STYLE GURU BIO: Shydiyah Gardner

Hey babes! I am so exciting to have this amazing opportunity as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista this spring semester. Through this internship, I hope to gain skills that I can use in the industry upon graduation, and get to make connections with Fashionistas/os across the globe. With that being said, let me tell you all a little bit about me. My name is Shydiyah (Shy-dee-ya) and I am from Philadelphia. I am a senior fashion merchandising major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with a minor in marketing. 

Like my two eyes, two ears, and 10 toes, I was born with fashion instilled in me. Throughout my entire childhood, I was madly insane about clothing, textures, styles, silhouettes, and patterns. There isn’t any other thing in this world I could dream of doing for the rest of my life than being in the fashion industry. 

One word to describe my personal style is: spontaneous. Honestly, my style varies depending on my current mood. I love to get all dressed up and when I do, I go all out. I’m that friend who goes to the supermarket in a fur trench coat and heels, seriously. For the most part, one of my favorite outfits is probably a nice T-shirt or chunky sweater, skinny jeans, pointed toe pumps, a leather jacket, and a bomb cross-body chain purse. When I shop, I usually look for statement pieces. To me these are items that stand out and come with a little challenge for how to create multiple looks with it.

For this look, I paired a dark wash denim mini skirt with a black turtleneck. I took the pictures above the other day when it was surprisingly 60 degrees in Philly. I figured a mini skirt was perfect for the weather and the turtleneck work great because it replaced my coat. For some extra spice, I wore sheer tights with small polka dots, black suede heel ankle booties, and a small box black clutch from my women’s accessory business which is perfect fit for a day in the city!

Before you go, I do want to add that I cannot wait to bring to you all exclusive photos from some of the most creative people on IUP’s campus. Stay tuned for what’s to come Fashionistas/os. Until then… follow me on Instagram.