First Few Months Away

Hello again, it's been forever. Life here at college is everything I thought it would be and more. I'm loving my classes and I have great friends, from multiple majors too, not just in apparel design. My friends in apparel design however, are amazing and all of us are so different it's awesome. Each of our styles are unique and we each bring something different to the table, it's wonderful how easily we all mesh though.
Out of my 7 classes this semester, 3 were specific to my major: Intro to CSR (Consumer Sciences & Retailing), Apparel Equipment, and Intro the Apparel Industry. In the first one we mainly talked about our major, how to survive freshman year, and how to make sure we feel we're where we're supposed to be. In the second one we were taught how to thread a surger, use the various sewing machines (button making, zig zag, etc.), and make sure we know the rules of the lab. In the last one we learned everything from the past 100 years of fashion history, to designers (old & new), to trends, to how to think like a designer, to textiles (over 125 too!), to colors, to the importance of knowing types of hats, parts of a men's suits, ant the cuts for stones for jewelry. This semester has been amazing and I can't believe I had this much fun.
Next semester I have to buckle down and stay organised and motivated. On top of taking 6 classes (18 credit hours) the fashion show is in April! I'm taking Showcase, which is for the fashion show, and I'm taking Apparel Assembly, which is a sewing class & lab. Luckily I have one of best friends as my model for the show & we live in the same dorm so I can bug her anytime I want to work on my design. Though, to be honest, I have no idea what I'm going to make for the fashion yet. I have to figure it out over Winter break though because I need to buy fabric and materials. As soon as I figure out what I'm doing I will be posting sketches and rough drafts with details. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I can not wait til April, the show will be amazing.

Crazy College Collage

I have been at college for a week now and amongst all the thousands of freshmen and now upperclassmen arriving on campus one thing remains unsettled-is there a so called style for college? There is the obvious ensemble for working out: athletic shorts and a t-shirt and gym shoes. But for an everyday schedule—wake up, eat, go to class, rush to another class, have a little bit of downtime, eat, go to work, work out, eat, study, sleep—there appears to be no one fashion fab taking over here at Purdue. This, in my opinion, is excellent! I love that everyone seems to be unique and separate amid the crowds of people shuffling between the rings of the bell tower. I love that fashion stereotypes don’t necessarily hold true at college. Not all nerdy kids wear graphic tees & jeans, a lot of the girls in engineering have a great sense of style. The girls I’ve met this past week are all different, from the type of engineering they’re planning on studying to their hair color. They all have a different view on fashion. I love it! I like that Purdue breaks stereotypes and lets anyone let their nerd flag fly, or in this case, let their tastes in fashion be expressed.

Clothes For College

I have been stressing about college all summer. What classes will I take? What if I don't get a dorm with ac? What if I can't handle my schedule? How will I pay for everything? With all these other questions running through my head I haven't really had a lot of time to focus on what clothes I'll be packing and taking with me.
I went out and bought a shoe rack for my closet floor and a hanging shoe organizer for my closet. I'll be able to fit 20 pairs of shoes in my closet without taking up a lot of space. Shoes wise I plan on taking comfortable flats, gym shoes to work out in, 1 pair of flip flops, a pair of converse, and at least 2 pairs of heels. Clothes wise the basics will help me create zillions of different outfits. Jeans, shorts, skirts, and a couple dresses for anything fancy. Tops and sweaters and jackets complete my basics. Jewelry & scarves will be limited because I don't want to take up too much space. I'm a design major so I want lots of options, especially with my shoes. :) I'm not taking a lot right away though, I figure I'll be back for Thanksgiving and can switch up my wardrobe. I'll be exchanging tank tops for blazers and sandals for boots. I'm excited for the challenge and I can't wait to be there. I'll post again about several key items for my college wardrobe.

Jazzed July

July has started off with a bang (literally) & has been crazy hot.

For this month I have a Malibu Barbie who looks elegant with a purple, blue, & green ensemble with smoky makeup. I love her hair, despite being a drawing it looks like it has a lot of depth & volume. I can imagine lounging on a pool chair in the shade reading a book & looking fabulous in this.

My other calendar is a snapshot of one of the many Metro entrances. This has more of a cutting edge feel to it somehow. When I look at this I think of a French girl with dark wash skinny jeans, a retro top (maybe off the shoulder with a little scarf), red lipstick, big sunglasses, & ballet flats, with a huge bag & a coffee cup. I love how both pictures convey completely different feelings and thoughts.

The quote that came with the picture is, "Paris is the city in which one loves to live."-Margaret Anderson

I have to say I love this quote & completely agree with it. When I was in Paris I felt amazing, like I wanted to soak up all the culture and do everything & anything all in one day. It might have been because it's all been a dream of mine to visit Paris, but being there gives you a different feeling & it's wonderful.

This is my last month before college; August will be exciting and different. I wonder what my calendars will have in store for my inspiration.

Girls' Night

Girls' Night is always fun. Doing your nails, getting all dolled up, wearing fancy clothes just to go out to eat- it’s a blast. A while back a bunch of us, maybe about 8 or 9, got together to go to out to eat. It was fun to get out and spend quality time with the girls.

All of us decided to wear short dresses & heels. I chose a black one shoulder dress with a tight top & looses bottom. I paired it with pink heels that have ruffles on them and a black sequin fascinator.

A friend of mine wore a one shouldered grey dress with a black sash and black flowers along the shoulder strap. Another decided on a white dress with silver accents. My other friend wore a black sleeved dress with a brightly colored peacock feather design. We were all very snazzy looking.

For girls night it depends where you’re going, but since we were going somewhere where it’s appropriate for dressy attire, we settled on classy & fun dresses.

What to Wear to a Fashion Show

I have been to 2 fashion shows, one at Purdue University and one on a bridge downtown in the city. Both were fabulous and amazing experiences. At the college show I was incredibly nervous and had no idea what I was wearing til my friend & I were getting ready the hour before. For the show I had decided on:

·         Dark wash skinny jeans

·         Brown heels (about 3-4 inches)

·         Cheetah print long sleeve button down top

·         Black vest (I bought it in Paris)

·         Bright red lipstick

·         Long silver necklace

·         Dangling pearl earrings

I fit right in, and so did my friend who wore:

·         Black dress

·         White sweater

·         Black tights

·         Purple suede heels

·         Messy bun

·         Fancy earrings

It was a lot of fun getting ready and the two of us hit it spot on with wearing heels, it seemed like everyone was in heels.

For the show on the bridge my friend and I decided we’d both wear dresses since it’s summer & hot outside.
She wore a simple black dress with flower sandals. I wore a cream colored dress with red & blue flowers, a black sweater, and gold shoes. When we got there we wished we had worn heels, despite the fact we knew we’d be walking a lot. Everyone had heels on and a lot of people looked more dressed up than we did. However, there were people in jeans and a t-shirt, so there was a wide variety of clothing options.
I love having an excuse to dress up; I look forward to going to more shows.
My advice would be to look at any pictures the people in charge may have posted from previous years; you’d have a feel for what the majority are likely to wear. Then you can decide if you want to fit in or stand out. The more daring you are the more fashionable you may look. J