STYLE GURU STYLE: Elevate Your Essentials

It’s that time of the year again. You know, that time of the year where we’ve reached a style rut. We’re eager to buy the latest and greatest to reinvent ourselves, but we’re also eager to buy gifts for family and friends for the holidays. And when you’re a college student on a budget, you and I both know you can’t do both successfully. So how do we get the best of both worlds? I took to the internet to save us both from the misery and I stumbled upon Alexander Wang’s 2016 resort collection, which I’m pretty sure gave us all the answers we needed. This collection was centered around basic pieces that every Fashionista and Fashionisto has in their closet with intricate details that made all the difference.

As I viewed the collection, it finally clicked! Instead of running out and buying something new just because you’re stuck in the style department, turn to your staple pieces. Have faith in your crew neck T-shirts, black pants, button-downs, trench coats and jeans. They didn’t let you down when you first bought them, so why would they let you down now? Wang’s collection influenced me to work with what I have and challenged me to use pieces that I’ve grown so used to seeing that I forgot how bold they could make an outfit. While keeping the concept of refurbishing my essential pieces, I wanted to make sure I stayed true to my signature style by incorporating the classic yet efficient neutral color palette I’ve grown to love. After I narrowed down my color palette, I wanted to have fun with the outfit by incorporating different textures and materials to bring something new to the table.

Pairing my ribbed mock neck sweater with my high-waisted distressed knee jeans, I brought the look together with an old brown duster coat and a pair of my favorite booties. I never imagined that I could create a chic, high fashion look with some of my oldest basic pieces that I thought had lost value. That just goes to show that when you take a step back and appreciate the basic pieces that helped you build the wardrobe and develop the style you have today, it’s easy to elevate your essentials!

Get My Look: 1. Short turtleneck top. 2. Black high-waisted distressed knee jeans 3. Tailored duster coat.

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