Rainy Day Essentials

They say “April showers bring May flowers.” Now, while I can’t say whether the flowers part is true or not yet, Maryland has been experiencing a lot of rain of this April. Almost every day I wake up to gray skies and cold drizzly rain falling.  As a result, as I try to think of something to wear, I am often stuck staring in front of my closet, trying to think of what I should wear to keep me somewhat dry on miserable rainy days. So, I decided to put together a little guide of things I think are essential to have in a college students wardrobe to combat the rainy day weather.

Rainboots

Juicy Couture Rainboots

Rainboots are an absolute necessity when you are in college. Now while you can definitely get away without having them in high school since you spend the whole day inside, in college, you will be outside all of the time. Whether you’re walking to the dining hall, your dorm, or a class, you’ll be spending a lot of time outside. And on a rainy day, you will get soaked. So, if you want to avoid having sopping wet feet, buy rainboots! Plus, it’s fun to stomp through all the puddles that appear on campus instead of side-stepping them.

Your boots don’t have be expensive, but they should be good enough quality that water will not soak through them after a couple of wears. Although mine are Juicy, I would definitely recommend checking out Hunter rainboots – they make some of the best rainboots around. However, if you are looking for some cheaper options, Target makes very affordable (and cute) options.

Sperrys

Sperrys

For days when it’s raining, but it’s not pouring, Sperrys are the perfect option. Because they are waterproof, they will keep your feet dry all day, and look cute with just about any outfit. If you couldn’t tell, I have had the pair on the left for almost three years now. They have seen me through many days of standing on the floor all day working retail, in addition to rainy days. So don’t just keep these in the back for rainy days – wear them all the time! While the primary use of the shoes on the left is to get ruined, I bought the pair on the right for fun. Sperrys come in a lot of different patterns, so I thought it would be fun to have one kind of nice pair to wear with my preppy ensembles.

Umbrella

Totes Umbrella

The last thing you definitely cannot get by without is a sturdy umbrella. I actually have two, the first one  can be thrown in my bag in the event that it may rain, I have something to cover my while I walk around campus. This is my other one. It is big, sturdy, and does not flip inside out when it is raining cats and dogs. Plus, I love the fun zebra print! If you can only afford to buy one, I would definitely recommend getting one more like this one from Totes. It will keep you dry as you trudge across campus, and it will last forever.

Now, you may notice that I never mentioned a rain coat. Normally, people would probably call this essential for rainy days. However, I am not normal, and I actually don’t wear a raincoat. I have found that  a lot of the time when it rains in Maryland, it is in the fall or spring, and it is way too humid to wear a coat. So, I usually just wear a cardigan or something to keep me warm. My trusty rainboots and umbrella keep me dry enough, so for me, there is not need for a rain coat.

Wardrobe essentials- a real life application

So you know when you are sitting in math class, attempting to listen to the professor explain how to do something, and you can’t help but think, “When am I ever going to use this in real life?” Bueller? Bueller?

The reason why I bring this up is because I have been talking about the practicality of wardrobe essentials for a while now, but you have never seen anything on my blog about how to wear them! Which may leave you wondering – how would I ever wear this piece? Of course, seeing as they are essentials, how hard could they be to put together? I mean, straight legged jeans look good with just about everything! However, I have come to find that, classic pieces in your wardrobe, like Oxford shirts and blazers, look best with other staples, like a black cardigan or straight legged jeans. So to give you that real life application that you have been looking for, I put together an outfit a couple of weeks ago that combines  some of my wardrobe essentials.

Cardigan: Old Navy, Shirt: Theory, Camisole: Calvin Klein, Necklace: Claire*s,

Jeans: Delia*s, Shoes: Coach, Belt: Juicy Couture

So for this outfit, I combined three of my favorite essentials: a black cardigan, a button down shirt, a camisole,  and straight-legged dark washed jeans. I love how with just a couple of basics, you can build a simple outfit that can be worn to a variety of places. However, I think it is important to avoid looking like everyone else by adding your own touches.  In my case, this would be with sequined flats, a bright blue skinny belt, and pearls.

What do you think? What is your favorite way to wear your staples?

Looks on Campus- Hilary

After over a week-long hiatus, I am back! Over my spring break, I spent the week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on an alternative spring break trip where I didn’t have internet access, so I apologize for the lack of posts. In addition, upon my return, I was swamped with papers and exams, so I haven’t had time to post in a recently. However, I shouldn’t make excuses. So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Hilary!

I met Hilary freshman year sometime after orientation, and we have been very close friends since then. Although some might consider her sense of style to be very traditional, I have always admired the feminine and preppy touches she adds to make her looks one of a kind. Here’s a  look at what she wore today.

The Basics

Name: Hilary

Major: English

Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland

Fashion Talk

Current favorite fashion trend?
“Hard to say! I really enjoy cycling through different styles — preppy classic, vintage-artsy, sporty…I will say that I really like thin billowy cardigans and tops. They are soft and romantic, and are finally a popular style that looks good on a tall person!”

Favorite places to shop?
“I absolutely love Old Navy! Their clothes are affordable, comfy, and simple, yet they always have really fun patterns if you are looking for something exciting to mix with a good basic.”

Inspiration for todays look?
“I was feeling sort of artsy — sometimes I’m content with a basic tee and skinny jeans, but I felt like an interesting pattern and some unique jewelry just fit my mood more that day. It sounds silly, but I often dress to fit my mood!”

Any fashion tips?
“Wear what makes you feel confident. Don’t try to squeeze into something that’s not you, or hide your body with loose clothes! A proper fit will have your body more comfortable and your mind feeling confident. Experiment until you find a style that makes YOU feel happy, and like a million bucks.”

If you could raid any celebrities closet, who would you choose?
“I love Blake Lively! She is a fellow tall girl, and has a very laid back, classic style, with a lot of simple basics and layering. However, she isn’t afraid to try bright prints and interesting cuts either. She’s very versatile, and I like that.”

Best deal you ever got?
“I got a gorgeous, teal colored silk blouse at the Gap which was originally $60 for $13. I was a very happy shopper!”

What is your favorite piece in your wardrobe?
“I love my sun dresses — all of them. The Old Navy ones I love especially, because I feel comfortable in them, and always feel confident and pretty without working too hard — I like to keep it simple, and those dresses say that.”

Design your own Keds!

If I had to pick one word to describe my style, I would choose preppy. Although my style changes everyday on a day-to-day basis, “preppy,” is one word that I relate to the most. I love pink and green, Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses, Sperry boat shoes, pearl earrings, Ralph Lauren polos, and cardigans.  However, as a college student, I don’t have a lot of money to spend on this kind of stuff all the time. As a result, I am always looking for ways to add new pieces to my preppy style, without spending a ton of money.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I found my new favorite blog this weekend, The College Prepster. A junior at Georgetown University, she also has a love of all things preppy (hence the title.) As I went through months of her old posts, lusting over her entire wardrobe, I found something that I knew I wouldn’t be able to do without- customizable Keds. I know what you’re envisioning: those boring white canvas sneakers that your mom lived in as a kid (at least my mom did.) WRONG! At just $60, you can now design your own, and add a new piece to your preppy wardrobe.

Liberty of London for Target Keds

So here is the first pair I designed, and I am in love with them! I wasn’t very inspired by the prints they had available online, so I took a picture of my Liberty of London for Target printed scarf, and uploaded it to the website. Voila- instant transformation! For the trim, I chose a light pink, that complimented the flowers on the scarf. I kept the laces white, just to keep the shoes from having too many elements.

Lilly Pulitzer Keds

This is the second pair I made. Again, I took a picture of one of my scarves (in this case, a Lilly Pulitzer murphee scarf,) and added the print only to the tongue on the shoe. When I did the print overall, it was just too much. In addition, I added pink shoelaces with pink eyelets, and added hot pink trim. Although these are a lot less graphic than my first pair, I still love how they turned out.

If you would like to design your own pair of Keds, click this link here. Post in the comments, and show me how they turned out!