I can’t believe it Fashionistas and Fashionistos, but this is my last semester as a Style Guru for Kent State University! My name is Julie, and I am about to begin my last semester as an Integrated Studies Major (a.k.a. General Studies, my concentrations are ASL and Spanish). I believe that the human body is a living, breathing piece of art, and that it is a canvas for endless forms of expression through the discovery of personal style.
The majority of my closet comes from three places: my travels, hand-me-downs from my mom’s killer closet straight out of 1985 and my (sometimes haphazard) DIY escapades.
Most of my fashion inspo comes from magazines (mostly SELF at the moment), Instagram, and an infinite amount of bookmarked websites (Dirtbag Darling, Darling and Bearfoot Theory are whom I frequent the most).
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel often, and I collect clothing from other countries the way that some people collect snowglobes or postcards. However, because one can only bring so much home (or travel so many places), I bring back with me a bunch of street style snaps or magazines featuring a bit of that country’s unique style.
It’s a bit of a scary thought to know that I’ll be graduating so soon, but I welcome the thought of being able to begin crafting the way I used to! I love experimenting with new materials, and I can’t wait to begin leatherworking and (hopefully!) continue my experimentations with batik dyeing, sewing and DIY-ing. My favorite thing to do is find an item and recreating it by revamping an item I already have using that picture as inspo. It never looks just like the original, but because I created it, it’s an original in itself!
It’s impossible to label myself as having any specific style, because I’m terribly inconsistent! I’ve been a loyal customer of Vans and Volcom for that very reason, because although I’m 22, I still seek to have a level of pop-punk edge in my wardrobe, which is what they’re all about. I’m very passionate about adventure sports and dance, as well as my almost-daily yoga practice. For apparel that withstands my need for handstands and hikes, sprints and splits, I’ve grown to love brands like Prana, Element and Burton! As I begin to build a more work-friendly wardrobe, I love browsing Madewell and Topshop for refined basics, and go-to kate spade, Coach and Fossil for the essential accessories for recent grads.
I love writing for CollegeFashionista so much, that I’ve been doing it since 2013! I’m ecstatic to close out my college career by seeking out even more inspiration on campus and passing it onto you. Keep an eye out as I profile students that embody Kent’s quirky spirit as well as include some sick shoppable links. I hope you stick around!
