At first glance I may appear to be another disheveled college student running through New York City with a cup of coffee in my hand at all times, but I promise there’s more than meets the eye. Let me begin with introducing myself so that we can put behind us all those “New Yorkers are so rude!” stereotypes. Hi fellow Fashionistas/os, I’m Carly! I am currently entering my second year as a Fashion Merchandising major with a minor in Communications at LIM College. This is my first semester interning for CollegeFashionista and I am beyond excited to grow as a Style Guru!
Going to a school full of students who share the same passion as me has been a terrific learning experience. Everyday I am motivated by my wonderfully creative peers who are filled with vigor and the drive to express their own individuality. It sure won’t be hard to find stylish Fashionista/o’s to show you all! My year studying Fashion at LIM has allowed me to not only grow within the field I am studying, but also as a person who was previously too terrified to express myself fully. My own individuality has begun to flourish and I cannot wait to continue building up my own personal style while also scoping out the best possible trends to share with all my fellow Fashionista/os!
I cannot really remember how exactly I decided to become a Fashionista but I am pretty sure it likely started with my mother, who passed down a terrible shopping addiction. My peers started to notice my style and comment on it as I entered high school. My style was a way for me to express who I was since I was incredibly introverted at the time. I began taking high school level fashion courses at the end of my sophomore year which is when I realized I could never see myself studying anything else.
Ironically, I like to define my own style as undefinable. I know it’s a contradiction but I do not like to limit myself to one particular category of clothing. Finding original pieces is usually my number one priority when it comes to selecting my wardrobe. I like to keep people guessing when they think they’ve finally figured out my style! In the outfit pictured above, I tried to mix a current trends while also staying comfortable in during a terrible New York City heatwave. My black fringe shirt is from Zara and the button-up denim skirt I paired it with is from Forever21. I purchased the skirt awhile back but you can find something almost identical to it at Urban Outfitters. I also wore my black adidas to give the entire outfit a little edge and give myself to the ability to speed walk to class whilst dodging tourists. Once I throw all my school supplies into my silver bag from TopShop, I’m ready to conquer the day!
I have always favored streetwear especially anything offering an urban flair, and moving to New York City prompted me to levitate towards all-black everything! Streetwear is so much more than just a few articles of clothing you throw on your back and go on about your day with. To me, streetwear tells much more of a story because it is so imperfect. The pieces you throw together on the go let the world around you know who you are in one simple glance.
I always feel the need to share with others who are unfamiliar with the field the fact that fashion is so much more than just what you put on your back. As Bill Cunningham once said, “Fashion is the armor to surviving everyday life.” Fashion is a form of self-expression, an outlet, a work of art and most importantly an armor.
