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

One of my favorite things about summertime is the abundance of bright colors, especially in everyone’s wardrobe! Tie dye is one of my favorite patterns — it’s less common than stripes or floral prints, but unique enough to stand out in a crowd. It has a laid-back vibe to it that makes it perfect for a day at the beach, running errands, or even on a fun date.

Want to rock tie dye but need a little inspiration? Read on!

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Once upon a time, my great friend showed me a little website she knew and loved called Etsy.com. “It’s Betsy without the ‘B’” she said ever so kindly as I typed it into my browser. She did however, fail to tell me I was going to lose an average of 3 hours a day digging into the website and dumping my very shallow money truck into the virtual Etsy ‘shopping cart.’

Etsy.com is fashion crack. And I love it. It puts me in a happy place of inspiration and vintage goodies. Anybody can share and sell their vintage or homemade items on the site. And anybody can put the light out on their paycheck buy the vintage goods.  But sometimes it can be difficult to find that perfect item going for cheap.  Good thing CollegeCandy is here, because we’ve got proof that 8 Under $20 is so pleasantly possible on Etsy.com.

[Important Note]: Some of these items only have one in stock. So if you really fall in love, act fast and whip out that VISA. Otherwise, just go explore Etsy. It has many many beautiful vintage items to lust after. Read More »

In the winter months I get really moody.

And I’m not just talking snapping at people on the subway because my skin hasn’t seen the light of day in months and the lack of Vitamin D has sent me into a permanent state of PMS. Not only my overall disposition, but my entire style changes during the winter. It’s part brooding downtown rocker-chick, part sleek uptown-chic. And while it is many things (bad-ass included), one thing it definitely isn’t is colorful.

Which is why when summer comes around I fully embrace the rainbow.

Catch me out at a club now and there will be no trace of the head-to-toe black ensemble complete with chunky rings and metal-chained necklaces. In its place will be a vibrant fuchsia ruffled mini-dress or a white linen pencil skirt and a floral top.

And if you catch me out next week, I just might be rocking the Tie Die One Shoulder Ruffle Tunic from Arden B.

For me, summer outfits are all about fresh silhouettes, fun colors and patterns and comfortable fabrics, and this dress hits all of the criteria on the head. I am obsessed with the one-shoulder trend, it perfectly channels chic, sexy and modern all at once –not an easy feat. This dress kicks the trend up a notch by adding a cascading ruffle detail down one side; adding a dose of flirty movement to an otherwise form-fitting and sexy shape. Read More »

There are some things that you can’t get away with past college, but contrary to what some may believe, tie dye is not one of those things. It’s shown up on nearly every runway and celebrity this season, and unlike those tie dye tees you used to make at summer camp, it’s taken on a whole new level of fun sophistication.

Tie dye is perfect for spring: it’s fun, it’s colorful, it’s easy to create, it goes perfect with cut-off jean shorts and flip flops… And if you’ve become a recessionista, tie dye is easy to do yourself! Just gather some friends, each buy a different color and dip away! You an make everything from cute tanks to summer scarves! But if you’re lazy/not artfully inclined (I know my tie dye projects always come out looking like a hot brown mess….), there are plenty of already-made options to choose from.

[Click on each item to get all the deets.]

Read More »

[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 going down! ) 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!]

The fashion industry loves to bring back old fashion trends. Sometimes that’s a good thing (hello, waist-cinching belts!); other times, not so good (‘80s linebacker shoulder pads, really?). And then there are those times when I’m just not quite sure what to think. Enter tie dye. Yep, this flower child trend is back on the runways and it’s got me scratching my head. Help me out here ladies, “tie do” or “tie don’t”?

I can sort of see the appeal of tie dye; it tends to be bright, which is always great, particularly in the warm months. It also has a cool abstract thing working and since abstract patterns have been very in for a while now, this look makes perfect sense. On top of that, tie dye has that easy “I totally didn’t spend an hour and a half staring at my closet to pick out this outfit” vibe. Basically, it’s got everything you’d want from your fav beach dress, but now you can wear it around town without having to claim it’s laundry day. Bonus points for the potential DIY factor. Read More »

[Every week our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know; there is a spot for her in heaven.]

Tie Dye was cool when my mom was my age. Then it was cool again in 7th grade. And let me tell you I tore that trend up. I was just yay shy of deciding that my bat-mitzvah give away should be a tie dyed t-shirt. I LIVED for the days at camp when we would make our own tie-dye. And even though my color palette never turned out quite right (more like murkey brown poo) I still thought I was destined to be a hippie. I rocked tie dye so bright that my eyes hurt just thinking about it.

So when I saw that tie dye was making its 19th comeback, I cringed, I avoided, and I said to myself I wouldn’t wear it.

But then I saw the dresses like the ones on our friends over here, and I saw some really cute ones at Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom and Forever 21 and Urban and, oy, the list goes on. As much as I wanted to fight – kicking and screaming – against the return of tie dye (what’s next? Hypercolor?!) I couldn’t deny the fact that they would look so cute with some woven sandals or high wedges.

The whole tie dye look gives off that “I look cute without even trying” vibe that we all want to convey. And the more I see it, the more I can’t look away. Just like those pictures of Britney’s Britney. (You know what I’m talkin’ about.)

So here is this weeks Celebrity Chic on the Cheap: Color Me Tie Dye Read More »