Welcome back to another semester of classes and fashion. I’ve decided to start this new year off with a bang by sharing my secrets about how to become a fashion maven in such a small town. I know how to make something out of the street style and chic boutiques surrounding me, and that’s how I searched for ways to follow high fashion without actually being in NYC or LA. Fashion magazines aren’t the best source for the most craved seasonal styles anymore, but blogs, social media, and applications have taken over the scene. Here are a few at which you should take a peek.
Even though it has been around for the longest time, last semester I made my most favorite discovery ever: Polyvore. Ever since I found this site, I’ve been obsessed with everything you could do just by downloading a Polyvore tab. This site takes online shopping to a whole new level as you can create your own virtual style boards that can even resemble magazines like Vogue. One can combine different clothing pieces to create a desired look. Not only is it known for its usability, but, once an account is created, you can explore and “like” others sets as well. Best part of all, Polyvore holds weekly contests for fashion getaways and store gift certificates like nobody could imagine. This site is perfect for getting your foot in the door of styling or creating themed fashion boards. “I love creating sets because even though I don’t go to school for fashion yet, I can still show off my ability to put outfits together through this site,” said Becca Dennis, a featured student on College Fashionista.
Pinterest is also rising on the list of must-have fashion “pinning sites.” I’ve noticed more are starting to join the site that lets you create boards of everything you love from fashion to food to pictures of cats. While Pinterest is starting to gain popularity, there are still a few glitches to look out for: followers never add up correctly, pins may not actually get pinned, and the iPhone app…well that’s another story. Let’s just say, it needs some work. Pinterest is not only for the fashion crowd: it’s becoming the next best thing to Facebook. “Pinterest has made it easy to put everything I love from sites together on one page,” said Jill Edwards, MU class of 2011. “I’ve even been asked to use it a few times to get ideas for my internship.” Be warned though, because once you start pinning your favorites, time flies by and you realize you’ve spent your whole night looking at pretty ballet flats, creative DIY’s, and exotic destinations. Obviously, I know this by personal experience.
After getting my iPad, I searched everywhere for fashion apps that I could fill it with. Well, my search ended when I couldn’t even find one that interested me as much as the Fashion Blog Roll — aka the best $2.99 I’ve ever spent. This app combines every world famous fashion blog into one app. It makes it easy to get the latest posts from StyleBubble, Refinery 29, CollegeFashionista, Women’s Wear Daily, StreetPeeper, the Sartorialist and a few more that are hard to resist. Since blogs are taking over the fashion world for both designer collections and street style from London to Italy to China to the U.S., this is a must for any aspiring Fashionista. It’s the best app to have when you’re sick of magazines showing stick thin models and instead want to view the styles of fashion bloggers. Don’t have an iPad? Chicfeed for the iPhone has the exact same feature.
Speaking of the iPhone, there are two apps I can’t go a day without viewing: StyleCaster and Stylebook. I’ll admit it, I only look at StyleCaster on a daily basis because the weather in Dallas, PA is so unpredictable and there are times when I’m definitely not wearing a heavier jacket for the cooler weather or wearing ballet flats in the pouring rain. This genius app tells you the weather of the day and how you should dress for the outside conditions. It’s saved me a few times, telling me to wear a heavier jacket when we randomly had a snowstorm during this strangely warm winter season. Stylebook is the perfect app if you just want to keep the pieces you own organized, because everyone’s found something in their closet they’ve forgotten about.
These are just a few of my must haves for those fashion followers who want unique ways to find what they love. I forgot to mention how exciting this semester is going to be with “Let’s Talk Fashion.” Look out for exciting interviews, designer collection reviews and more. You’ll find out what’s in store — next time.