If you know me, you know I am not the most colorful or totally girly person when it comes to clothing. I stick to neutral and earth tones, and I like sharp edges and clutter when it comes to adding accessories to match. I am a scarf freak (I refuse to let the scarf holder in my room reach its limit) and obsessed with shoes and purses. I hardly layer (which gives reason to my love of warm sweater dresses), and I wear almost every dress with a belt. My hair is just brown and almost always down and curly, except for the “special” days when I decide to straighten it. The biggest leap I’ve ever wanted to make with my hair was to lighten it and add red highlights, but I am too nervous to change.
What I first spotted about this fashionista, Caitlin Van Horn who attends Fordham University - Rose Hill, was her fiery red hair, which I personally think is the best accessory she could add to any outfit she wears. Hairstyles, as big of a surprise as it may be, can actually be what makes or breaks an outfit. This season, they have become so diverse and personal that it adds more than just an addition to the outfit. It adds style. Hair can be smooth or fun, crazy or laid back. Trendsetters set the mood with their hair, enabling a sense originality to exert from anyone. No longer do stylists pick the beautifully and perfectly curled locks to match their ensembles. Today, they cut, color, shave, and gel to get their desired looks that both add a spark to their outfits and define their personalities. As Lady Gaga once said, “I’m as free as my hair.”
I love and envy Van Horn’s outfit and hair. She works a floral printed cardigan perfectly into her outfit, matching it with a solid olive green dress that flares at the waist. The slight v-neck cut of the dress adds a feminine and delicate touch to add to the floral print and the pastel colors it brings into the outfit. Yet breaking the delicacy and taking the outfit to the next level, Van Horn adds knee high pastel socks with a tan heeled boot. The socks add girlish fun to the outfit, and the shoes toughen it up with their bulky heel and combat boot like laces. The combination of these pieces allow Van Horn to ditch the expected polite and proper norms of a Tea Party and embrace the vitality and fast moving pace of life. Van Horn completes the outfit with smaller accessories of a thin necklace and a pale pink headband that glows against the color of her hair. Styled just right, her wavy hair and bangs with the headband allow for a less dramatic statement, perfectly letting the red color shine without being too much at all. The thin necklace too acts as a small addition, leaving focus to lie on the rest of the outfit.
So, the moral of the story is to not be afraid of change. In fact, totally embrace change, and along the way, break some rules. In a personal way, you can find out more about yourself, but getting back to talking fashion, you can open new doors to options and styles you never knew were meant for you.
Briana Rotello is a sophomore at Fordham Campus, Rose Hill. She grew up in Rockville, Maryland and attended Wootton High School. She had always pictured herself living in New York City, and after she found Fordham University, she was able to put her dreams into action.
She picked Fordham University for both its academic integrity, strong focus on writing, and its location. She is planning on majoring in Communications. Briana aspires to be a fashion journalist after college and appreciates all the learning opportunities offered to her in the great city of New York. She is ecstatic to experience more of the fashion world, and to learn more about the art of writing.
The perfect example. Daphne, a sophomore at Rose Hill, likes to put on her own personal twist when it comes to clothes. She knows she needs a great leather jacket in her wardrobe, but does she choose a typical black one? No. She goes on a limb and finds an amazing red one from Zara. Not only is it the most perfect deep blood-red shade, but the soft leather contrasting with the hard metal motorcycle style is stunning. And, the quilted arms and back just add to the uniqueness. This is how to do it. You may think a red leather jacket? What will I wear it with? Daphne does not find it hard to match her jacket with practically everything in her closet, everything that would also match a typical black one. And best of all, it makes a statement. 
The trend of mixing prints together can turn into one of two things; a unique twist of unlikely pieces paired together, or a total disaster. In this case, it was outcome number one. Mixing items together in a single outfit that are an unlikely pairs, is becoming a very hot trend. It is a tough trend to articulate and succeed in, but if done correctly, the outfit becomes an extraordinary, surprising outcome. People have always been a bit weary to mix prints even as simple as polka-dots and stripes, but it has been proven that if done with similar patterns, colors and fabrics, the end result is genius.
Along with her mixing up, was a great tan Urban Outfitters jacket and lace-up boots from Aldo. I gave Andora props for braving the first really cold day of the year, all for fashion. I admired her fearlessness in uniting unexpected pieces from her wardrobe into one amazing ensemble. She gave her whole look a relaxed vibe, with her wavy hair worn down and amazing turquoise earrings, which she said were a gift from a friend. Her long unzipped jacket showed off the outfit, while the sturdy biker boots gave the outfit some structure. 
A dress is a dress and a skirt is a skirt. That is how all clothing is made to be, right? (Well, minus the ever-fun reversible jacket that offers two different patterns in one!) But what would happen if style hunters started to cheat the system?
Caitlin Carr, a sophomore at Fordham University Rose Hill, is a wanted criminal, but she is too sneaky to catch! Perfectly using the style of what used to be only a maxi dress, she adjusts it to become her new favorite maxi skirt. The shape of the dress from top to bottom allows it to successfully disguise itself into an effortlessly flowy skirt that looks just right. Carr creates a folded effect with the rouched strapless top of the dress that adds further to the free movement of the bottom. Pairing the olive green color with a simple back v-neck tee and black flats is the right move to make to accentuate the effect of the skirt. Looking even more like a Greek goddess with her natural curls, Carr is ready to embrace the day.
Fur pieces and accessories have always been symbols of luxury and give off a fabulous sense of grandeur. Fur has always looked magnificent especially when worn as full-length coats, vests, and warm winter accessories. These pieces are fabulous ways to ante up any ensemble, making them look much more exorbitant than they are. Lately, vests have become the most common way to wear this material. Whether real or fake, fur vests are a stunning alternative to other forms of outerwear, and if chosen in simple solid colors, they can be worn over anything. These fur pieces make it to the front of our closets once the temperature begins to drop, and are worn when we are ready to make a statement...and stay warm!
Kendyl, a sophomore at Rose Hill, based her entire outfit on of her striking black fur Lafayette 148 vest. Thrown over a gorgeous indigo bird-printed shirt, by Rebecca Taylor, the vest not only acted as her jacket, but made a statement that I am sure nobody missed! The black J Brand jeggings, her “obsession,” led the way down to her amazing leather Frye boots, which toughened up the soft fur of the vest. Louis Vuitton accompanied her, lugging around her books, and her gold Michael Kors watch shined brightly on her wrist. Her entire ensemble meshed perfectly and not only was she the trendiest girl on campus, but most likely the warmest and comfiest too. 
