Lulu’s is one of my favorite online stores. They have a great selection of unique clothes and accessories from emerging designers. I love their dresses and jewelry the most, but they also have amazing tops, skirts, bags, shoes and more! And the best part is, their prices are pretty affordable! Check out my $20 and under picks, which are all available now at Lulu’s!

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Tweed might make you think of a stereotypical professor - the old man (who doesn’t know how to use email) with elbow patches on the tweed blazer he wears every single day, the one that looks like he’s wearing since he started teaching 30 odd years ago. Well throw this image out the window, because tweed is a gorgeous fabric that should be in every college girl’s (and guy’s for that matter) wardrobe.

This gorgeous textured fabric is perfect for fall, especially for the college girls. It’s a thicker fabric that will keep you warm. It comes in several neutral shades, making it the perfect compliment to your rich colored tops. And while the tweed blazer is always a classic, if you feel too stuffy in one, there are many alternatives to work it into your wardrobe. Think winter shorts, dresses, bags, and even the knee-high socks that are so popular this season.

So forget about Professor Boring McTweed and embrace the new tweed of 2010.

[Click the image for all the shopping info!]

Every morning when I get off the subway to go to school, I have to walk right past Forever 21. And it’s torture.  School been in session for three weeks now, and there has been this super hot navy lace dress (I think it’s a dress, but you never know with that store…) every time I walk by.  Seeing as I don’t REALLY need another dress (remember how I bought 3 in the spring?) I’ve been trying really hard not to go in and buy it in all its gorgeous, lacy glory.  So far I’ve been successful, thanks to the fact that my classes start before the store opens (which might be the only redeeming thing about 9am class).

The good news for me and every other girl out there with a closet full of frocks: dresses aren’t the only way to incorporate lace this season. This dainty, feminine fabric is on everything right now (both in and out of the bedroom), even showing up in some new and unexpected ways. Our girls over at CollegeFashion have even put it on their Back to School shopping list; do you even need another reason to stock up?

Oh you do? Well here are 15.

(And if you do happen to find and purchase that little navy lace dress, let me know so I can live vicariously through your closet.)

[Click on the pics to shop!]

We launched a photo contest at the beginning of the semester that challenged all our readers to send in a Welcome Week photo that said “I love being back at school.” While we expected a few good ones, we were in no way prepared for the awesomeness onslaught we got when we started looking through your photos on our Facebook wall. From slip and slides to ski shots, we were impressed with your Welcome Week spirit…and jealous of how much fun you are all clearly having.

And of course, the winner will be having a lot more fun when she goes home with $500 from lulus.com!

We chose our top five favorite entries (which was hard, let me tell you) and posted them here so YOU can vote on which one most says WELCOME WEEK. Because, honestly, we’re too busy looking through our own Welcome Week photo albums (insert nostalgia) to pick our favorite.

You have from now until noon ET on Monday, September 27th to cast your vote. Then we’ll close the polls, count the votes and announce the BIG WINNER on Twitter and Facebook (so start following us, fools). And then she’ll jump for joy and spend the next 10 hours poring over Lulus.com, figuring out how she’ll spend that $500!

P.S. If you’re one of the lucky finalists, be sure to promote your photo on Twitter and Facebook! $500 dollars worth of new clothes is at stake. This is no time for modesty!

Check out the finalists then scroll down to vote for your favorite below.

The Finalists:

“The senior is an easily entertained species. Here it can be observed during its ‘Welcome Week,’ drinking many fluids and watching freshmen prey move in. But for every 3 surviving seniors, 1 does not make it through the week.”
Submitted by Caroline.

“I’m so excited for to be back at- zzzzzzz.” (Good call on the 2 bottles of water, though!)
Submitted by Alexandra.

Campus maintenance really shouldn’t leave those garbage bags just sitting around.
Submitted by Kelly.

No need to stop the party to attend the first day of classes at Texas State.
Submitted by Erica.

Two porches, one pong table. One hella awesome Welcome Week.
Submitted by Sarah.

Leather is one of the biggest fabrics for fall 2010.  It is also one of the easiest to embrace because EVERYTHING can be made in leather: bags, shoes, leggings, shorts, jackets, skirts…the list goes on.  And I love it all. Leather is sexy. It’s edgy. And it makes everything look cool.

Leather items are almost magical in their ability to transform an outfit. Just add one leather piece and you’ve got an entirely new look. Pair your favorite floral dress with a structured leather belt or a moto-jacket and you’ve got a totally different style. Or add some edgy, buckled boots to a pair of skinny jeans and your favorite camisol from last season and – bam! – your look in updated. (That being said, make sure not to go overboard; you want to look edgy, not like a member of Hell’s Angels.)

Even those opposed to wearing leather (or meat dresses….) can get in on the trend, as many designers and chains are offering up a variety of faux (and fabulous) leather pieces. Seriously, there is something for everyone, and you should definitely get out there and take advantage. Not sure where to start? Here are 15 awesome options to choose from.

[Click on each image to get all the info.]

If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s official: I’m smitten with all things military-inspired.  Despite the short summer season, by the time fall clothes begin to hit shelves, I’m already swooning over cardigans, boots and fall jackets.  After spending all summer trying to dress in ways to prevent heat exhaustion (and hide pit stains), I crave layers and structured clothing.

Sure I love cute summer dresses, strappy sandals and bright colors, but right now all I want is olive (and not just garnishing a martini).  Olive is technically a shade of chartreuse – meaning it’s partially between yellow and green. When it is closer to yellow, it’s referred to as ‘olive’ and when it’s closer to green it’s called ‘olive drab.’  (There, that’s your color lesson of the day!)  Olive drab was the standard color of fabric for American military uniforms in World War II – hence the association with the military trend.

This year there are many pieces, both military-inspired and otherwise, made in olive, meaning you have one more neutral to incorporate into your everyday life. One of the best things about this color is that since it’s quite similar to the color of dirt you can wear your olive goods one more time before you have to wash them. (Score!) And if the structured pieces with masculine details aren’t your choice of garnish, try an olive colored jersey top or maybe an accessory, because there are so many choices out there!

Sure summer was great, but we’re secretly thrilled to be done with the sunburns, bikini body issues, and living at home.

We’re insanely excited to get this school year off to an awesome start — and we know you are too. There’s no other week in the school year filled with quite the same excitement, enthusiasm, and hangover headaches as Welcome Week.

So to celebrate your school spirit we’re kicking off this semester with a Welcome Week Photo Contest. Upload your best welcome week photos (the photos that scream “I’m SO excited to be back at school”) to our Facebook wall and be eligible to win a $500 gift certificate from Lulus.com.

You have until September 20th to post your photos (with a stellar caption), at which time we’ll choose the 5 that made us want to pack our bag and go back to college best. We’ll post those 5 on CollegeCandy on September 21st and leave it up to you, our fine readers, to vote for the best.

Whoever’s photo gets the most votes will take home $500 worth of fantabulous fashion from Lulus.com. We’ll announce the winner right here, so come back and claim your prize.

So what are you waiting for? Get offline and go make some photo magic!

What’s the one thing you should have in your closet before moving to school?  It’s definitely not a pair of sweats or an oversized tee. But, if you do it right, this very special wardrobe essential can feel just as good.

I’m talking about the cotton dress. The kind of dress you can put on no matter how many pints of Ben & Jerry’s you ate last night and still look like a million bucks, without sacrificing comfort.  This dress is ESSENTIAL for college life.  It can be dressed up with your hottest pair of heels, or dressed down with a pair of flip flops or flats.  Really, it should be called the Endless Opportunities Dress.

If I haven’t sold it enough already, think about this:  Maybe you start to put on some frosh 15 and the band of your kind-of-tight-pre-college skinny jeans are cutting into your flesh.  While you could look like a schlump in a pair of sweatpants with your school team stamped across your tush, you could INSTEAD slip on this dress, a pair of leggings and some cute boots, and look and feel super hot.  Yes, this dress is that amazing.  And the absolute best part? The cotton or jersey material making up these frocks makes them super comfy AND easy to wash.  Which, once you’re doing your own laundry, is a definite MUST.

If you’ve grown a bit sea sick from all the nautical-inspired clothes you’ve been sporting this summer, why not return to dry land and go more utilitarian with the military-inspired pieces dominating stores?  These pieces have a harder look, with cargo pockets, neutral colors and grommet detailing.  Though many of these pieces are quite masculine, the neutral coloring means they can easily be softened with feminine pieces such as floral dresses.  Think combat boots with tights, a floral mini dress and cardigan.  So cute!

The best thing about this style? While military inspired pieces have been pretty trendy for a few seasons now, the utilitarian coats are a classic investment piece that can stay in your wardrobe for years to come. And they’ll come in handy if, you know, you ever need to go on an incognito stalking mission. What, just me?

Fun fact about color – any color in the spectrum that is a mixture of blue/green can be referred to as a cyan. Under this broad term is the ever popular turquoise and many similar shades of fabulous.

This year, Pantone named turquoise the color of the year, and items in this hue have turned up in pretty much every store this season.  Turquoise is a a color that people respond to positively. Wearing it will give off good vibes, which is perfect for summer! The color is universally flattering, meaning everyone can find a piece perfect for their wardrobe.  And, a popular choice for jewelry and accessories, turquoise can add a pop of color to make your LBD stand out, while a bold dress or skirt in the color can take those neutrals to another level.

As people associate turquoise and other similar shades with water, cyan allows those ladies landlocked like myself to channel the ocean vibe even if they’re hundreds (or thousands) of kilometers away. Oh, and it looks great with a tan. Yeah, turquoise rocks.