Ciao! My name is Carly Hall and I am excited to announce that this semester I’ll be bringing you the latest and greatest fashion from Florence, Italy! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a Style Guru in such a unique setting and cannot wait to share the current italian styles with my readers. When I’m not being a worldly traveler, I attend Appalachian State University in North Carolina where I am majoring in Apparel Design and Merchandising. Sadly, this is my senior year of college and then it’s off to the real world where I hope to eventually open my own clothing boutique.
Unlike many of my fellow Style Gurus, my passion for fashion was not something I developed at a young age. Bermuda shorts, bowl cuts and baggy T-shirts were my choice of fashion pieces. Fortunately, I ran across the show What Not to Wear and realized if I didn’t change my wardrobe soon, I was about to be the next contestant (okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration). It wasn’t until I reached high school that I realized fashion was another mode of expression and communication. I started to enjoy shopping and learning more about the current trends. When I began to develop my own sense of style, I came up with a mantra that has remained with me ever since and that is: “confidence is key.”
I love finding unique pieces to add to my closet and somehow I find that if I wear them with confidence I can typically pull them off. In high school I loved standing out with my outfit choices and I was often caught in bright pants, graphic T-shirts or my favorite bright pink high-tops. Over the years my style has definitely toned down a bit and has become slightly more sophisticated. Now I tend to stick to more earthy colors and neutrals; although you will still find a pair of turquoise high-top Converse in my closet. If you asked me to describe my style I would tell you that I buy what I like and I wear what makes me feel my best.
I’m looking forward to exercising my fashion creativity in Italy where I’ll be forced to work with a limited wardrobe because of the unfortunate 50 pound suitcase limit. I’m making sure to pack my favorite dark skinny jeans because it’s a known fact Italians love black. I’m also a huge sucker for anything lace and decided to give this look a more feminine flair by adding a nude lace crop top. Oh and of course I’m going to have to bring along my leather booties—they’re a must.
