Photo Credit 1, 2, 3

[This post and contest come hot off the Internet presses from our friends at CollegeFashion!]

As fashion fans, we all eagerly await the newest collections each season, oohing and ahhing over the looks we see on the runways. However, as college students, our budgets usually keep those runway looks out of reach. But with a little digging, you can create similar ensembles without emptying out your bank account. Every week, I’ll show you how to get a different runway look for less.

First up is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 collection. Back in March, his runway show featured an assortment of multi-colored striped pieces and brightly-colored accessories paired with neutrals. Jacobs’ show featured two hot Spring 2011 trends: bright colors and minimalism.

Want to learn how to get the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 look for less? Read on!

[Like it or not, we all judge people every day. Especially when it comes to their fashion choices. From the girl with the too-short skirt for class to the old guy who insists on wearing short shorts and doing butterfly stretches at the gym (yeah, try to get that visual out of your head), it's impossible not to form an opinion. And now we're gonna share those opinions with the world. Every week, I'll be highlighting a celebrity look that I may love/hate/not understand and see what you, my college fashionistas, think about it. So put on your Joan Rivers fashion cap (which is undoubtedly made out of all the skin she's had nipped and tucked over the years) and let it all out.]

When I was 13, I was not a style icon. I favoured t-shirts with Disney characters and jeans with words on the back in rhinestones (shudder), so it’s natural that I am jealous of Elle Fanning, who is a whole eight years younger than me and wearing Marc Jacobs. Read More »

Every girl needs a good purse (or 12). Whether you’re going for groceries or running from class to class, they are simply essential for holding all your, uh, essentials. Each week, I’m going to show you a fashionable, yet functional purse for the college crowd and let you know why you absolutely need it! I apologize ahead of time to your bank account.

Last time I did a purse inventory (it has to be done when you’ve got a collection like mine), I realized something: all of my purses are super-sized. You won’t find any mini’s hanging around in my closet! I’m 5’8, so I can rock larger purses and since I’m a student, I’m always looking for purses that fit at least a textbook and a notebook. However, this can be a problem when I’m looking for a lighter purse for a day of shopping or a night of margaritas at the local club. Can you imagine lugging a giant leather hobo to the bar? Don’t try it – speaking from experience here. So, when I saw Marc Jacobs Little Ukita, I knew it had to be mine.

The Little Ukita is a perfectly-sized purse. It measures 13 L x 10 H x 3.5 D and has both a short and long strap, making it super functional. You can even wear it cross-body! The leather is super buttery and the chic, graphic lining makes for a nice contrast. Every season, MBMJ keeps this classic shape in their rotation, but spices it up by releasing it in a whole new range of shades.

Read More »

Fashion Week.  A place for designer’s ambitions, dreams and hard work to spill out onto a runway in front of an intense, anticipating public eye.  In front of other sweaty-palmed designers.  In front of Anna Wintour and Blake Lively’s mane.

Excuse me for sounding dramatic, but isn’t that what Fashion Week is all about?  Being dramatic? Based on my nightly routine of viewing pages and pages full of lustful fashion lines this week, that seems to be the case. In fact, it seems that Fashion Week exploded this season.  It exploded right on my face.  And now I’m left blinking at a screen full of lace, sheer fabrics, bold colors, drapery, fur and tribal makeup.

At first, I couldn’t decide if I was liking anything that was popping out from behind the curtain. It looked like MC Hammer and Lucille Ball barfed onto some fabric, smeared the regurgitated styles all over models with paint on their faces and let it go on a long strip of runway.  The chic, bold colors and ’40s-inspired ideas came together awkwardly and I was pursing my lips like Ms. Wintour.

But after taking a moment to sit back and appreciate the artwork, craftsmanship and deeply thought out designs and styles, I started to find some beautiful pieces.  And I. mean. beautiful. Then I started drooling. Then I started Googling ways to make a couple thousand dollars fast so I could get my hands on some of these things. Then I got scared about selling my eggs/body. Then I gave up and just got excited for these thoroughly anticipated clothes to hit the racks so I can window shop with that glazed over look in my eyes before I pop into Forever 21 for the knock-offs.

Ready for some Fashion Week porn? Here are a few of my favorite things that came down the runway this week: Read More »

Another New York Fashion Week has come and gone, and if it weren’t for the fact that London starts up just as it ends, I’d be spiraling into a deep pit of fashion depression, downing Chunky Monkey as I flipped through pictures of my favorite collections for the 47th time. I’m not crazy, I just feel like this year NYFW and I took our relationship to the next level. Though we’ve been doing long distance forever, the live-streaming of my favorite shows has been making it easier to cope. We even spent Valentine’s day together this year, with our dear friends, Betsey and Marc.

Yeah, it’s kinda serious.

While shopping for Fall clothes is still many months away, there is lots to look forward to once you hit the mall come August (despite what we originally expected/feared). Next fall will be far from drab, with lots of bright and neon colors. And the little red dress you rocked on Valentine’s Day appears to have some staying power, so hang onto it! Oh and if you’re sick of the horizontal stripe, have no fear; Marc Jacobs was all about the polka dots, so you may have a new simple pattern to hate next year.

With some designers looking to the post-war 1940s for inspiration and others drawing from the grunge era of the ’90s, fall fashion is going to be varied, fun and exciting. And I can’t wait! Wonder what you’ll be wearing on the first day of classes? Here’s a look at the biggest trends from Fall 2011 NYFW: Read More »

10 party necklaces that make a statement

How to rock the polka dots trend this winter

Awesome alternatives to chapstick

How to mix gold and silver jewelry

Super cute Michael Kors Winter Boots Knockoffs for only $30

The perfect makeup kit for quick touch-ups

The best brow shape for your face

Win a Marc Jacobs bag!

Sensational gift ideas for the skincare fanatic

10 Cheap Womens Winter Boots to stay warm in

Spring trends as discussed by Redken Creative Consultant Guido

Add sparkle to your holiday outfits

One of the hardest parts of going back to school is how quickly my work is interrupted by New York Fashion Week.  I know I should crack a textbook, get started on an assignment or two, but it’s nearly impossible to focus with pictures from an endless number of talented designer collections.  Add in Style.com’s iPhone app and I’m even having trouble staying focused in class.

Thanks a lot, Fashion Week.

And now that the week is done and I’ve spent every last second of it drooling over flowy dresses and a whole lot of bare bellies, it’s time to narrow down the best of the best from this year’s Spring Fashion Week. It was exceptionally difficult to choose favorites (it seemed like every single designer pulled out all the stops and created nearly perfect collections this year!), but using a very scientific formula (a scale ranging from “I’d totes wear that” to “I’d cut out my own kidneys and sell them on the Black Market to buy that”) I’ve determined this year’s Fashion Week Designer All-Stars.

Sorry, Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch – I really did love your collections – but as Iman (of Canada’s Next Top Model) would say: you just didn’t make the cut.

[Click on the images to see the entire collection.] Read More »

Do you know what today is?

Yes, it’s Thursday.
But it’s not just any old Thursday. It’s the most fabulous Thursday of 2010.

It’s the first day of New York Fashion Week!

As we speak, the world’s biggest designers are putting the final touches on their ferosh spring 2011 looks, Rachel Zoe is going bananas over the Oscar looks she’ll inevitably find at the shows, Lindsay Lohan is waiting with baited breath to see if she’ll get any front row seats this year (I’m putting my money on no), and Anna Wintour is scouling from behind a pair of oversized sunglasses (standard).

Meanwhile, we’re busy living the slightly less glamorous life: writing the first papers of the year, getting back into the groove of seemingly endless homework assignments, or – if you’re as lucky as I am – studying for grad school admissions tests.

Let’s face it: the closest any of us college-going girls are going to get to this year’s Fashion Week is an impromptu clothing swap with our roommates. Read More »

Marc Jacobs does back-to-school.

Who are the worst celebrity role models?

Uh oh. Is Danielle Staub getting her own show?

When to intercept a friend’s drunken hook-up.

Dog’s doing funny things. Because it’s Wednesday.

Facing social pressures in college.

Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? The secret to perfect, frizz free hair!? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!

If you love fashion, you know what it’s like to count down to Fashion Week, excited to watch the trends for next year come parading down the runway and trying to envision how you’re going to interpret the style and make it your own. And then you look forward to said new trends hitting the shelves, combing through the racks and trying them on.

Until they don’t fit.

Because, let’s face it, most of this country cannot fit into the small sizes designers produce. Even more, it seems that sizes are getting smaller and smaller and what once fit you as a size ten, you can no longer even pull up over your legs!

But that may not be the case much longer. Much like fashion magazines, it looks like designers are starting to get the hint. (Let me take a moment to say MAZEL TOV! What took you so long?!) Starting this fall, Saks is going to start carrying extended sizes from designer faves like Chanel, YSL, Dolce & Gabanna, Fendi, Roberto Cavalli and Alexander McQueen. (Sizes will range from a 14 up to a size 20 depending on the line). OK, so most of us can’t afford those pricey labels, but we all know trickle down theory: what top designers do, the rest of the fashion industry does soon after. That means more fierce fashion in a range of sizes that will fit every woman, not just the size zero celebrities walking the red carpet.

And what’s more, it looks like Marc Jacobs may be joining the plus-size party in about a year! Marc’s business partner Robert Duffy Tweeted over the weekend saying:

“Your right. We gotta do larger sizes. I’m with you. As soon as I get back to NY. I’m on it! It will take me about a year. But stay with us”

Despite the fact that Robert’s grammar is a bit off (you’d think a businessman would know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’), this is most definitely something worth knowing about. And celebrating! FINALLY designers are getting the memo that the majority of us who pour over their designs season after season can’t even wear them without looking like a sausage casing. But not for long, ladies! Pretty soon girls of all sizes can rock a Chanel frock or a Marc Jacobs trench!

It’s about damn time.