College Fashionsta: The Chiffon Blouse

I decided to be a little lazy today and post an article I wrote a while back for College Fashionista. I thought it was still applicable for our summer weather this year, and I thought this girl looked super cute on the beach. Oh and did I mention, I'm rejoining the College Fashionista team this semester after my hiatus abroad. Look forward to some more witty comments and stories about how much my mom hates my clothes in Facebook posts and tweets in the near future. 

When I was younger, I always thought that the best way to dress for the hot weather was with shorts and a tight tank top. In my mind, just having a minimal amount of fabric on would automatically make me feel cooler in the heat. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Instead of feeling a breeze, I would cook in my little outfit.

What I didn’t realize at the time was the key to keeping cool was not about the amount of material but the weight of the material. After having gained this invaluable knowledge, I have changed my summer staple from a tight cotton tank to a chiffon blouse. But beyond the convenience for weather, a chiffon blouse can add an element of elegance to any outfit. And when I say any outfit, I mean any outfit.

For instance, you can take a casual approach such as this Fashionista. She used her chiffon blouse as the perfect item for a day at the beach — creating a polished look while serving as a cover-up. There are many options for the casual chiffon top. Some, such as the one worn by this Fashionista, are tank tops, while others come with interesting backs and most come in a huge array of colors. These types of choices are sure to please every type of personal style for your weekend look. But you can also use the chiffon blouse to create a more professional yet youthful look at your summer internship. Just take your favorite chiffon top and pair it with a high-waist skirt and some pumps.

One of the challenges of this season’s chiffon blouses is that they tend to be sheer. But this see-through quality should not deter you from picking up this trend. Instead, there are many ways to approach this challenge. For a more modest approach, I suggest investing in a nude cami. This level of modesty will be crucial to transform your chiffon blouses into work apparel or for your family get-togethers this summer. But when you’re ready to be a bit more risqué with your outfit, you might consider just a lace bra underneath. When starting off, you will probably prefer using a pale color lace. This chiffon and light lace combination will create a dreamy affect.  But with more courage, use bright colors for a fun pop under your blouse. 

However or wherever you choose to wear your chiffon blouse, it is sure to add a level of elegance and creativity to your outfit. Although some of its characteristics are a little daunting, I assure you that once you find your solution, the chiffon blouse will be your summer go-to.

This post was originally published on College Fashionista June 25, 2012. 

Let's Be Frank about Let's Be Frank

Outfit--Tank: American Apparel, Jacket: Crossroads, Shorts: Zara

Last week was a beautiful week in San Francisco. Unfortunately for me, I was writing that paper for the extended program I was on in NYC. I was convinced that that week was going to be the one gorgeous week of real summer San Francisco. (In case you didn't know San Francisco's summers are not the warmest things in the world. Remember the Mark Twain quote: the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco). Thankfully, this wasn't the case. Because the wonderful weather continued all the way until...yesterday.
BUT before the fog rolled back in, I managed to get in a trip to Crissy Field with my friend Rebecca. We walked from the marina to the warming hut, passing by all the amazingly cute little doggies on the way! When we reached the warming hut, we got a bite from Let's Be Frank, a fancy hot dog cart. The hot dog was $6 on some acme bread (one of the favorite bakeries in the city). Although I really wanted to be in love with this hot dog, it essentially tasted just like a $1.99 hot dog from Costco. Only that one comes with a drink and Let's Be Frank's sodas cost $3.

Me eating a $6 hot dog from Let's Be Frank

This experience made me question the foodie culture of San Francisco. I'll admit, I'm absolutely in love with the food in SF and miss it so much during the school year when I'm trapped in the cuisine of college cafeterias and upstate new york. However, sometimes the snobby level in San Francisco restaurants is a little too high. Like come on, essentially $10 for a soda and hot dog? That's ridiculous! 
Despite the fact that Let's Be Frank raped my wallet, I still really enjoyed my trip to Crissy Field. It was a beautiful sunny day and the view from the beach was beautiful. I also got to take some pictures of people's outfits for my internship with College Fashionista. I'll link them to my page when they go live! But I'm sure you were also wondering what I was wearing.

Me and my friend Rebecca! Look at how gorgeous the day is!

I was wearing a new chiffon orange shirt from American Apparel that I bought from the Warehouse store in NYC for $11! I paired that with a tribal jacket/cover thing that I bought from Crossroads during winter break. I was uncertain about whether I should buy this item at the time. The print was a little adventurous for me at the time. However, I've grown to love this jacket-cover up-thing. I've also grown to love tribal print. In fact, I even wrote an article about it for my last post with College Fashionista #shamelessplug So if you have anytime, you should check out my posts on College Fashionista. Thanks for visiting my blog and remember to follow!!