Style Guru Sunday: Camo and Standing Out

Photos via: CollegeFashionista, Moiology, Sincerely, Jules, A House in the Hills, and Frassy.

Photos via: Gabi Fresh, VE, Suburban Faux Pas, CollegeFashionista, and Fashionvibe.

For some reason, I've never wanted to fit in. I've spent most of my life being different from my peers and defying authority's expectations of me. On the other hand, I'm an almost obnoxious rule-follower. From leading a sober lifestyle to always keeping my dog on a leash in non-off-leash areas, I like to respect the rules. Fashion is the one place in my life where I feel rules have no place and my lack of desire to fit in really stands out. I believe in dressing for one person only: yourself. Read my latest Style Guru Bio for more on how I went from dressing for those around me to dressing for myself.

Runway-Inspired Makeup: Nanette Lepore

Eyebrows | Eyeliner | Mascara | Lips

Fashionista Friday: Focus On Free People

All photos via CollegeFashionista and the Free People blog

I've always loved Free People. The clothes are fun, flowy, and spectacularly well-made. When Natasha showed up to take photos for my CollegeFashionista article on her, she happened to be wearing all Free People. Obviously I was inspired to peruse the Free People blog and website to gain some inspiration.

Vivid Revival Fashion Show

I don't know if I've talked about this yet, but I was in a student fashion show recently. It was my first experience modeling and it was made so great by the Fashion Club of Seattle University. I'm already excited for next year's show...

Every year, the Fashion Club at my school puts on a student-run fashion show. All the models and any performers are students, and it features local brands and stores. It's an awesome blend of campus and community.
Because all the models are students, we spend a couple months practicing our walk. It seems kind of silly, but it's actually a lot of fun! It was also good to spend time with the other models and a lot of the people who were behind the scenes.

On the day of the show, I spent 6 hours at the location. I knew there was a lot of work that went into making the show happen, but I had no idea how long professional hair and makeup took! I loved the makeup look that the FCSU president chose: a totally spring-appropriate pink lip with an accentuated cat eye.

Walking the runway was actually not nearly as nerve wracking as I'd anticipated. I guess all those years of dancing prepared me for the spotlight.

Photo by Kyle Kotani

Photo by Kyle Kotani

I definitely wouldn't have been able to do the show without being coached by Natasha Wanigatunga. As a professional model and an executive member of Fashion Club, Natasha whipped all of us into runway-walking shape. Read more about her on CollegeFashionista.

Selfish Selfie Style

I've been anticipating the release of Kim Kardashian West's book, Selfish, since I heard of its production. I love everything about this book: the concept, the execution, and especially the title. Through my teen years and even into my adult life I've been called selfish and self-centered by a number of people in my life. From a neurological standpoint, being selfish is an evolutionary advantage that we don't outgrow until our frontal cortex fully develops in our twenties. So, it makes sense that I've been selfish for the last four or five years. However, it is still something that I have a hard time letting go of. I try so hard to keep others in mind and be more thoughtful than self-centered. I'm finally learning that it was okay for me to be selfish in my teens, and that I am lucky enough to be in a position where I can be selfish in my 20's. If paying attention to my own needs and making sure that I am healthy is considered selfish or self-centered, I will gladly wear that badge. I require a lot of attention, so I need to give myself a lot of attention. 

I've been taking selfies for, like, forever. I was a pro with my point-and-shoot digital camera and I'm kind of a pro now with my iPhone. In all honesty, I draw a lot of my inspiration from Ms. Kim Kardashian West, who just came out with a coffee table book of selfies she's taken over the years. In an homage to the selfie queen herself (and one of my personal role models), I present my own book documenting my selfie style over the years.

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Runway-Inspired Makeup: Badgley Mischka

While my personal style roots are in fashion, I'm a newcomer to the fabulous role of makeup in personal style. I've been experimenting with makeup for about a year now. My favorite is definitely lip color, but I'm trying out some fun new things as well. I've started drawing inspiration from the runway and I'm documenting my experience with these looks. Some of them are wearable, some of them are a little bit crazy, but they're all lots of fun. This is my first runway-inspired makeup look with more to come.

Eyebrows | Lips

DIY: Marble Computer Case

Since seeing marble print electronics, well, everywhere, I've officially become obsessed with the print. I recently decided to give my computer a full makeover using a marble print skin. My last protective case had simply fallen apart, and I was also in dire need of a new keyboard cover, so it worked out perfectly. This is the first time I've had to re-protect my computer in the two years that I've had it, which feels pretty lucky to me considering I have to change my iPhone case every couple months.

I used: a marble print laptop skin, a silver keyboard cover, a fuschia matte protective case, and a Broke & Fabulous sticker.

Voila! I'm really happy with how it turned out. It was easy to do and well worth the $40 I spent on the project, especially considering this was the first time I've redecorated my computer since I got it.

Fashionista Friday: Krazy for Khaki

{Via: Harper's Bazaar, Collage Vintage, Glamour, CollegeFashionista, and Kendi Everyday}

{Via: Atlantic-Pacific, Classy Girls Wear Pearls, CollegeFashionista, Classy and Fabulous, and The Sartorialist}

If you're lacking room in your closet, I'd recommend investing in some khakis (be they pants or a skirt). This material is perfect to dress up or down for any occasion. Plus, the neutral color makes it easy to match.f