.

2. Late Night Drunk Bites

The first thing that goes through my mind when they announce last call is snacks. Drunk eating is seriously important to me. Laugh all you want, but I’m sure it’s something you feel strongly about when you’re wasted too. In my mind, the late night drunk bite is as important as the drinks themselves. So now that you all know how much I like to eat, you’ll understand how much I don’t want to put jeans on in the morning. It doesn’t matter if I had a grape or half of a deep dish pizza, when I wake up the morning after and I’m hung-over and miserable, I’m not trying to put on anything tight or form-fitting until at least after 2pm (unless my parents are in town because then I have to suck it up and in). So what if I gain a couple of college pounds? I’ll go to the gym a lot this week. Or maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll just enjoy the fact that I’m 22 and in a few short years I’m going to spend the rest of my life wishing for my 22 year old metabolism. So ladies, scarf down your chicken-bacon-ranch slices with pride and be proud of your sweats!

3. Cozy, Comfy Reminders of Home

Someone mentioned in a comment that they loved their sweatpants because they reminded them of their high school sports teams and I couldn’t agree more. I played sports all throughout middle and high school and I love to throw on a pair of my faded, perfectly comfy lived-in sweats and lounge around. I’m sure a lot of you agree with this, too. Sometimes when you’re homesick or having a rough day, it only takes something small and simple to bring you closer to home: a smell, a show, a blanket, cookies or an article of clothing.

4. Up All Night Studying

Let me ask this first: who pulls an all-nighter in jeans and a blouse? Thought so. So now let me ask what you’re wearing if you’re not wearing jeans and a blouse? Right. Sweatpants. College is like a breeding ground for round the clock studying with big coffees in hand. Now, after you spend the entire night cramming for your linguistics exam what are you going to wear to take the exam? When you’re preoccupied with stuffing your brain full of phonological lingo, things like “showers” and “meals” become luxuries that you probably just don’t have time for. Chances are you’re going straight from your uncomfortable dorm room floor to your uncomfortable classroom seat, note-cards in hand, muttering to yourself. Who wants to be uncomfortable in their exam clothes? No thanks; I’d rather not tug at the back of my jeans all test long hoping my undies aren’t exposed to the nerd behind me. Instead, I’d rather being focusing on remembering where the hell that /g/ sound is formed in the mouth. And again, if you’re too busy studying the horrors of my sweatpants than answering question 63, guess who’s walkin’ away the sweatpants smarty-pants!?

While I’m sure there are tons and tons of other reasons we could think of that make sweatpants socially acceptable (like laundry day, last minute supermarket runs, cold weather) there are a few things left to discuss. Whoever said wearing anything “sweat” in public is just wrong, obviously never felt the warm, cozy, comfy bliss of a sweatshirt before.

Shout-out to all those sweatshirt virgins out there! Think hoodies are the fashion industry’s gift to (wo)mankind? Wait ‘til you wrap yourself around a pair of sweatpants. Talk about comfortable!

And as my final stand in defense of our comfy sweats, the iconic, ever-stylish Coco Chanel once said, “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

So bring on the luxury and bring out the sweats!

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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.

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.

Since for some reason 90% of the people I know here left for the weekend, I spent a good majority of Sunday cleaning out my closet. I found a hidden stash of cheesy t-shirts (The Beets Killer Tofu Tour, anybody?) and a great deal of things I forgot I even had. After a load of laundry, there are six “new” free shirts hanging next to “new” jeans, and a huge bag of stuff for the local Goodwill. Another pro: I was able to make a list of things I actually needed, like flats without holes forming around the big toe, instead of just going back to the world of shopping with some crazy bedazzled thing I’ll never wear.

I got a lot of comments from you ladies wanting to do the same challenge but didn’t think you could. Believe me, I didn’t think I could either. But it’s not as hard as it seems, promise! Just remember these few things:

1. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you caved on a new pair of shoes, don’t throw your whole challenge away!
2. Don’t go too extreme! Cutting out all unnecessary spending (ie: anything except groceries and rent) was not an option. But leaving your debit card at home and only keeping $20 on you for nights out is definitely reasonable for anybody.
3. Wait to click “submit order.” If you really love something, wait to order it and if after a few days you’re still thinking about it, get it. The wait will ensure that you think the shirt/skirt/etc is worth the money and will fit nicely within your current wardrobe.
4. Don’t go back to your old ways as soon as it’s done. After a month though, you’ll never want to.  With all of the money you’ll save over the course of a few months you’ll be able to pay for next year’s Spring Break trip to Cabo.

Well, the easy part of my challenge is over: next comes the budgeting part. Thanks for all of your support (I was able to please my mom!) and advice. We’ll have a new lady sharing her challenge next month, but I’m definitely not done with this one yet. Wish me luck!

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.

So this month is going to be a hard one. Not only do I have to go 30 days without purchasing new swim suits or sparkly tank tops or dresses for my cat, I seriously need to take a good, hard look at the money I spend. My mom has actually called many times to talk about my money management and “saving money for after graduation” or some bullsh*t like that, and I don’t want to disappoint my mama! I honestly have no idea how it’s going to go and if I’m going to be able to do it. But, at least I get to share my misery with you ladies.

Here’s to hoping that there are no new spring clothing window displays on the way to class next Monday. Or no tempting emails from RueLaLa this weekend. Or no VS catalogs coming to my mailbox during the entirety of April.

Oh god. I’m scared.

[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.

This site not only breaks down what your favorite Hollywood fashionistas are wearing, but it also gives you the lowdown on where you can find them for yourself. And it’s so easy to use;  you can search by the celebrity’s name or browse by one of the many categories, such as product type (clothes, shoes, etc.), event, celebrity type (actors & actresses, musicians, athletes, etc.), and more. So whether you’re looking for Anne Hathaway’s latest ‘fit, or you just can’t quite remember that girl’s name with the great shoes from the Grammys, you’ll find what you’re looking for.  Coolspotter’s ease of use and searchability makes it, as a quote by Rachel Zoe on the front page states, “the Google of people and products.”

Another great feature of the site is the user-generated content.  The “spotters” part of the site’s name refers to user-found (or rather, user-spotted) details (“spots”) in pictures, which, much like Wikipedia, other users can add to or edit incorrect information.

If you’re interested in the hottest trends in fashion and beauty out there, you’ve gotta check out Coolspotters.  Not only will you discover some great trends, but, who knows, maybe you’ll learn enough to start some of your own!

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:

By occasion: Separate your closet into three partitions: one for casual clothes, one for work wear, and one for going out. If you can, separate your accessories, shoes, and jewelry in the same way. This seems like a pretty simple way to organize until you hit the items that do double – or even triple-duty – so make sure to create a couple of spaces that have room for overlap. When it’s time to get dressed, just visit the appropriate section and – voila – you’ve got your look right there in front of you.

By texture: I might understand color pretty well, but I tend to be clueless when it comes to texture. I know that Clinton and Stacy say it’s really important, so if you’re more savvy than I am, it might suit you well to organize your closet in this way. Just take a cotton from this corner and a tweed from that side and you’re done. Oh, and having a whole rack of smooth silks lookin’ back at you will come in handy when you need something sexy on the fly.

By item: This is pretty much a no-brainer and is probably the way most of you have your closets organized now. If you go for logic, go for this method. If you need a skirt, it’s sitting there with the rest of the skirts. Same goes for shirts, jeans and undies. Perfect!

Whatever you choose, re-organizing your closet can save you tons of time and completely reinvigorate your wardrobe. No need to go spending all that hard-earned cash; just re-think what you’ve already got and work it in a new way.

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.

Daniel Radcliff

Everyone’s favorite wizard is a bonafide cutie patootie.  He’s got the eyes, the hair, the smile, and the accent to pull any girl he likes – but watch out!  The minute Daniel strips down, you better put on some shades because that kid is paler than I am.  Yes, he’s got a pretty sweet body from all those nude plays and Harry Potter fight sequences, but you won’t be able to see it beyond the glare his freakishly white skin produces.

Chris Noth

Oh, Mr. Big.  Just like Carrie, I have a love/hate relationship with you.  I love when you wear deliciously tailored suits and crack a smug smile or two.  I hate when you take your clothes off and obliterate any sexy time imaginings I may have been having about you.  Put the gut away – you look too sexy in clothes to be seen without any.

Pierce Brosnan

James Bond = Sex.  That’s just the way it goes.  Any 007 is pure sex walking around in a Gucci suit or whatever he feels like pulling off at that moment.  They can wear anything and I’ll be all over it (well, not literally…stupid restraining orders).  When they wear nothing, even better – oh wait, no.  Not true.  Throw a shirt over that thick mass of gray chest hair, please, Pierce.

Steven Tyler

As a rock legend, Steven Tyler has been workin’ it for decades.  He’s the original hipster, rolling with the skinny  jeans and scarves.  He represents the epitome of rock and roll and all the strange and fascinating fashion choices that come with that title.  He’s also really skinny and kind of scary looking without any clothes on.  Really scary.  The word “skeletor” comes to mind.

Russell Crowe

I love my gladiator sandals, but a real gladiator…now that I could get on board with.  Who didn’t want to be locked up with Russell Crowe, wearing a toga and some sweet sandals?  The man is cut…sort of.  Well, he was, anyway.  Now he’s in need of some serious Man Spanxx and clothing at all times.  And even he thinks so – he won’t be seen without a shirt anywhere. Way to be considerate, Russy.

Val Kilmer

If you can make a suit of black spandex, latex, and a cape look good (especially when you throw a pair of bat ears on top), then you deserve the title of “sexy pants.”  Val Kilmer has shown us over and over again why we adore him.  Unfortunately, when he goes out without his clothes on, he also gives us reason to team up with The Riddler to take him down.

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.

John – UConn: Girls, secretly, men all wish we could be pretty like you. I mean, right? Right, guys?

Thu – USC: Five-inch heels are not necessary for class. Seriously.

Erica – Kent State University: Don’t hate the girl, hate YOUR GUY.

Lauren – University of Michigan: The number inside your clothes doesn’t matter. What does matter is how they fit. You’ll only look bigger if you try and squeeze that booty into a size too small.

Ricki- University of Michigan: You may think that faking an orgasm is a good idea, but in reality, your man will never learn the real way to please you.  Try instructing him instead.

Lauren H – The New School: Always carry condoms! You cannot rely on men to be prepared!

Katie – Michigan State University:  Pajamas are for your bedroom, not anywhere else.  I don’t care if it’s only the grocery store, even jeans and a tee-shirt are better!

Donnette – Manhattanville College: DO NOT depend on a guy to boost your self esteem. Find yourself, love yourself, respect yourself.

Noa – CU Boulder: Making out with other girls doesn’t make guys want you. It makes them think you’re trashy.

Vanessa – Sheridan College: You WILL be okay, even if you’re single.

Liza M – University of Minnesota: Invest in quality, well-fitting bras! Seriously girls, they make all the difference – you’ll look and feel fabulous

Charlsie — Hollins University: Every woman needs to know how to check her oil by herself. It seems like a small task, but I think it’s pretty important.

Maddie – Tufts: Know when the something looks good on you, and if it doesn’t, don’t wear it just because it’s “in.” Ex. if you are not tall and somewhat thin, do not wear high waisted jean shorts. Just don’t!