Confidence: Unveiled

What gives you confidence? Over the years, psychiatrists, parents, and writers of self-help books alike have attempted to answer this question. Somehow, though, following their advice never quite led me to the infamous and unparalleled confidence high. Although I’m sure the answer to this question differs from person to person, for me it’s fashion. I’m not necessarily talking about having all the latest trends or buying the limited edition Fendi bag. Instead, I just mean feeling comfortable and CONFIDENT in what you have on. Going to school in sweat pants and a sweatshirt, I tend to feel like a failure, telling myself I’m far too stupid to ace that tough chemistry exam. But in a perfectly tailored pair of jeans topped with a super-flattering jacket and an enviably wild-but-chic necklace, I walk through the hallways with my head held high. Likewise, I’m much more likely to approach that cutie at a party while dressed in a bouncy miniskirt and tights than a pair of paint-splattered jeans and a hoodie. Get the picture? I guess this, in a nutshell, is why I really love fashion. It’s the feeling I get when I pull on my favorite hot pink dress, the way I can’t stop smiling when I peer at myself in the dressing room mirror wearing pretty much anything from H&M. I can practically feel my confidence level rising. When my clothes are special (not necessarily expensive or even unique, just special) I feel so, too. So, with that, I urge all of you to get out there and go shopping. You never know how much better you might feel about yourself while wearing the dress of your dreams.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Vogue Envy

The February 2010 cover of Teen Vogue is definitely the best and most inspiring one that I’ve seen so far. The amazing Jessica Szohr (better known as Vanessa from Gossip Girl) wears an equally amazing blue-printed dress that can’t help but bring to mind the calming colors of the ocean on a beautiful August evening. Artfully constructed, the BCBG Max Azria frock is draped and ruched in just the right places, even including unexpected splashes of red throughout the sea of blue. But what really brings this particular look together is the leather Alexander Wang booties. Featuring zippers AND killer heels, their badass-ness is the perfect foil to the flowy dress and brings the outfit up a notch on Fashionista’s unofficial gauge of awesome-ness. It also got me thinking about the perfect outfit to transition from the harsh chill of winter into the calm warmth of spring. A printed dress looks great paired with an oversized cardigan, large belt, black tights, and thick strappy sandals in the winter. Slowly remove (or replace) layers as the temperature heats up and you may even be able to get away with wearing some kind of rendition of this outfit all year long, a rarity in the fashion world. Throw in the fact that you probably already have many of these pieces in your closet and it’s a dream come true! Needless to say, my new shopping obsession is to find all the right pieces to make this outfit my own.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Fun Fashion

The best part about fashion to me is that you can really truly have fun with it. While a classic blazer, dark-wash jeans, and round-toe pumps are possibly the epitome of a polished look, there’s just something that excites me about wearing a sweater with a diagonal zipper or oversized lip-shaped earrings made of cubic zirconium. For me, the best places to find pieces like these are at Betsey Johnson (http://www.betseyjohnson.com/) and Juicy Couture (http://www.juicycouture.com/). The sheer artistic talent of both designers often draws me to the sites even when I’m not in the market for a new piece of clothing, jewelry, or any of the other beautiful pieces sold there. Here, I would like to highlight for you a few of my favorite items from each brand in order to get you started on your new look for the New Year.

Betsey Johnson
Floral Print T-Shirt
The bold floral print of this tank is perfect for spring. It would look great with a blazer and leggings.
Washed Solid Brushed Poplin W/ Twill Tape Skirt
This versatile piece will look great with tights and a cropped jacket now, a striped long-sleeved shirt in the spring, and even a loose tank and sandals in the summer.
Charmeuse & Striped Organza Dress
The bold color, fun stripes, and subtle bow make this the ultimate party dress.
Betsey Wink! Crew
The face design on these socks is an unexpected surprise.
Floral Net Single
These pretty patterned tights will elevate any outfit to high-end status.
Mug/Ski Mismatch Earrings
Although these earrings are mismatch, they stay in the same theme, which gives them the perfect amount of quirky-ness. Plus, the cute mug and ski are just right for the season.

Juicy Couture
Earbuds & Case
Why shouldn’t every aspect of your life, right down to listening to your iPod, be perfectly luxurious?
Set of Two Dog Bowls
Now even your dogs can live the luxe life.
Terry Robe
This robe is very high-end and fashion-y; it makes you feel like a princess even while you sleep.
Ring Bling Day Dreamer Tote
The pink fabric of this tote is an eye-catcher, while the soft ribbon adds a demure feel.
Snake Print Silk Dress
Not only is this dress the perfect flowy frock for spring, but I fell in love with this entire outfit at first sight.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Drugstore Junkie

OK, admit it, you’ve all done it. You walk into a drugstore to get some contact solution or pick a prescription and find yourself walking down the makeup aisle, admiring all the pretty colors. For some, this is perfectly normal, as it’s really where they buy all their makeup, anyway. However, for others, it’s a shameful event. Embarrassed to be seen buying something as simple as mascara anywhere else than Sephora, these are the people who wouldn’t dare make a makeup purchase at CVS without donning a fake mustache. Personally, I’d place myself somewhere in the middle of these two types. As a young citizen, the money I make is quite minimal, and therefore it certainly pays to shop the sales, even if it is in the aisle right next to the feminine hygiene products. On the other hand, nothing quite beats scoring the perfect, non-sticky lipgloss from Urban Decay. My advice to you? Shop at drugstores as much as possible. No, they won’t have classic red Lancôme lipsticks or the perfect shade of foundation from Chanel, but they will have something just as valuable. At drugstores, you’ll find the lime green eyeliners, fuchsia lip glosses, and hot pink nail polishes that fill the pages of Vogue one month and are deemed “out” by Marie Claire the next. I’m talking about trends, and you’ll find them all for under a mere $10. So if you’re someone who likes to experiment with color, hop in your car right now, head to your local CVS, and stock up! There’s no need to break the bank when you just might find that that blue mascara you’ve been lusting after doesn’t quite work on you after all.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Coach-Crazy

Don’t wear one designer head-to-toe. Yes, yes, you’ve heard it all before. Of course, it’s true; to stand out and show off your personality, it’s not ideal to wear a straight-off-the-runway look from any given designer. As easy as this unwritten “rule” sounds, it happens to be much more easily said than done for some people. I could sit here and harp at you all day about the dangers of this epidemic, but the truth is, I am just as guilty as everyone else. As I sit here at my computer and look around, I see an overwhelming amount of Coach products. A patchwork purse with a multicolored scarf sits on the bottom step as a simple black clutch rests just a few steps up. But this is only the beginning. It seems that over the years, Coach has become my one-stop shopping place for all things having to do with purses, clutches, wallets, and key chains. Yes, I’ve wrestled with the idea of buying satchels made by other designers and, as I’m not exactly opposed to doing it, I simply don’t feel the same joy that I do when pulling that red tissue paper out of that crisp white bag to undercover my new leather purse. So how do I deal with this, when, as all good fashionistas do, I constantly try to be anything but ordinary and predictable? Well, I’ve decided to make it my staple, another undeniable element of a truly fashionable woman. While their sleek hairstyles, signature fruity scents, or fierce pumps define some people, I, fashionista, am now recognized by my classic-ly American Coach bags.*

*Please do not get me wrong here. Just because I’ve made Coach bags my signature style does NOT mean that I am planning on wearing them with a Coach hat, scarf, gloves, and sneakers. That would be just WRONG! :)

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Fur...A Fabulous Thing???

Usually, as yours truly Fashionista, I’m open to any new trend that may come my way. Big necklaces? Tried it! (Really cute.) Tights under shorts? Tried it! (Made my legs look fat.) I’m sure you’ve heard me say before that no matter how out there a trend is, it may just look amazing on you; so don’t hesitate to try anything in the name of fashion. I may just have to go back on that, however, after seeing the newest “big thing”. Fur!!! Now, I’m not a vegetarian by any means (I can eat steak and burgers with the rest of them) but there’s just something that seems wrong about wearing a dead animal on your body. With the all-natural and animal-rights activist trends that have popped up in the past couple of years (ever since the problem of global warming has become well-known) I just can’t believe that the American people are allowing this to happen. Indeed, enough people must be enjoying this deadly trend for it to be surfacing in every fashion magazine from Vogue to Lucky lately. Now, don’t get me wrong, leopard prints and faux fur stoles do look gorgeous on most every girl out there. Just don’t opt for the real thing! Below I’ve included a list of some wonderful faux options that you can find online:

Nine West Jacket-$199

Wonderful Faux Fur Website

Forever 21 Belted Faux Fur Jacket-$34.80

Mad for Plaid

I’m sure most of you can remember back to the 90s (or maybe it was even in the 80s) when oversize plaid button downs were commonly paired with Dr. Martens and worn as the uniform of the everyday teenager. This era in fashion was known as “grunge”. Just as with virtually every trend, plaid is back hot and heavy this season, but in a whole new way. How, over the course of just 20 years, has this iconic checkered print gone from sloppy to neat and pulled-together? To be completely honest with you, for a long time I was actually a bit frightened of plaid. “It will make me look fat,” and “I hate seeming sloppy,” I reasoned with myself. However, as I began to see more and more of this particular trend popping up everywhere from Teen Vogue to American Eagle to kids at my school, I felt myself being strangely drawn to it. Once I stopped coming up with reasons NOT to like it, I decided to try on my first plaid piece. It was a button-down, nipped-waist, ruffled-neck shirt from American Eagle…and I instantly loved it! Over the years, plaid has made its way from the streets to fashion houses, and can now take on almost any identity, from preppy to even (gasp!) high-fashion. For me, this transformation symbolizes something greater; a “never say never” attitude when it comes to fashion. Just because there’s a look out there that you absolutely hate, don’t just look past it. In a few years it may have evolved into something that looks absolutely stunning on you. Who knows? Soon we all may be wearing harem pants to school.