Hello fellow Fashionistas and Fashionistos! My name is Alanna O’Connell, and I am currently a sophomore at Marist College studying fashion merchandising with a concentration in promotion. I am ecstatic to be writing for the CollegeFashionista team for the first time this semester. Luckily, I am privileged to live on a campus that is filled with a plethora of students that have a love for fashion, and I can’t wait to share as many of them with you as possible.
Like many of the other Fashionistas on this site, fashion and style have always meant a great deal to me, and fortunately I have had the opportunity to go to college and learn how to make it into my career. However, I have many other loves along with fashion. One of those loves in particular is theatre. Since the age of four, I have been on stage, and my appreciation for it has continued to grow ever since.
Therefore, I consider outfits to be costumes. In the words of Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage and the men and women are merely players in it.” Our clothes help us decide which player we will be each and every day. When deciding upon an outfit, I don’t like to think about what fits me best, but rather what fits the character I want to be for the day. Should I be a princess in a pink midi skirt, an athlete in patterned running pants, a cowgirl in plaid and riding boots or a secret agent in black leather pants? The possibilities are endless!
As you can probably guess, my style changes daily. However, if I absolutely had to chose, I would label my style as bold girly. I like bold pieces that catch attention with hints of feminine touches. I admire Fashionistas like Blair Eadie, Blake Lively and Carrie Bradshaw. I love how each of their styles are able to change immensely daily, yet overall remain consistent. As people it’s our human nature to evolve and, therefore, so does our style. I hope to capture that on the campus of Marist College. I’m excited to see what characters my fellow Red Foxes will portray through their outfits and engage in their stories. Be sure to check in with me every Monday to see for yourself as well!
To get my character’s look (I call it “The Rustic Bostonian”) try an oversized coat, patterned scarf and eclectic personalized jewelry to accent your outfit and personality! This outfit features neutral tones, like browns and gold, to offset the bright color of the baby blue coat. This combination offers just enough color to brighten the mood during the cold days while still remaining seasonally appropriate.
