Hey, Fashionistas/os, and happy summer! My name is Leah Boelkins and I’m going into my Junior year at Michigan State University this fall, pursuing a degree in Professional Writing. I’m incredibly excited to kick off the summer writing for CollegeFashionista and meeting other Fashionistas/os across the country, and maybe even the world! This is my first semester as a Style Guru, and I couldn’t be happier to have this opportunity to share what I love about fashion and style and learn what other Gurus love as well.
Until recently, I had always thought that my career and interest in fashion would never reach beyond binge-watching Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model. However, I’ve learned that there are so many opportunities in which I can combine my interest in fashion and my passion for writing and being a Style Guru is one of those! Aside from school and writing for CollegeFashionista, I’m currently an editor at VIM Magazine, Michigan State University’s exclusive fashion and lifestyle magazine. I’m excited to see how my experiences there will translate into my work as a Style Guru
In addition to my Professional Writing major, I’m going to school for a minor in Spanish. I love learning about and immersing myself in other cultures, and I’ve found that this translates into styles and trends that I love. Not only do I follow myriad fashion bloggers, I also love following travel bloggers to see how their experiences and foreign locations influence what they choose to wear.
While fashion, traveling and writing are some of the things I’m most passionate and easily excited about, I also love hiking and being outdoors (summer is my favorite season), cooking (yes, most things I make include avocado) and learning about the art of photography to develop my own photography skills.
Everyone who knows me well knows that my wardrobe consists primarily of neutral and earthy toned colors––this outfit is no exception. My patterned white and dark blue pants from H&M are quite clearly the statement piece of this outfit, and, not to mention, extremely comfortable for a not-too-hot and not-too-cold day. I paired these with a simple olive green T-shirt and gladiator sandals. To finish the look, I added a black and gold cross-body bag and a few gold rings, which I usually end up using to give an outfit just a bit more of a dynamic.
Fashion to me is a way to translate inspirations from the world around you into yourself and what you wear; there are seemingly endless opportunities when it comes to style and constant ways to take trends and cater them to yourself and to what you love. I can’t wait to get started and share how MSU students do this with all of you!
