Curly Cue

Cue the curls; it’s time for those bad boys to make an appearance!

In the past, the trendy thing to do was flat-iron, straighten and level out all waves present. Stick straight was the way to go. Hence the uproar of the Brazilian Blowout, where maintaining low frizz, canceling the kinky curls and achieving maximum smoothness was the ultimate goal. But lately, as this Fashionista already knows, curls are making a comeback. Naturally curly hair worked much of the runway for the reveal of many spring 2016 collections this year. From the models wearing Tommy Hilfiger’s Bob Marley-inspired beachwear to the gloriously feministic pieces adorning the models in Diane von Furstenberg’s collection, designers displayed curls for days. Each of these designers understood the significance of their actions when they held a place for curls to be presented, strutted and ultimately loved by everyone watching.

This Fashionista did the same when pairing her curls with a faux fur collared burgundy coat and a bright blue and black printed winter crop top. The inconsistency of patterns exudes a sense of relaxed trendiness that we all wish we could obtain on a daily basis. Her knee-high black leather boots continue to emphasize the edgy vibe she is aiming for with this look. The streak of bronzy blonde across the front of her mane is an excellent indication that she knows exactly what she is doing when it comes to accentuating the natural perfection of the kinky curl. 

Curl envy is becoming a widespread epidemic, and we’re all catching the fever!

What’s on the BEAUTY BAR: This curl fanatic suggests using any type of shea moisture cream and LottaBody Curl & Style Milk for the kinkiest and most flawless of curls. She also says that contrary to popular belief, adding a little spritz of color on your locks won’t noticeably affect your curl pattern, so if you’re looking to spice things up, don’t hesitate to go for it head first.

Style On^®,

Maggie Dillard

Content originally created for and published on CollegeFashionista.com

A Stylish Summer

What’s up, party people?! I’m back with CollegeFashionista for a summer of fun, fashionable things. 

Here is my new Style Guru Bio for the summer semester!

 If you ask anyone who knows me what I like to do, you would most likely get answers ranging from shopping, getting a manicure, laughing with friends, drinking coffee and going on road trips. But, if you asked anyone who knows me what I love to do, there is no doubt in my mind what each person would say, and that is: write. This is typically something people assume as soon as they hear that I’m an English major, and something that furthers their assumption when hearing that my minor focuses on journalism. To which their next question is usually, “What do you like to write about?” This is where the fun part starts. As I have always loved to write, I have also always loved fashion. I currently live vicariously through my favorite fashion bloggers on the daily, but especially in September and March during fashion week when I find myself going shopping the very next day searching for tops, bottoms and shoes similar to what my favorite models strutted down the runways the day before.

 Flipping the pages of Vogue magazine feels like medicine to my soul and tends to inspire me to no end. A huge part of what I do and how I live is directly effected by the fashion that surrounds me, whether I discover it in my Instagram feed, in a magazine or adorning the bodies of my classmates in my literature classes. CollegeFashionista has provided me with a means of combining my two favorite things into one, and it has been the best ever.

My own personal style changes by the day and my mood. Some days I find myself leaning towards an all black, sleek and chic Kardashian-Jenner ensemble, while other days I feel as if I can’t get enough of an eye-catching, colorful print or pattern. I’m all about a good trend, especially a comfortable one, so I was pretty pumped when jogger pants made their way into the fashion world recently. They can easily be dressed up or down and perfect for on-the-go wear.

I’m a firm believer that pain is beautiful when it comes to a steep, stiletto wedge, but I owe my everything to all of the little platform wedges out there that have finally given ‘comfortable’ and ‘wedge’ a way to be said in the same sentence, while also remaining just as fashionable as ever. Pair the joggers and platform wedges with a simple tank, just the right choker necklace and an everyday cross-body bag and you have what I call my “Go-To.”

This is my second semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and needless to say, I’m so ready to bring all of the most stylish summer trends right to the table! Stay #RAD.

Style On^®,

Maggie Dillard

Content originally created for and published on CollegeFashionista.com

Simple to Superstar

Oftentimes when searching to find the perfect accessories combination to put over an outfit, I catch myself thinking, “Wait, is this too much?” But when I found this Fashionista, I was inspired by how naturally she had turned a simple, neutral tank top and jeans mix into a high quality, stylish outfit due solely to her brilliant way of accessorizing.

This Fashionista chose a black tank and white ripped jeans as the base of her outfit. Pairing a top with a bottom on opposite ends of the color spectrum adds a nice element to any outfit. She enhances the look with a bright red flannel for a pop of color, and it works well to also add a sense of liveliness to the outfit as a whole. 

Whoever says flannels can only be worn in the fall around a bonfire didn’t know about all the other ways you can actually wear one. Tying it around the waist is another effortlessly cool way to rock it. She layered a significant amount of necklaces at all different lengths to create a pattern over her plain top. Next, she slipped on several bracelets, rings and a watch because the more the merrier, right? Also, as seen here, any type of chic cross-body purse makes for a practical, yet still fashionable, way to to wear a bag across campus. For shoes, she stuck with a simple black ankle bootie in an effort to not take away from all of the other accessories within the look. She topped it all off with a pair of sleek reading glasses that, not only make reading books for class a little easier, but are truly another perfect accessory to make any outfit complete!

How to: Challenge yourself to use at least one of each kind of accessory to dress up your plain outfits. There’s no need to question the power of good accessories. Throw them all on and watch your look go from simple to superstar in a matter of seconds!

Style On^®,

Maggie Dillard

Content originally created for and published on CollegeFashionista.com