[The following is a guest post from our gal pals at CollegeFashion.net. These girls know their style. Seriously, if it weren't for them, we'd still be wearing JNCOs.]

Winter is in full swing. Whether you’re dealing with icy wind, slushy streets, or ceaseless snowfall, every college girl knows that winter weather means adjusting our wardrobes.

Bundling up in style, however, can present a variety of challenges – from finding cute and cozy layers, to worst of all, looking lumpy and frumpy. If you’re in need of some guidance on how to layer without looking lumpy or just some extra winter inspiration, consider this your handbook! Read More »

"A razor? What are you trying to say, honey?

Christmas is fast approaching. (Five days, but hey, who’s counting?) While I’m sure you’ve already picked out the perfect gift for everyone on your list, I bet you haven’t given much thought to what you’re getting this holiday season.

Well…I have.

I’ve taken my favorite Gleek’s (Brittany S. Pierce!) advice and made my Christmas list early and sent it on its way to the North Pole. But I know that even someone as prepared and as considerate as me (making it easy for my parents by adding what I wanted for Christmas to their Amazon shopping carts) will more than likely get stuck with a few bad Christmas gifts. It’s okay though, it’s a burden we all have to bear, so I’ll brave the post holiday madness and head to the return lines.

I just hope I don’t get anything quite as bad as these gifts. Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use celebrities (like Sarah Silverman) or movie characters (like Lux Lisbon) as style inspiration even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Emma Watson isn’t just that charming Brit that plays that one chick in that Harry Potter flick.  She’s grown before our eyes from the awkward 11-year-old Hermione to the classy, well-mannered face of Burberry with a personal style that, thankfully, doesn’t resemble anything you’d see in the halls of Hogwarts.

Emma didn’t always have that prep-school drop-out look she’s known for now.  In some older pictures during the early 2000′s, she dressed like any average 11-year-old – a little but awkward and unsure, but still a little experimental.  But as time went on, she experimented more and more, discovering what worked and what she liked and what expressed her (not Hermione’s) personality best.

And, like magic, she succeeded and has become a force to be reckoned with, both while walking the red carpet and walking to class.  Emma Watson’s style is classy and refined, with the occasional edgy rocker moments thrown in.

I love Emma’s style because it evolved.  She tried out trends, pushed the envelope and made some mistakes. It took some time but, as we have all seen, it most definitely paid off. Today designers are courting her, photographers are hounding her and college girls from the Midwest are trying to pull together outfits to look just like her. Read More »

Hot daaaamn or hot mess?

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like grad school!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Ok, I noticed this one floating around out there early this fall and the time has come for somebody to say something – what’s the deal with wearing socks with our summer heels? At first I thought it was just J Crew trying to make socks sexy or cute or something that will make us want to buy them, but I just finished reading the new issue of Glamour and they had a photo spread where nearly half the pics showed the model with thick strappy sandals or peep-toes + socks.

Admittedly, these were nice, colorful socks – not your gym variety – but still, I’m torn about whether this is OK.

On the one hand, anything that gives me a chance to wear my pretty summer shoe collection more than just a measly 3 months out of the year is a good thing in my book (hey, those things cost money!). And I have to admit, I’ve been a sock fan for a while now but rarely have a chance to wear anything more exciting than the white tennis-shoe variety. So it seems like two rights should make a right, right? (OK, that was confusing.) Plus, on the models, I can’t help but find the look kind of cute in a funky sort of way, so why not give it a try? Warm toes plus cute shoes is a total win! Read More »

Want something hot to spice up your boring old outfits? I have just the thing for you: socks. Wait a second, now; just hear me out. Shoes have traditionally taken first prize in the category of coveted women’s footwear, but take a gander at Sock Dreams and tell me that socks aren’t far behind.

They’re beautiful, they’re sexy, they’re stylish, and there are varieties to interest just about everybody. Like the perfect necklace, they can turn an ordinary outfit into something totally awesome. Plus, they can be quite practical — it might be way too cold to wear that gorgeous miniskirt on a chilly spring evening, but you can totally still pull it off with a hot pair of tights or socks.

Wanna see for yourself? Take a peek: Read More »

[I used to think I knew everything…until I found myself stranded in the middle of adulthood with no map and no one to guide me when I got lost. I have learned a lot since then - from how to balance a checkbook to how to sew on a button - and will share my wisdom with you.

Every Monday I will be back to teach you how to do something useful, even if it also happens to be completely random. Because, hey, you never know when you just might need to know how to change a tire…or mix a perfect martini.]

Even though winter will not even START for another two weeks (I know… I’m crying on the inside), those of us who don’t live in Hawaii are already freezing each time we step outside. As the proud owner of a circulation disorder that sucks all the blood out of my digits and basically never lets me be warm, I’ve collected some good tips over the years for staying toasty (like eating soup). And as it’s not always possible to have Mom looking over your shoulder telling you to put on a jacket, I’m happy to step into that role for now.

Tip 1: Hats and Mittens

You probably already know this from elementary school, but the vast majority of body heat is lost through the head. If it’s cold where you live, get yourself a cute hat and wear it often. It can be difficult to avoid the pitfalls of hat hair, but fudges such as earmuffs or thick headbands that cover the ears can help with that. One good thing about hats is that they’re generally small—you can stick it into your purse or bag and just take it out when you start to get chilly. Read More »

I have an inexplicable love for frat boys. You’d think that after college, I’d have learned my lesson and vow to never again attempt dating one. But no. Ooooh no.

It was Cinco de Mayo, right after college graduation. Four margaritas and a free t-shirt later, I saw him, stumbling toward the bar in basketball shorts, a t-shirt, J. Crew flip flops, and—

“Nice sombrero, hombre!“

Yes. A sombrero. To those who aren’t familiar, the frat boy always comes with an accessory: obnoxious headgear or aviators. My friend, who was keeping pace with my drinking at about half my size, decided to toss a line to the slightly dirtball, overly confident drunk guy. He turned, grabbed a basket of tortilla chips from another table, and slid into our booth.

“How do you ladies feel about flipcup?”

Swoon!

Hombre, as he came to be known, was a Long Islander with a hah-rrible accent whose buddy was hosting a flipcup tournament. I left the bar after putting my number in his phone, expecting never to hear from him again. Turns out Hombre had an affinity for drunk text messaging at prime booty-call hour. Which is how we ended up on our first date three days later. Read More »

Every year, some of us are guilty of giving sh*tty presents. Maybe we forget a relative until the last second, maybe we really don’t like someone but feel obligated to buy something, or maybe we’re just selfish bastards who don’t like to spend money, but whatever the case, every year during this time, truly crappy gifts are wrapped and set under the tree or beside the menorah.

And then there are those of us who receive those crap gifts. Opening a package and instantly realizing A) this person doesn’t know us at all or B) this is the stupidest thing someone has ever wasted tape on is always a hard emotion to conceal, but because our mothers taught us to be polite, we do our best. We smile through the pain and secretly hope the receipt is still in the box.

Not quite sure if what you’re about to seal with a bow is a crap gift? Let CollegeCandy give you a few hints.

• Scented Candles: You’re not in junior high anymore, so this gift is no longer acceptable. Confused 12-year-old boys give the girls they think might be their girlfriends scented candles because they’re cheap and noncommittal. If you’re an adult, presenting someone with scented candles is the perfect way to start letting them know you don’t care.

• Clothes That Are Way Too Big: Look, when in doubt, buy a size smaller. No one likes opening a gift box and pulling out a sweater that looks like it could house a moose. Holding up a giant article of clothing not only makes us immediately feel fat, but decide everyone else thinks we’re fat too. Total. Depression. Read More »

Thanks to one Mr. Al Gore, I have been somewhat of a greenie (a friend of the planet, not the dog treat) for awhile now.

I have been spreading the word for months (like here) in hopes that I can get other people on board with me. Not because it is trendy or “in” right now, but because we don’t want our children to have to deal with such a mess of a planet later….or burst into flames because the earth has gotten so hot.

And I have met a lot of apprehension along the way:

“But I really love my Hummer.”

“It’s so hard to be earth friendly!”

“GO HUG A TREE!”

“Ew. Reuse someone else’s PAPER?!”

Ah; ignorance. How I loathe thee.

If people just sat down and listened for a few minutes they would realize just how simple it is to be earth friendly. I am not asking people to reuse their Ziploc bags (which I get made fun of for all the time) or stop using toilet paper. I am asking people to make teensy tiny changes to their daily routines that make virtually no difference to the user and a huge difference to the planet.

Since I last wrote about green items such as compact fluorescent bulbs and reusable grocery bags, a whole slew of new earth friendly products have surfaced. These hot new items are innovative, made from recycled products (to cut down on excess waste!) and yet another few easy ways for you to get a bit more green-ified. The best part, obviously, is that they don’t look like crunchy “Save the Planet” items; these are things you actually need and want. Read More »