[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!

1. Wear your socks!
I’ll be the first to admit that I hate wearing socks. Hate it! Icy feet, unfortunately, instantly make the rest of you colder, making socks an absolute winter necessity.

Outside of warm boots, warm, insulating socks are the easiest way to lock in extra heat. For extra cold weather, look for tall socks – the more leg coverage, the better. Thigh-high styles were popular this fall and look adorable scrunched under boots, as do knee-high pairs. Finally, if you’re using your socks as an accessory, look for fun details or patterns for warmth AND style.

Product Information: Short Fair Isle Wool Socks, Toast. B.ella Vivenne Socks, Lori’s Shoes. Cable Knit Knee High Socks, Ruche. X-Ray Thigh High Socks, Nasty Gal. Ribbon Perlerine Knee Socks, Topshop. Argyle Socks, Asos. House of Holland For Pretty Polly Triple Chain Socks, Asos. Corgi Polka Dot Sock, Barneys New York.

2. Pile on thin fabrics!
Cold-weather girls have long been known to layer tights and leggings under the skinniest of pants. (This can be an amazing strategy for surviving below-freezing wind chills!) Opt for dark footless tights or get even warmer with workout tights. Leggings or footless tights are the college girl version of long underwear!

Even though this extra layer is thin, it provides some extra cozy insulation. The same goes for your top: go for spandex tanks to wear under the rest of your wardrobe, the tighter the better. In order to create a streamlined, chic look, these base layers should fit like a second skin.

Good stuff, right? Well, there’s more where that came from. Get the rest the CollegeFashion tips for lumpy-less layering by clicking right here.

"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.

10. Scented Candles. Not only do they more often than not smell like nothing more than a cheap imitation of what they’re supposed to smell like (Birthday cake? Sand castles? Ginger tea and honey?), but they’re also a bit of a fire hazard.

9. Useless gadgets. I’m sorry but I never have and I never will have any use for your vibrating slippers, your Bumpits, your BeDazzler or anything else that has AS SEEN ON TV stamped across the front of the box.

8. Socks. I don’t care if they are Christmas themed, personalized, or striped. I don’t care if they are toe socks, or fuzzy socks, or just plain, regular, everyday socks. They are not appropriate Christmas gifts. And I’m sick of people passing them off as though they are. Just because they come in lots of funky patterns doesn’t mean they make a good gift. End of discussion.

7. Anything from Bath and Body Works. I’m not even going to touch on the whole scented thing because that was already covered. But really, let’s think about this, when was the last time you used cucumber melon body splash? When was the last time you wanted to? Scented soaps and creams and antibacterial soaps that smell like a garden? My allergies act up just thinking about them. No, I won’t use the bath salts or those cute little themed baskets that just seem so perfect either.

6. Picture frames with a photo of the gift giver in them. First of all, the picture frame is almost always something ridiculous that you would never use and doesn’t match anything in your dorm. Second of all, you are not going to place a picture of this person next to your nightstand like you two are finally going steady or something. Moving on.

5. Anything that looks like you got it as a free sample. I’ve gotten these gifts before, and believe me I’ve been able to tell. Oddly enough, when you give someone who hardly ever wears makeup Clinique cover up it’s kind of a clue that you didn’t buy the gift for that person. Oh, hey, is that a complimentary tote you’ve got there on your arm?

4. Fruit cake. Yes, people still give these. And yes, the cliché is still very, very true. No one wants a fruit cake, even if it is homemade, because chances are, it’s not very good. As for a peanut butter cup cheesecake….that’s a dessert I can get behind.

3. Themed gifts. You know, it’s Christmas, so obviously any gift you give or get has to, in some way, be Christmas related.  Your Aunt Mary is going to get you a Santa sweater. And, oh wait, Aunt Sue got you candy cane socks to match. Now all you need is one of those headbands with the reindeer antlers and you’re all set. Thanks Dad!

2.  Homemade coupons. No, I don’t want your free hugs. Or your promise to do my homework. Because I don’t want to hug you and I wouldn’t trust you to do my homework for me. Ever. So if you’re going to get me a coupon, that coupon better be a gift card. And by gift card I mean one of those things that look like a credit card and works in a real establishment. (Like Starbucks.) That means you can’t use crayon to fill this one out either. Pity.

1. Self-help books. We have issues. We know. The holidays are not the time to remind us of them. So just buy us a drink and leave it at that, okay?

What are the worst gifts you’ve ever gotten?!

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use celebrities (like Sarah Silverman

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.

Socks, Bag, Boots, Shorts, Corset

Chiggity-check out this outfit because I’m officially in love.  A printed corset top with some mid-length cuffed shorts are perfect for summer and, with a simple swap of accessories, can be worn for practically any occasion. (Flats for a Saturday afternoon, strappy pumps for a Saturday night…) But the best part about this outfit are on her legs peeking out from over the top of those boots.

“Socks and rubber boots in the summer?” you ask.  Yeah, I thought that was a joke, too.  But for some reason I think I’d still sacrifice, even if there’s the  potential for major sweatiness, because it looks pretty cool (well, not LITERALLY). I don’t know how or why, but the shorts and boots combo just works. And then the studded bag with the fringe adds a little unexpected edge, which keeps this from looking too “Summer sweet” and is Emma’s fashion signature.

Flaunt this style like Emma and pretty soon you’ll have people everywhere casting some spells on their own wardrobe, too! Sorry, I had to do it.

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!

But when I tried the look on in my bedroom I looked a lot more “5-year-old-who-dressed-herself” than “I-don’t-care-what-you-think-chic” and the BF thought I’d gone insane. So after consulting my mags once again, I realize that while it may look cute on the models, so does the other crazy stuff they have on – stuff that would make me look like I’d just broken out of a mental institution. There’s also the little fact that I live in NYC and socks are probably not going to be nearly enough toe coverage when it comes time for my morning sprint to the subway. And perhaps the greatest deterrent of all to me is that age old fashion rule that socks and sandals are mortal enemies – I know we’re supposed to be breaking the mold, but somehow it just seems blasphemous!

So what do you think?

Should I just go with the flow and rock those socks? Will you? Or will this catalog combo get me make me the laughing stock of NYC?

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:

I’m in love. Socks are officially my go-to fashion accessory.

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.

Also, wear mittens rather than gloves. Gloves are fine for weather that’s only brisk, but they won’t cut it in the deep freezes. Mittens keep your hands warmer because they group your fingers together, which allows them to retain more heat.

Tip 2: Layering

There’s an art to layering in a non-fashion way. You want to strike a balance between wearing clothes that are a) comfortable, so you won’t end up trying to fix a wedgie that is three layers down, and b) practical, so your clothes will actually keep you warm. How do you do that?

Make sure your innermost layers are breathable, otherwise you’ll end up swimming in sweat and getting all sticky. Middle layers should be insular to keep your heat near your body, and they should be thin and lightweight if possible. Bring on the bulkiness for your outer layers, but make sure they’re relatively easy to take off if necessary. And remember—layering can be good for extremities, too. Wearing two or three pairs of socks in really cold weather is a great way to keep your feet both dry and warm.

Tip 3: Be Prepared

The Scout motto can help you out in winter. If you think there’s a chance you might get wet while out and about, bring a change of clothes or a spare pair of socks. Grab some hand warmers the next time you’re at a place that sells them, and keep them with you just in case. And don’t forget that jacket!

[Image courtesy of bearsinboston.wordpress.com.]

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.

• Giving the Woman in Your Life Appliances: If your mom loves to cook and asks for that new high-powered mixer, or your girlfriend really desires a fancy vacuum, then by all means, fulfill their wishes. But buying these things because you want more cookies and cleaner floors? Douchebaggery.

• Gift Cards to a Crappy Store: Gift cards can be fun, but running out to your nearest CVS or no name clothing store is totally insulting. First, it shows you didn’t think about the person till the last minute, and second, it illustrates unadulterated cheapness. What am I going to do with $25 worth of crap? NOTHING.

• Socks: Even if we desperately need them (because the Laundromat continues to return our laundry with all the left ones inexplicably missing), no one likes to pull out a bunch of socks when they were really hoping for something awesome. Opening up a package of socks on a Christmas or Hanukkah morning is like opening up the front door to greet a blind date and finding out they have a weird, squinty eye. Total fun fake-out.

• Self-Help Books: What, are you saying I have some kind of PROBLEM?!

Have any crap gift experiences of your own? CC wants to hear ‘em!

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.

1. Ashley Watson Bags: I know I mentioned these before, but they are so sexy I just had to show em off again. Recycled leather, my friends. Need I say more?

2. Preserve Razor Triple: Step away from the Quattro and all the wasted plastic used to make and package it. Opt for a recycled razor instead. The Preserve Razor Triple is made from recycled Stoneyfield Farm yogurt cups (which also happens to be an eco-friendly organic brand!)

3. Preserve Tumblers: The yogurt cups are coming back for round two with these recycled cups. Wouldn’t beer pong be so much more fun if you knew that the cups you were playing with were made from recycled materials (and could be recycled again?!) Imagine how much less trash there would be without the millions of wasted red solo cups being thrown out daily.

4. Recycled Socks: Ok, so people may be able to tell you’ve gone a little earthy in these little guys, but how awesome are they? Socks made out of ground up t-shirts? They are supposed to be extra cushy and durable, which make these the perfect workout accessory.

With new products like these popping up, going green is getting easier every day. And the excuses not to go green are slowly slipping away.