Hello my fellow fashion fanatics! My name is Samantha Mandich and I am a student at Mount Mary University, pursuing a degree in merchandise management with a minor in business administration. I am beyond excited and honored to be a Style Guru for summer 2016 and cannot wait to start working with my three loves: fashion, photography and writing.
My love for fashion started at a very young age and can be credited to my parents who always had me dressed in the most adorable clothes. My earliest memories are filled to the brim with dress up clothes and pretend fashion shows. I distinctly remember an eight-year-old me taking an old quilt, tying it around my best friend and forcing her to model it in front of as many people as possible because I thought it was the most amazing thing. Throughout my life I have always felt as though I have been mediocre at most of the sports and hobbies I have tried. Fashion has been the one thing that has been a constant in my life. It has been my main outlet, first love and something I can always have fun with.  As I grew, my love for fashion never faltered and as a 20-year-old, playing dress up is still my favorite thing to do.
I have always had the hardest time identifying my style with only one category. I think as individuals who truly love fashion, we mustn’t put ourselves in boxes or discourage ourselves from loving more than one style. Some days I dress in all-black while other days I may rock an earth-toned, bohemian vibe. Sometimes I like to dress sporty, edgy, feminine, colorful, vintage, masculine, etc. I believe to truly experience all fashion has to offer us, we need to be open to trying all different styles. To define myself as having an edgy style would be to say I can’t go to a store and fall in love with a pink, feminine dress. Fashion is a beautiful thing because it can truly be an outlet for everyone. What one person hates, another loves and that is what allows people to be so creative and personal in what they wear.
The outfit I chose to wear held three of my favorite things: my Timberland boots, a lot of black elements and layered necklaces. I wouldn’t consider my boots to be the most high-fashion shoe around but they are my go-to because in my opinion, they work with any outfit. As for my all-black, I can definitely give off a gothic vibe every now and then, especially with the black lips, but that vibe is brought down with my casual boots and edgy necklaces. My black tulle skirt also brings a little femininity into my look because of its soft edges. The thing I love most about fashion is that I can be myself and bring all of my different styles together to create one outfit. I cannot wait to continue my journey with CollegeFashionista while working with the things I love most!
