Hello summer 2016! My name is Olivia Laskowski and I’m stoked to return for my third semester as a Style Guru with CollegeFashionista. My first year of college combined with working part time and now traveling almost constantly has had a huge influence on my style. Every day I shoot for simple and thoughtful, and I’m always on the look out for how I can make my outfits more interesting with one or two bold pieces. As I’m currently studying abroad, short trips ranging from a couple days to just about a week rule my life. I like to live out of a backpack, so given my limited space for a moving wardrobe, if I can make an outfit with one main item, that is perfect for me.
When I’m moving about, whether I’m traveling, going to work, or just taking a walk for some coffee, I want my outfit to be functional. A huge part of functionality is feeling comfortable. For that reason, I think mini dresses in bold patterns or colors are perfect for summertime. Not having pockets gives you a great excuse to carry a super cool backpack. Since I travel, I prefer my Maxi Fjallraven Kanken to fit all my things, and a smaller leather backpack for daytime. I like to ditch the accessories when I’m really running out and about since they’re easy to get tangled in, but I always wear one small necklace for some sparkle.
I take most of my travel inspiration from the cities around me. I find that observing local trends and cultural pieces is a great way to find a cool interpretation to take with your outfit. For example, traveling in Spain makes me think of flowy silhouettes and bright colors, while traveling in Paris for several weeks has gotten me into finding new ways to wear sneakers and lots and lots of stripes. The colors of the city, the architecture and even art in famous museums are a good way to translate the feelings of the place around you into what you wear every day.
That being said, regardless of whether you’re working at home or globetrotting, take time every day to look at what is around you and you’ll always find new ways to be inspired by it.
