Confessions of a Fashion Conscious College Student

After four weeks of being on my college campus there are a few trends that I've noticed, some of them obvious, some of them unacceptable, and some just plain confusing.

First there's the obvious college sweatshirt, jeans/sweatpants combo. This trend is one that is almost considered the "uniform" for college campuses. Of course there are people who wear sweatshirts from their high schools, but the basic idea is the same. While I don't partake in this trend I can accept it as something that isn't going to go away.

Second there's the one thing that makes me more angry than any other trend: leggings worn as pants. OK, so you're proud of your butt, that doesn't mean the rest of us want to see it defined perfectly in skintight leggings. Also, there's the leggings that are downright ugly (I'm talking about the ones that have such details as leather patches in certain places...I mean, what is that all about??). I admit that I wear leggings, but usually they are under a dress/skirt or a long tunic, that covers what needs to be covered. The only exception to my rule is that you can wear leggings as pajamas. This is acceptable because it's in the privacy of your own home/room. Otherwise, the main point is, leggings are not pants!

Last but not least there is the one trend I find very baffling. There are plenty of girls who seem to be concerned with what they are wearing. They put together outfits in a manner that shows they spent time to figure out what would work with what. This makes sense and is what I do myself. But the thing that I find so backwards and completely nonsensical is the footwear. I am completely at a loss when I see a girl in a nice outfit...until you reach the shoes. I'm talking about wearing flip-flops. Why, oh WHY would you spend all that time putting together a classy/interesting/fashionable/chic outfit and then ruin the entire thing by wearing flip-flops?! I understand that flip-flops are easy to put on, easy to wear, and you don't have to think about getting your shoes messed up by bad weather. But seriously, will someone please explain this to me? If you want to wear shoes that show off your toenail polish, or that are easy to manage, why not wear some sandals that enhance your outfit? There is a world of sandals out there, go forth and discover them. Also, when the weather turns cold, are you still going to be happy walking around in flip-flops? Try some flats! Or even better, stock up on adorable boots (and no, UGGs, do not count).

My personal collection of sandals

Those are my observations so far, though I'm sure as the year progresses I will have more to say on the matter of college student fashion.

Fashion Lessons from Abroad

I just recently returned from a trip in Europe (Paris, London, and a small town called Lewes) and had some interesting observations on foreign fashion. People always say that Paris is THE home of fashion, and I never really understood what that meant until being there. It didn't mean that the clothes people were wearing were necessarily different from what some people live here. What I discovered is that it has a lot more to do with HOW they wear the clothing.

Here in America even the most fashion forward people have one major fault. Even if the outfit is extremely chic and fits like a glove it seems as if we're hiding behind the clothing. We're using the clothes to express ourselves, to show how unique we are, or to project our self-confidence. The clothes "wear" us.

In Paris the main difference I found was that they don't rely on their clothes to get across a message. Most women (and men for that matter) that I saw already had an air of self-confidence that went way beyond their clothing. It wasn't that the clothes were necessarily the most trendy or unique outfits. But they weren't hiding behind their clothes. They were definitely wearing the clothes.

So now I understand a bit more of why Paris is the place to be if you want to be in fashion. But somehow I feel like it only works if you were born there, or if you live there for a long time. And seeing as I can't speak a lick of french I probably won't be moving there for a little while a least...

Have you Ever..?

So here's the sitch... It's my sister's birthday next week, and I've been completely blanking on what to get her (she's one of those people who never want anything). Finally the perfect idea came to me: a homemade purse! So a week passes and I still haven't gotten anywhere closer to even starting this purse.

Here I am, at midnight on a Friday night, telling myself that I actually have to get serious about making this present now. I picked out a fabric for the outside and the inside and I came up with a design that I could bead on the outside. All is good. I unfold the fabric I planned to use for the outside, a rich maroon fabric. After a few minutes I realize that there is really way too much fabric to "waste" on a purse. In fact, there is definitely enough fabric to make a dress. So I get the dress form (Jill) out of my closet and get my pins and start playing around. For an extra flair I even take the fabric I had been planning on using for the inside and wrap it around the dress for a sash that crosses at the back and reaches forward to create straps. I step back from my handiwork and realize that I can no longer use the fabrics I had chosen to make the present for my sister.

My plans for tomorrow involve me rummaging through my bags of fabrics and discarded thrift store clothes to attempt to find the new fabric for this purse. And then I actually need to do it...like for serious.

And hey, who knows, I might even make a step by step blog entry about the creative process...maybe.