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STYLE GURU STYLE: Room to Grow

January 31st, 2017 at 2:05am

As the new year rushes in, we college students cannot help but develop plans for revolutionizing our lives.  We reorganize our schedules and our planners, and we set goals for the coming year.

Perhaps you feel inclined to finesse your cooking skills or conquer a particularly difficult class in the coming months.  Or maybe you are determined to finally track down the perfect little black dress, or just the right top to go with those velvet pants that have glimmered in the back of your closet for so long.

But regardless of the number or size of the goals that we have planned, many of us hope to grow and change in this new year—and what better way to signify this wish than with our outfits?  Just like the new year, shouldn’t our outfits give us a little room to grow?

So, in the spirit of leaving room for growth, I drew inspiration from the voluminous coats and sweaters seen in the pre-fall 17 collections of designers like Stella McCartney, and focused on oversized silhouettes when pulling this outfit together.

This roomy, fleece sweatshirt serves as the perfect oversized base to build my outfit around.  With sleeves that fall well below my hands, I oftentimes bunch and roll them up, to create interesting and effortless shapes.  The exciting proportions and interesting wooly texture add visual excitement to the sweatshirt, but the dark, navy color lends a kind of neutral versatility to the piece.  The wide cut of the sweatshirt begs for the pairing of a more structured bottom, like a pleated leather skirt.  This skirt’s stiff black pleats and slight sheen act as the perfect contrast for the soft and fuzzy sweatshirt.

With a solid mix of proportions and textures, I turn to accessories to complete this look.  I keep the bag and jewelry understated—just a few gold bangles, and a small structured bag that echoed the clean lines of the skirt.

These simple accessories truly are an asset to any wardrobe.  Delicate bangles can be worn every day—elevating even the simplest of outfits—and a structured bag oozes sophistication.

With this almost monochromatic outfit, I add a vintage scarf and brick red loafers for pops of color.  The modern feel of these sleek and stylized loafers creates an interesting contrast with the vintage nature of the scarf.

For a finishing touch, I choose a dark red lip—a matte hue perfect for the winter months to come.

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