Outfit: Off-the-Shoulder + Printed Pants.

The Outfit

Photos by Fernanda Teixeira

earrings: Romania

necklace: TJ Maxx

top: Charlotte Russe

pants: Rue 21

backpack: Target

shoes: J. Crew (via Crossroads Trading Co.)

The Details

The Story

To be honest, sometimes I struggle when picking out my outfit of the day. I struggle because every day I walk around campus and see girls that look the way I've always pictured college girls to look. Of course I can't truly know what goes on in their wardrobes (or lives), but in my mind they embody the ideal college lifestyle. These are the girls that I look at and think "Wow, she looks so pretty and put together" and the same girls that guys always do a double take on. 

Some days I crave that lifestyle- that aura around me, but for some reason I always go back to my own version if it. I could describe it as half average college girl, half man repeller. This outfit feels exactly like that- there's going to be the lovers, and there's going to be the haters (most likely making up the majority). 

I'm a relatively tame example of self-expression, and would never second guess myself in a big city where doing your own thing is encouraged and celebrated. But living in a relatively small town with a lack of focus on personal style can really get to me sometimes. I struggle to maintain my own vision of myself, but there are times when I just want to put on the same cute dress everyone else is wearing and go on with my day. 

I guess there's some soul searching to be done. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Outfit: Striped Top + Denim Cutoffs.

Photos by Laura DeMouche

earrings: Forever 21

top: Rue 21

bracelet: FitBit

shorts: Forever 21

bag: theft from my mother (jk, she gave it to me)

booties: LC Lauren Conrad @ Kohl's

Hello, everyone!

I'm finally back today with a new outfit post! It's been so hard trying to keep up with the blog, for multiple reasons. First of all, school's getting pretty crazy- everyone and their mother decided the next two weeks are perfectly appropriate to throw exams and projects our way, so I'm all over the place trying to study for everything. I'm always taking the maximum credit hours, too, and I work. It's sort of overwhelming at the moment.

Finding someone to take pictures has also been pretty difficult. I feel awkward asking my friends whenever we hang out because it feels like I'd be taking away from that time- also I don't want everyone thinking that's the only reason I want to hang out.

However, I've been working on some non-personal outfit content that hopefully proves to be useful to everybody, so I'll still be updating the blog regularly (maybe just not as idealistically regularly as I had originally planned). 

Thank you for stopping by, even sporadically! I appreciate each and every one of you! 

P.S. This outfit made me feel pretty badass. One of my favorites in a long time.

Outfit: Neon Butterflies.

Photos by Leo Petriu

earrings: Forever 21

t-shirt: Rue 21

bag: garage sale'd (orig. Tommy Hilfiger)

jeans: OP @ Walmart

sandals: Merona @ Target

Oh, the butterfly shirt! I've had plenty of issues in the past with this top (mainly because the colors reminded me of Halloween a bit too much), but I didn't want to give it away as it was part of my high school graduation present from my mom (yup, it's pretty old). Of all the meh-ish things I own, this is probably the one shirt I would have never expected to warm up to, but it's quite a nice color and fit. Loved the combination with my OP jeans from Walmart, of all places. These are pretty old as well. My dad got them for about $3 back in the day when Walmart wasn't considering itself a higher end retailer and matching its prices with the mall.

Aaaaanyway, just wanted to share my summery but somewhat Halloween-reminding look with all of you. As usual, I'm super duper grateful you decided to stop by!

Outfit: The Boyfriend Look.

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

earrings: gifted

bracelets: unknown

necklace: Rue 21

baseball top: Aeropostale

belt: thrifted

boyfriend jeans: Aeropostale @ Plato's Closet

sneakers: Graceland @ Deichmann

bag: thrifted (orig. Ralph Lauren)

I've never been a fan of mixing TOO many relaxed/rugged-looking pieces, but for comfort (and not shaving)'s sake, I decided to give it a go for today's outfit. I find that Aeropostale has a great selection of all things relaxed and cute! I purchased this baseball top last year, for somewhere around $10, I believe, and it's been a great go-to for those I'm-lazy-but-I-still-wanna-look-sort-of-girly days. The boyfriend jeans are a closet staple, always ready to be dressed up or down. I'm particularly fond of my $2 Rue 21 necklace, which can be worn with SO MANY COLORS, it's a bit insane. Rue 21 always has some great costume jewelry finds for about $2-5 when on sale, and I find that, if cared for, they can last at least two years. Definitely something to check out if you're in the habit of overspending on costume jewelry!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Outfit: Red Velvet Crop Top.

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

earrings: unknown

necklace: Rue 21

crop top: Derek Heart (thrifted)

skirt: Wet Seal

boots: Charlotte Russe

bag: thrifted

I wore this outfit for an old town chocolate-filled date with my boyfriend when he came to visit during Valentine's weekend. I'm such a huge fan of this outfit, and on the day of, wearing it felt great! Looking back on the pictures, however, just feels disappointing.

Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's just me, but this past week and then some has been a continuous letdown. I wake up even more tired than when I go to bed. I burn my scalp every day in the shower because the water is always too hot. I stare at computer screens all day. I put off going to the gym. I eat one too many chocolate chip cookies. I repeat. I digress.

I think at some point I was just going to mention looking at those pictures, not seeing myself, and craving the memories of the year before. I miss the feeling of novelty and strength that came with being a freshman, with being able to be where I wanted to be, when I wanted to be there, with absorbing new knowledge every day. Now it's all routine, a constant funk that I can't seem to get out of.

There are two main things that bring joy to my life as a student these days- going to work and posting on this blog. I wish there would be someone willing to photograph me every day, so that I could post all the time. I wish I could vent about life and clothes and school and accessories and all these other things that most people probably don't care much about. The beautiful thing, though, is that I don't have to worry about what others care about because this is my little corner of the internet. I don't think this ramble is going anywhere, so I might as well stop here. Hopefully there's better days ahead!

Thank you so much for stopping by :)

Outfit: Printed LC by Lauren Conrad Dress.

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

hair accessory: thrifted

jacket: Dolled Up

necklace: Rue21

dress: LC by Lauren Conrad at Kohl's

belt: boutique in Romania

bag: Ross Dress for Less

shoes: Dolce Vita

If there's anyone who's made a successful career in mostly everything I have even a remote interest in, it's Lauren Conrad. She's written both fiction and nonfiction, she's held fashion internships, and now, she's designing her own collections! At 28, she's achieved much more than others may hope to achieve in a lifetime, and contrary to the general reality TV-star trend, she's managed to do so while staying true to herself and growing in knowledge rather than plastic surgeries.

I could ramble on and on about the many ways in which LC has and continues to inspire me. Recently, during an interview, she was asked what her favorite position was, and without missing a beat she answered CEO. Such a great answer, right? I just really cherish Lauren Conrad's presence in the world, and truly believe she's a great role model for girls everywhere!

I purchased the dress on sale at Kohl's for $12 and could not believe my luck! It was a size S, which under normal circumstances would be a wee bit tight, but somehow this particular dress fit like a charm. I've been wanting to own some LC by Lauren Conrad clothes for a while, but I've never been one to invest over $30 for a piece of clothing, so I waited it out. In the end, I'm glad I did. Along with this dress, I also purchased a blouse and a pair of jeggings for $12 each. They even gave me a $10 off coupon for future purchases, so naturally I went back and bought ANOTHER LC by Lauren Conrad dress.... for only $2. Now if that's not the best shopping day ever, I don't know what is!

I love LC! I love the fact that her clothes are cute, functional, and versatile. In every single collection, I've felt girl power vibes- I've felt encouraged to look my best for myself, in clothes that promote self-respect. And as a female in my young 20's, I believe it's something that should be more prominent within our current society.

Thank you for stopping by! :)

Click here for more beautiful LC by Lauren Conrad dresses (and some pretty sweet sales), courtesy of Kohl's.

Outfit: Vintage Denim Jacket and Jeggings.

Photos by Laura DeMouche

beanie- Wet Seal

earrings- Forever 21

necklace- Rue21

scarf- unknown

denim jacket- thrifted (Jordache) 

baseball tee- Disney

backpack- Icing by Claire's

cami (underneath)- Blu Chic

jeggings- Savage Art

wedges- Dolce Vita 

Ever since I purchased this denim jacket at my local thrift store, I knew that it would eventually have its moment- it was just a matter of when. At least two years have passed since it's been laying around in my closet, constantly avoided in favor of newly bought girly silhouette coats and blazers. This winter, however, it's been one of my go-to's. I love its effortlessly 90's vibe and the vintage edge it brings to my style.

Lately I've been trying to pinpoint what my outfit choices are becoming, and I've come to the conclusion that my style is leaning towards girly with a dash of edge. I'm always into pink, and purple, and brights in general, but I enjoy accessorizing with studs, massive hats, and 90's denim. That being said, I have been toying with the idea of changing the name of my blog to something that better represents my niche. So, pretty soon, I believe you'll have a revamped blog going by the name of "Curvy with a Dash of Edge". I will explain my choice later on in the week, as I decide whether I truly want to change the blog's name. Until then, however, I leave you with this comfy, casual, girly-edgy outfit.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Outfit: Faux Fur Jacket + Striped Sweater.

Photos by Ionela Petriu

earrings: Forever21

owl necklace: Rue 21

coat: Rue 21

cropped sweater: Rue 21

belt: Wet Seal

jeans: Savage Art (Ross Dress for Less)

boots: Dollhouse (Ross Dress for Less)

bag: thrifted

As a PERSONAL style advocate and blogger, I tend to march to my own beat and wear things because I feel that they match my personality and body type rather than because they are trendy. I do, of course, try to incorporate fashion-forward items into my daily outfits, but there are some that I just cannot wrap my head around. For example, houndstooth is one of those prints that just doesn't do it for me. I've seen a lot of style bloggers work their magic on it and make it look good, but I have no intention of letting it grace my body anytime soon.

Animal print is one of those trends that to me is almost on the same level as houndstooth. I don't own that many animal print pieces, mostly because I find them too busy to integrate properly in most of the looks that I try to achieve. This coat is one of the very few animal prints I own, and definitely the most eccentric. I'm not sure why I decided it was a good purchase- maybe the coziness and softness, or maybe the fact that it feels luxe rather than kitsch. It's one of those items that I would expect myself to absolutely hate, but in reality I'm really into.

Maybe I'm not bold enough to try everything that the fashion world deems worthy... or maybe I'm just trying to remain faithful to myself in a world where it seems that everyone wears the same uniform. The Valentino studded heels (I'm guilty of that, just the cheap Rue 21 version), the Zara skort, the Celine bags, they all reappear time and time again. Maybe if I could afford that stuff, I would be wearing all of that, too. But for now, I just enjoy being budget-friendly, and hopefully even a bit different from the standard.

I'm never going to be a main risk taker, and I'm comfortable with that. To me, clothing is about properly representing myself and channeling my daily moods. And I hope that it is exactly what I come across as doing.

Thank you so much for stopping by :)