Thursday, September 12, 2013

Dear Diary, it's guarent'TEE'd to be a great semester!

I am the fashion columnist for The Odyssey at OU, a weekly newspaper written by Greeks, for Greeks. Each edition is published in print and online every Thursday, and my articles will be published here too because there is more freedom with format and pictures so I get to make the articles look like I envisioned them to. So here it is, my first article of the semester- enjoy!


When life gives you t-shirts, make outfits. 
Welcome to a new semester! Starting the school year means new books, new supplies and most importantly new t-shirts! Of course the typical uniform is a giant t-shirt, Nike shorts and some kind of Nikes/Chacos/Tory Burch sandals, but since it’s the beginning of the year and maybe you’d like to step it up a bit, you know give the appearance that you have your life together (cause at this point in the semester hopefully you still do).

            

My favorite way to dress up a plain t-shirt is by tucking it into my favorite high-waisted lace shorts. It’s clean, flattering and the lace adds texture to the ensemble. Most of my t-shirts are oversized so another way to wear the shorts is by leaving your shirt untucked and letting the lace peak out from under the shirt. I did that on Bid Day this year and it was comfy and cute! With the outfit pictured in the top left I paired it with shimmery silver earrings and a glittery shoulder bag from J. Crew. Adding these touches of sparkle adds more depth to the outfit while keeping a simple color scheme.

            

Another option is wearing a fun skirt under your shirt. This is a cute way to add a girly touch to your top! With a skirt you can add a bow, pearls, Kendras, or anything Kate Spade. Look for a light fabric with a print if you are wanting to pair it with a large t-shirt. This way it won’t look lumpy under the cotton shirt. A print is good because your shirt is solid and probably not too exciting so a fun patter is the perfect way to add some personal style. In the example (top right) I paired the purple frocket tee with a silk black and white, knife-pleated skirt, Sam Edelman sandals, Kate Spade gold link bracelet and layered a Kendra Scott necklace over a J. Crew necklace.
             


You could also your t-shirt with classic chino shorts. J. Crew makes a great short with three inch and five inch seams so you can choose whichever is more comfortable for you. They come in a wide range of colors that are easy to match with lots of your shirts. If you’re looking for a high-waist option I’m sure you can find them at retail stores but all mine are from Goodwill or Salvation army, I just get them hemmed! Kim’s Tailor off of Main is my favorite tailor here in Norman. I paired it with a navy scrunchie from American Apparel, a navy Longchamp and tortoise shell sunglasses from Nordstrom’s for a perfect sporty look.
            


If you like the clean, simple high-waisted look, another great option is the tucked in high-waisted skirt. It’s a more feminine so pairing it with a bow, a cute headband or another girly accessory is necessary. In the example picture in the bottom left I matched the tee with a plum skirt (another item I got from Goodwill then hemmed), white bow, plum Kendra Scott teardrop earrings and white Ked’s for a sweet southern look. Adding a little cat eye eyeliner and pink blush would top of this outfit perfectly.

            
For most women on campus I know that what we wear to class almost always requires zero effort, zero thought and zero planning because who really has time for that on a regular basis? But for those special occasions where one needs to look presentable I hope these ensembles created some inspiration for those days. Plus on our close-knit campus you never know when you’ll run into someone so looking good is never a bad thing!

XOXO

P.S. If you want to check out the print version I'm on page 11 of the OU Odyssey, my article is mentioned on the cover- a first for me!

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