Lace Up.

When one thinks of lace, things like Southern ladies’ gloves or vintage embroideries may come to mind – or maybe those horrible church socks your mother made you wear.

Lace has always been a part of fashion’s staple textiles and continues to pop up in designs each year. It is popular for good reason: Lace has the ability to keep an outfit innocent, yet flirty.

The sheer material was predicted to be popular this spring. Many designers during Fashion Week last fall showcased lace heavily in their spring and resort 2014 collections. The designers showed off the feminine textile in non-traditional forms. Valentino used it in a dress that had a masculine, regal feel. Chloe and Stella McCartney took the trend and made it a little more daring, accenting deep necklines and short skirts with lace.

The lacy trend is here to add a little mystery to the explosive skin-bearing phenomenon that came out last year. With stores like Brandy Melville celebrating bare midriffs with their many cropped tops and cut-out dresses, showing more skin quickly became popular. I own several cropped tops that still leave me a little insecure, even if I’m only showing an inch of stomach.

Lace has come back to cover up while still being daring, adding fun and pattern to what otherwise is just bare skin. For instance, one of my favorite outfits is a peplum halter top with lace covering the plunging neckline and back. I pair it with distressed skinny jeans and a pair of chunky heels for a night out. The lace adds femininity and modesty to the outfit but still allows it to be stylish and flirty.

No matter your personal style, lace is a trend to look into. If you are into the most feminine outfits, you can definitely find lace tops and dresses at stores like Forever 21 and on websites like ModCloth.com. If you love the bohemian style, brands like Free People are big on lace and use it in many dresses and peasant tops.

If the idea of lace turns you off due to its stereotypical girliness, have no fear. Throughout the years, lace has been used in edgier ways. Stores like Charlotte Russe have many clothes with sexy lace detail that are great for going out without showing too much skin. Try a bodycon dress with lace sleeves or a top with an all-lace back. To make it a little more grungy, pair the lacy top or dress with a leather jacket or boots.

With frivolous fabrics coming back into fashion yet again and availability at an all-time high, lace is definitely a trend to try. It is especially great in the spring because it is a cooling fabric that can keep you from burning up. It can be used in any occasion and instantly adds interesting detail to your outfit. So have fun, and give the lacy trend a try.

WHAT TO WEAR: Formal

The beginning of the school year is the busiest time of the year for greek systems everywhere. Between rushing, volunteering and swaps, sorority and fraternity members always have something on their schedule. One of the best parts? Finding outfits to all of these events. But whether or not you are in a sorority, outfits such as the one this Fashionista is wearing can be perfect for any event, such as a formal date night....

For more, click HERE

& check out my other College Fashionista posts! xx

Coachella Recap

Crop tops, tank tops, and as many patterns as one can put together. Let's face it, the Coachella music festival draws more attention because of the fashion more than the music. Why not? It is the one event where one tries to be as original as possible with their outfits, while staying with trends.. Each year, celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Nicole Richie use Coachella to show off their creative fashion skills. Personally, I believe the more simple outfits are more effective and make more of an impression than the normally try-too-hard outfits the music festival tends to bring out. Below I have included several celebrities I believe had the best outfits. 

Katy Perry

This outfit is typical Katy Perry, which I admire seeing as many celebrities seem to throw out their personal style all together when attending Coachella. Katy took her own style, but put a Coachella-esque spin on it with the pattern on her skirt. Her heels may not be comfortable, but they certainly are Katy. 

Joe and Nick Jonas

The two Jonas Brothers may have more of a "boring" look than others at Coachella, but they sure do look comfortable and cool - two things that should matter most at music festivals. Nick's shoes add a statement to his otherwise simple outfit, keeping him in the spirit of Coachella.

 Lucy Hale

 Lucy looked like a pretty little hipster (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist) in her maxi skirt and tie-knot top. The slit in her skirt and the cropped top allow her to show an appropriate amount of skin and the flower wreathe adds a hippie vibe. 

 Alessandria Ambrosio 

 Alessandra definitely brought a girly spin to the hipster norm. She balances off her bright pink shorts with a simple white shirt. She adds to her outfit with splashes of pink and green, coming off as sweet and girly. 

Vanessa Hudgens

Let's face it - one of the most anticipated fashion icons of Coachella is always Vanessa Hudgens. Vanessa always has the most original (okay, sometimes bizarre or offensive) and fun outfits. This dress was the simplest of her weekend clothes, but it was quite flattering, sensual and one of my top looks. 

Which look was your favorite? xx

sources: JustJared.com

ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com

First College Haul

One of the things I was most excited about when I moved to my university was trying out the mall. I was a little nervous because the nearest Forever 21 (where I get most of my clothes) is over an hour away. But, I took the chance and went to the mall near me and found several items to add to my wardrobe.

#1 Dress from Body Central

I already wore this dress when I went to church last night. It's casual and cute, so it can be worn around campus also. It costs about $20 at Body Central.

#2: Skirt from Aeropostale

I will admit, usually I don't even look in Aeropostale when I'm shopping. But I did because I like some of their preppy pieces. Turns out the day I went, they were having an up to 70% sale on their clothes. I have had my eye on this skirt for a while, but the original price was about $42.50, so I never got it. But, because of the sale, I got it for about $13.

#3 and #4: Shirt and Flip Flops from Aeropostale

 Like I said, I was really excited about the sale at Aeropostale. I don't remember exactly how much the shirt costs. I think it was 50% off, so about $12. The flip flops were only $5.99. 

#5 Top and Shorts from Wet Seal

Wet Seal always has the "Buy 1 and get 1 for 1 cent" sale. I really wanted the top, which has a corset feel to it, and I found the shorts on a whim just to participate in the sale. Together, I spent less than $15 on the entire outfit.

#6 Rain Boots from Shoe Department

This isn't the best picture, but I am way too excited about my rain boots. I've already worn them once, but I was extremely disappointed that it didn't rain. These only costs $25 at Shoe Department. They're a little heavy to walk in, but so are all rain boots. I love them!

xx

Fall Fashion Trends

Hey guys! So I know that school is coming super, super soon (or may have even started for some of you already), and that means back to school shopping. Fall is my favorite time of the year when it comes to fashion, so I thought I would put together a list of fall trends that I think we can expect to see in the hallways or around campus.

    I do believe it’s important to have your own sense of style, but it’s always fun to take popular trends and put a personal twist on them. So if you’re not into trends, you can skip this. But keep reading if you’d like to see what I think. Don’t judge me too harshly please haha. 

*I based this list off of styles that I’ve seen in stores and magazines lately.

**I’m sorry that I don’t have much information on men’s style. I’m not knowledgable enough about male trends to do a list of them justice. But I did include a few outfits for guys in the “back to school” tab :)

1. Boyfriend Jeans: This is the trend I’m most excited about. I basically spent all four years of high school in tight skinny jeans, so the slight bagginess of these jeans are a relief. I still love skinny jeans, but these are a nice change. Cropped, rolled-up pairs seem the most popular. 
2. Color-Blocking: I’ve never been able to pull this trend off, but it’s a trend that has maintained its popularity. It’s been all over the store I shop in and the magazines I read. I like how people handle it, but it’s just not for me. 
3. Collars: Another trend that has lasted since spring. Collars are just getting more and more popular. From sleeveless shirts, to long sleeved male shirts with rolled-up sleeves, to necklaces, this cute trend is going to stay for a while. 
4. Sweaters: If you live in the south like me, it probably won’t be cool enough to wear sweaters for quite a while. But they’re warm and cute, and they’re something I look forward to wearing every winter. I think sweaters look great on guys and girls. Cable knit appears to be the most popular type. 
5. Patterns: Stripes, plaid, and dots are just three of the many patterns that I’ve seen in many stores. Patterns have always been popular, no matter the season. For the summertime, polka dots were my favorite, but I think I’m gravitating towards stripes for the fall.
6. Chambray shirts: Another trend that has been popular for the past few months, chambrays are one of my favorite trends for guys and girls. They’re very versatile and look cute baggy or fitted.
7. Loud Shoes: What I mean is shoes that make a person skip looking at the rest of your outfit because their eyes are drawn straight to the shoes. Heels or flats, there have been many patterns and details that have caused shoes to make quite a statement. Leopard/cheetah print and studded shoes have been what I’ve seen more than anything. 
8. Baroque: I honestly wasn’t going to add this until I saw that more than one of my magazines called it a fall trend. I really don’t know much about this baroque pattern. Teen Vogue said it was based on “the over-the-top royals of centuries past”. It’s a really bold pattern, so if you like to make a statement with your clothing, it may be the pattern for you.
9. Statement Jeans: Again, not a trend I can get into, but I think people can pull off this trend very well. Jeans have always been a lot more than just regular blue pants, but this fall patterns like stripes and florals are taking over. Colored jeans are also popular, though for fall time, more subdued colors such as maroon, mustard yellow, and oxblood/chianti colors are more for fall time than bright colors (in my opinion), but I’ve seen bright jeans a lot too. 
10. Watches: I don’t know if these are really a “trend”, but I’ve seen a lot of watches everywhere for both guys and girls. I finally invested in one and I do admit, I like looking it more than pulling out my phone to see what the time is.