Hi Fashionistas and Fashionistos! My name is Jessica Paugh and I am a junior at Penn State University pursuing a major in Elementary Education. I can’t help but to feel extremely blessed that I have been given the opportunity to contribute my work as an intern for CollegeFashionista, which will allow me to express my own style interests and encourage others to expand their horizons in their personal fashion realm.
Coming from a small town, wearing clothing items that were a tad out of the “norm” was perhaps frowned upon. If you dared to veer off of the American Eagle Outfitters, Abercrombie, and Hollister path, you stood the chance of sticking out like a sore thumb. I, however, took that chance on a weekly basis. From wearing cheetah print leggings to off-white oxfords paired with skinny jeans, I started to become more comfortable wearing what I liked to wear. In turn, I became a more confident person. I believe that before leaving for college, it is extremely important that you have a solid sense of sureness and comfort with being yourself. Speaking for myself, experimenting with fashion was exactly what I needed to reach those goals.
Relocating just a little over 60 miles west from home to State College made the biggest (and most wonderful) difference in my life. Unlike home, State College accepted my style with open arms. With over 40,000 students, I am constantly surrounded with inspiration for my next look. I appreciate the uniqueness of the campus, as it encourages me more each day to embrace my own quirks and differences. Not to mention, using them to my own advantage.
Overall, I think it would be fair to say that my style can be defined as bohemian chic. Don’t get me wrong, my style has the potential to vary from opposite sides of the spectrum depending on many factors, however, I typically like to keep my style light and fun. Nine times out of 10 you can find me wearing neutral tones. I am a big supporter of simple outfits (as you can see from my outfit choice) and finalizing each look with accessories. In the summer, I love love love the “less is more” approach when it comes to my outfits. There is nothing easier than pairing a casual crop top with slouch pants and a few accessories that provide a little color pop! With this particular outfit, I chose a textured fedora, layered necklaces, and sandals. My one piece of advice when making the biggest decision of the day (a.k.a. picking out your outfit in the morning) is to always be yourself and to remember that the best accessory that one can ever wear is a smile.
