Haute College

Gene Kelly had is wrong when he belted out “Singing in the Rain” down the street. It’s hard for people to be jolly when their clothes are drenched with water and their hair is stuck to their face.

It’s hard to choose the right outfit during the rainy season in Athens. A 10-minute walk to class would leave jean bottoms soaked up to the knee. A few simple rainy day wardrobe pieces are necessary for walking on a college campus.

The first thing that comes to mind is the right umbrella. A ruined day happens when an umbrella goes missing or is not big enough. For example, a doused backpack could mean a damaged computer.

“It’s always a hat day when it rains if you don’t have an umbrella,” said Melody Margolin, an employee at The Other Place.

A simple baseball cap would do the trick, she said. When buying a new umbrella, women can add flash by buying a cute pattern.

“We’ve sold a lot of umbrellas this week, way more than usual,” said Ashleigh Snook, manager at The Other Place.

Another piece to a waterproof wardrobe are rainboots. They will keep feet and pant bottoms dry, although lack of comfort can deter purchase.

“I bought some at other place but they pinched my ankles so I don’t wear them anymore,” said Alicia Fiedler, a student at Baker Center suffering from a soaked outfit. “Now I want a trench coat — at some point I won’t be a college student and I won’t get away with wearing a hoodie tied to my chin.”

Substituting the hoodie for a nice cardigan or trench coat would be nice additions to an adult-looking wardrobe, said Matita Pardo, owner of the online story Cuskie Boutique and Ohio University alumna.

“I would also suggest flats that are closed toe because you want to keep your feet dry — that would be ideal,” she said. “It just depends on how the weather is.”

Cuskie sells different kinds of coats depending on temperature and rain durability, she said. Another great place to trench coat shop is Burlington Coat Factory, which has a whole section devoted to the beige look every spring.


(Athens weather can be tricky, be prepared for rain all day or spurts of sunny weather. Photo credit: Myself)

There are other rain day wardrobe options besides the staple pieces that can spice up a drabby outfit.

“I really like some cute shorts or a skirt (in navy blue or black) and a solid, white oxford shirt on top,” said Ali Howell, a graduate student in the School of Human and Consumer Sciences at OU. “You can go sort of conservative and then rock a pair of converse low tops or Chuck Taylors add a very structured rain coat and you are ready for a day in the rain.”
Snook and Howell both suggested wearing layers that are easy to remove, such as a scarf.

A color and scarf can add flare and color to a gray-day wardrobe when inside just like an umbrella seasons outer layering.

With only few more weeks left of Spring Quarter, students can invest in rainy day items that can last them until graduation. If not, summer may be a good time to buy them — glorious feelings could follow.

This summer, I will be working in an office with several well-dressed female editors. They are all different shapes and sizes, but they rock their individual looks.

Every journalist pictures the office he/she might get the chance to work in one day. My fantasy office is the one in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. All the women must take their shoes off before a meeting and take a deep breath to settle them. Now this is an office.


(Source: IMDb)

Business clothes are starting to fill my closet these days. The last place to look unprofessional or dumpy is the office.

Like any good outfit, the key to business attire are staple pieces. You see these people everyday, and there is no need to impress them with wearing someone different five days out of the workweek. Some pieces include pencil skirts, several button-up blouses, black high heels, black dress pants and several moderately colored tops (pastels, for instance).

Sometimes finding an outfit from your closet that fits your office taste can be as hard as finding one for a dinner party, for example. And, what’s worse is you are probably going to be wearing this dressy outfit for a long time.

Don’t stress. You need to find things that ensure your comfortably in a chair or walking down to the cafeteria for lunch. I have found many cute blazers at Kohl’s. Look for suits and buy the jacket — this will match your pencil skirts and slacks. Other helpful stores are Macy’s, JC Penney and Target.


(Source: Kohl's website)

Laurie Brucker explains the top five style tips or achieving an effective professional style on the website Fashionably Marketing. Me.

Hey Tip: Find comfy shoes that can match multiple outfits!

Fashion has become a hot topic around the Ohio University Community. The online-only fashion magazine Thread has launched, there are rumors of Backdrop magazine doing a secret fashion shoot and Fashion Associates put together another successful fashion show on Moms Weekend.

The top thing on most women's minds during Moms Weekend is shopping. There were lines out the doors to stores such as Fig Leaf and The Other Place. Many of the empty racks were in thanks to the Fashion Associates. This student organization aims to increase the knowledge about the fashion industry and help students get a foot in the industry's door. The group collects clothing from retail stores around the city and finds models to work the runway. The show attracted about 500 spectators to the circus-themed show this year.

Students modeled clothing from stores such as UniversiTEES, Elder Beerman and Artifacts Gallery.

The organization works all year to put the fashion show together, said Ali Morris, one of the show coordinators. Spectators don't realize the craziness behind it, such as the models running down two flights of stairs to change or convincing the stores to lend clothing.

Besides the show, members work on resume and cover letter writing. They also have access to trend databases, which provides information on future trends.

"Companies will pay thousands of dollars to access this program, and we get it for free," Morris said. "But they will get information about winter trends while we get it for summer. It interesting to look at and talk about later."

The organization has existed for about 15 years, she said. About 7/8 of the members are retail majors and the rest include students who love fashion.

"It's been a good experience and I have enjoyed planning the fashion show and doing the advertising and PR for the group," Morris said.

Check out some of Athens fashion here. This is Fashion Show on May 1.

Every girl loves and needs a little black dress, but a New Yorker has taken that love to a whole new level. Sheena Matheiken pledged to wear the same little black dress for an entire year as part of The Uniform Project. May 1 marked the one year anniversary of her adventure. According to a Stylelist article, it was her way of mixing together fashion, sustainability and philanthropy.

Matheiken said wearing the same dress wasn't as boring as she thought. She mixes up styles by adding different kinds of jewelry, shoes and accessories. The dress itself was by Eliza Starbuck, which is to be worn frontward and backward; she rotated seven different styles.

"I never actually felt like I was wearing the same thing every day," she said. "The looks makes me feel like different characteristics, personalities."

Matheiken has proved a signature piece of clothing can last a person for a whole year. Other signature pieces include a blazer, a pair of jeans that make you feel sexy, studs that can match any outfit, black high heals and a solid print dress (of course).

The key for these outfits is accessorize, accessorize, accessorize.

"You have to realize what is it that you like," she said. Are you a scarf person? Are you a belt person? What are the things you're naturally drawn to? Expand on that and start playing with them."

You don't have to be a creative fashionista to look better every day. You might even have some key items in your closet right now.

One more thing: Keep it simple!

OU students have an eclectic style, but where do they buy clothes? After spending three years on campus, this is my top 10 list of where to find an OU wardrobe — kind of a shopping shuffle. Share this with your freshmen friends, and make sure you hit these spot before graduation time. This is an easy list for a last-minute party costume or friend's birthday gift. There were lines of people waiting to get into some of these store on Moms Weekend — Go Athens!

View Top 10 places OU students love to shop in a larger map

The sun has finally returned to Ohio, and that means it’s time for the perfect face framers. It’s impossible to have one pair of sunglasses to match every cute outfit you wear. Because they vary in price range, you can splurge and buy the cheap ones at the same time.

Let’s start with the splurge. I let out a mild squeal when I saw the seasonal e-mail from infamous baby blue Company appear in my inbox. Because you can’t have enough of its jewelry, Tiffany & Co. also has an eyewear line.

I'm in love with the Round Sunglasses. Each pair comes with three sets of Tiffany charms that you can switch at a whim. The charms include a “T,” 1987 with crystal and heart charms. The frames are big, round and black with the baby blue logo on the arms. The price is enough for empty any student’s bank account — a whopping $320.

Now for the cheapies. These shades just spell party, and the wearer adds a point for cool every time he/she wears Wayfarers. Tom Cruise made these shades popular in the movie Risky Business. The great thing about these glasses is that you buy knock-offs really cheap. They are just above $10 at Artifacts Gallery on Court Street.

And if you love sunglasses a little too much, you can buy “this pair” of Ray-Bans just like Matthew. He became a YouTube sensation overnight after he posted this video in January. The video currently has more than one million views. He doesn’t have to worry about losing his sunglasses anymore.

Hello to all of you festing fashionistas! Fest season is finally upon us. Outfits depend entirely upon the day's weather, and you should be prepared for all situations. I visited High Fest this weekend to find some fest fashion dos and don'ts. Comfort is your best bet for fests, and I would suggest a comfy T-shirt and gym shorts with disposable flip flops. Add some flair with a crazy ball cap or funky sunglasses. Your plan is to get crazy, right? So you should dress crazy. Few judgements are passed on these days, and you should focus on having fun instead of your wardrobe.

(likeme.net)

After juggling a hectic week of school and time-consuming extra curriculars, I decided to treat myself to a shopping trip. I’ve asked some of my sorority sisters where they bought the cute clothes they were wearing at the time and, and I received the same answer every time: Forever21.

It’s one of the most economic stores in the area to buy hip clothing. It gears for middle school girls to twentysomething women. Although you’re surrounded by lace and patterns you still need one one thing — time. Most clothing in Forever is junk. It might be bought by some poor girl without fashion sense or donated to charity.

This is where your skill and passion to shop come in. This passion will not always travel to the store with you, and might disappear mid-shop. Food is always a useful tool, and body image can be the key to new buys. However, the rare useless shopping trip can occur.

A seasoned shopper usually knows how to avoid these gas-wasters. I was apparently not wearing my seasoned shopper hat this week. I traveled to the Forever 21 thirty minutes away from my home in Cleveland, hoping to find some new evening or “going out” tops. Instead, I found thirty pre-teen girls and nothing that fit.

Don’t let this happen to you! There are two things you can do for yourself before you shop in order to find the best clothes at your favorite stores. The first is dress confidently. No one finds a floral dress while wearing sweats. Second, have a few specific pieces of clothing or accessories in mind before you enter the store.

Stay on track. Keep your eyes focused on the prize. If you are set on buying a black sequined top, then avoid those short skirts for $8.50 in the corner. Ignore the sparkling necklaces in the other room. Trust me, if you’re walking to your car in the end of the day WITH the sequined top and a few accessories then the trip will have been a successful one.

* Check out the store's website or blog before you go, too. I just discovered Forever 21's blog, and it's great!

It’s not hard to look put together. In fact, it only takes a few signature pieces to keep you looking mature and professional. Just like babies have to be weaned off diapers, college students need to grow out of the sweats phase. If you want to be a respected adult, DON’T let the general public see you in your drab clothes.

Just look at this picture of Britney and you will understand what I mean. Do you really want people to see you like this? (winonafashion.wordpress.com)

The first is a black cardigan. Paired with jeans, khakis, skinny pants or a skirt, this can take you from slob to chic. The cool thing about this: You can wear anything underneath the cardigan! A simple V-neck shirt, a cute blouse or your favorite ratty tank with do wonders for your outfit. You add even more to the outfit by buying a cute skinny belt to wrap around your waste.

Next is a comfy pair of skinny jeans. Pick any shade of denim you like, but you need to feel like you can be able to cozy up with a good book or strut your stuff Uptown. The recent rage has been about Express jeans. I’ve yet to join the craze because the jeans range from $60 to $80, but I’ve heard they can last up to two years. I’ve settled for T.J. Maxx jeans, but you have to go on the right day. Your best bet would be on a Wednesday or Thursday before the weekend rush. Now this girl looks comfortable. (Thanks go to my roommate, Katie Pretzlav, for modeling.)

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but V-necks are the way to go. To save money go to Walmart and buy the men’s three-pack of white, gray or black V-neck shirts. They are the best, and can be paired with any kind of jewelry. Wear them with your comfy jeans or even the black sweater you should be buying after reading this post.

Here’s an easy goal to set. Try your hardest not to wear sweats out of the house for a whole week and see how you feel. People will be telling you how nice you look in no time!

Face it; Athens shopping is limited to one street - Court. Although passerby may drool and marvel at the window glitz in Artifacts and The Other Place, Athens seriously lacks variety.

Enter online shopping. There is a marvelous cornucopia of clothes online. An endless mall - what could be better?

Your enemy: The endless click. It takes five minutes to get through the process of checkout to confirmation e-mail. Your bank account can travel from the $200 range to $50 in a few heartbeats.

Here are a few tricks to forget that demon we call Shipping Tax and realize your purchase will be worthwhile.

1. Register to receive e-mails from your favorite stores on its Web site. My Inbox gets flooded three times a week from J.Crew with wonderful phrases such as ‘free shipping,’ ‘spring sale’ and ‘final blowout sale – lowest prices ever.’
2. Make purchases with a friend. Beat the system and don’t let that store make money off the both of you.
3. If you have a plus-sized figure you might not find your size in stores like American Eagle. If you are over an XL in women’s and over a XXL in men’s then the store only offers those kinds of clothes online. Don’t fear – you can look just as cute in the girl in the size 2.
4. There are millions of codes online! Before you make your final purchase, google (store name here) codes. Sites provide you with special codes for free shipping, 15% off, 20% off etc. You can sometimes cut your final price in half.
5. Check if your favorite stores have a Facebook or Twitter page. Stores like The Other Place take pictures of their recent shipments so customers have a reason to come to the store.

Don’t fear the Internet. Buy what you really want and spend your money wisely. Buy the perfect Old Navy Sweater or Hunter rain boots without traveling 2-4 hours to the mall at your house.

Last Thought: According to The Post, the number of mail delivered dropped 17 percent from 2006-2009. Since snail mail is apparently dying, the unusual package on your doorstep will surely brighten your day.

Looking for the newest college trends with hot deals? Good, you're in the same boat as I am. Take off those sweatpants (it's cool if you leave the leggings) and make the world see you as a real person. You don't have to empty your bank account to have a stellar closet.

I'm into the simple things — a standout sweater, a statement headband or some flashy flats. Buy things that will make people comment on your outfit. This site is here for buying advice. I'll tell you where to buy the hot items around Athens and online, and more important, how much you should pay for them!

I'm here to make you look good.