Forever Young

As I feel senior year quickly slipping away from me, I've been trying to make the most of my time left in college before we enter the "real world" and spend lots of time with friends and making memories. Forever Young may as well be our theme song for these last couple of semesters!

This chambray blazer is one of my recent purchases from an Urban Outfitters outlet type store, Urban Threads. I love how many ways I can wear it; definitely a great investment! I'm also wearing my favorite turquoise necklace & coordinating sandals because I love the pop of color it gives an outfit!

What should I add to my senior year bucket list?

xoxo, Lauren

Try this Trend: Motorcycle Jackets

"Wheels of Love" Editorial via Tush Magazine

Though leather jackets were originally reserved for motorcyle riding rebels without a cause, now they're worn by fashionistas everywhere. Just slipping one on (real or faux) lets all of us channel our inner rebel. I invested in a motorcycle jacket of my own in while traveling through Florence, Italy and its quickly become one of my fall wardrobe staples. I throw it on over girly dresses, pair it with jeans and use pretty much any excuse to wear it.

Me, in my favorite leather jacket

Here are some great leather jacket inspiration via We Heart It:, no motorcyle necessary!

Have you fallen for leather jackets too? Or the bad boys that wear them?

xoxo, Lauren

Loving this Blog: Illustrated Moodboard

Illustrated Moodboard is a blog written by twin sisters, Carlotta & Rosa from Milan, living in London. They share their love of fashion through their beautifully illustrated blog posts. Seeing their outfits, other bloggers, and other inspirations in pen and ink never cease to make me envious of their enormous talent!

images via Illustrated Moodboard

Their blog has quickly become one of my new favorites beacuse the content is just so different, so I wanted to share it with all of you!

What new favorite blogs have you found? Leave me links!

xoxo, lauren

Plug In! Tune Up! Stay Fresh!

One of my besties told me about HoodieBuddies and I was intrigued from the start. It's pretty awesome technology; headphones built into the drawstrings of a hooded sweatshirt with plug-in for an mp3 player, and it has a streamlined feminine fit for girls, & machine washable too! When I slipped it on, I knew it was comfy too!

I'm normally not a sweatshirt person by any means, but this I could do! It was fitted for a girl's body and came in some cute colors & prints. Listening to music while trekking across campus is my savior every day & I love the idea of being able to do it without tangled headphone cords! It's a great idea for trendsetters, music lovers and fitness enthusiasts!

Speaking of music; what's on your playlists right now? I'm dying for some new tunes!

xoxo, lauren

Fall Fashion Faves

Today marks the official start to Autumn!Although its still a stifling 90+ degrees in Florida right now, I have nothing but fall fashion on the brain (well, that and retail math formulas).

These two looks combine just about every fall trend I'm loving for the season. I plan on adding some open neck sweatshirt inspired pieces, lots of lace, maxi skirts, sequins, shearling, cowboy boots, and statement necklaces to my wardrobe!

Here are some images to get your fall fashion inspiration flowing too:

What trends have you falling for Autumn fashion?
xoxo, lauren

Meet the Hilfigers

If you were to mention "Tommy Hilfiger" to me a year ago I would have instant flashbacks of  fifth grade and their oversized white tees with the flag logo and jean shorts. Now, thanks to their new "Meet the Hilfigers" ad campaign, I think quirky, cute prep school and a modern day Royal Tenenmbaums family sporting their clothes. The label has done a great job as branding themselves as a quintiscentiallly classic and updated preppy design.

The ads are so fun, and although not trendy to an extreme, they're definitely a fresh look at the ivy league look. The lace up boots, rugby stripes, skinny cargos, and crested blazers are inspiring my fall fashion wishlist!

Do you think Tommy Hilfiger is back with an argyle wearing vengeance with their Meet the Hilfigers campaign?

xoxo, lauren

Trendspotting:Tangerine Dreams

While continuing to check out fashion week collections on Elle.com, I've noticed common threads amongst many of the designers'. One of the Spring/Summer 11 trends i've spotted, is citrus shades, especially Tangerine popping up in almost everyone's collections (as Mademoiselle Hannah noticed as well). I love the boldness and positivity of the orange hue; it packs quite a punch!

Now that S/S 11 has moved to London Fashion Week, i'm continuing to get inspired by what I've seen! & I'll continue bringing you my insight to what seems to be trending!

xoxo, lauren

Off the Cuff

What I'm Wearing:

Denim Tunic: Zara

Crystal Necklace: Forever 21

Braided Belt: Fossil

Cuffed Pants: Lands' End Canvas

Aviators:Walmart

Bracelet: Juicy Couture

Snakeskin Wedges: Random shoe store in Liverpool

Lately I've been all about cuffed pants & wedges; it's such a cute trend that surprisingly works on petite statures! I've finally found the perfect pair of desert wedge boots on Zappos complement these. I'm obsessed; these babies are going to be my congrats gift to myself :)

Would you rock the cuffed pants look?

xoxo, Lauren

Aloha to Marc Jacobs S/S11!

Usually Marc Jacobs' collections take a little while to grow on me. It's not that I don't see the beauty in them or the inspiration behind them, its the wearability factor. Usually it's like a light bulb goes off and suddenly I love it as much as all of his looks. But, his Spring 11 Collection was different for me; it was love at first sight!

I think everyone examines fashion collections with their own personal lens bringing their views and personal experiences to a designer's runway looks.

Personally, I found Marc's SS11 Collection to remind me of vintage Hawaiian &amp, gold dipped sunsets, & the flora of the islands. The palette, flower-like hair pieces, and blousiness all remind me of my favorite place on earth.

What inspiration do you see in Marc Jacobs' collection?

xoxo, lauren

TrendSpotting: SS11 Fashion Week

I've finally had a chance to look through some of the SS11 Fashion Week shows (which I've found to be more inspiring than they have in quite a few seasons), I've noticed some definite Spring 2011 trends emerging. So far plunging v-necklines, long hippie skirts, and crop tops are all making a splash.

So far my favorite shows have been Mara Hoffman, Tommy Hilfiger, Charlotte Ronson, and Vivienne Tam, and Erin Fetherston!

Do you seen any trends emerging? What shows have you loved so far?

xoxo, Lauren

"Give a girl the right shoes & she can conquer the world"- Marilyn Monroe

This week brought life changing news for me; a step towards my future fashion career! I found out that I will be back at the company I interned at this summer as a Merchandising Apprentice to learn the ins and outs of  working in fashion!

I'm so excited to start the next chapter of my life, but I will miss my college friends & family like crazy! We spent this weekend celebrating birthdays and toasting at the rooftop bar in town :)

Cheers to the future!

xoxo, lauren

Christian Siriano's SS11 Collection is FIERCE.

Some described Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano's collection as a "Glam Safari". Other bystanders said they were too enthralled by his footwear collection for Payless to look at the clothes. His wildly colorful animal prints were bold and fierce, but the pieces I fell in love were the white & cognac looks full of tulle, leather, and a healthy dose of sparkle!

A few of his statment making finale gowns

Unfortunately by the time his shoe collection makes it way to Payless it gets diluted down to a textured finish & metal hardware details, but here they stand in all their glory!

What fashion week shows are you loving so far?

xoxo, lauren

Tweeting with Anticipation for Fashion Week!

I follow my twitter feed like a madwoman; it seriously is my saving grace while walking across campus & keeps me in touch with all that is going on in the fashion world. I thought it was fun to see what all the designers & fashion crowd were tweeting about in relation to fashion week! It's a fun peek into their fashion filled lives.

@MarcJacobsInt [Marc Jacobs]: Final week before our fashion show. My team is sewing up a storm! We are all very excited and very tired. Only 6 more days to get it done.

@CMBenz [Chris Benz]: Quick power lift @ gym, then back to SS11 styling #zombie #x'sforeyes

@Annadellorusso [Anna dello Russo]: VERY BUSY before NEW YORK week.Yesterday I was SHOPPING to get the KEY-FASHION-LOOKS,today very very important SHOOTING...

@Mrjoezee [Joe Zee, Editor @ ELLE]: What a crazy long day. And nothing has started yet. Plus I think I'm getting sick. *denial denial*

@facehunter [Facehunter Street Style Site]: Hasta la luego Columbia! Bogotá ✈ Orlando ✈ New York

@DieselUSA [Diesel]: Model casting taking place at the diesel offices, model in the elevator is putting me to shame in her skinny jeans.

@InsideDVF [Diane von Furstenberg]: New York Fashion Week promises to be exciting...tents at Lincoln Center...dvf
 
@Derekblasberg [Derek Blasberg, fashion riter] Walking to work and passing Chanel's Soho shop, which is vamping for Club Karl Lagerfeld tomorrow. The #NYFW madness is upon us! You ready?
 
@DKNY [Donna Karan]: Just got into my first REAL fight of Fashion Week...its exhausting.......luckily I have a very large mouth....

@Csiriano [Christian Siriano]: Tomorrow is the day before the show, we have a few more fittings and last touches to do then Lincoln center here we come, how exciting!!!

@Rebeccaminkoff [Rebecca Minkoff]: In full @FashionweekNYC mode! So much to do and time is ticking away. Next stop fittings! Deep breath... ready, set, go!!!

If you want to follow my fashion week musings from afar follow me on twitter: @LPFASHIONISTA!

What fashion favorites do you follow on twitter? (& leave yours below so I can follow)!

xoxo, lauren

Are you ready for Fashion's Night Out?!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.. with New York Fashion Week a mere TWO days away (!!) I'm as excited as ever to get inspired by designers' Spring 11 collections. I wish I could be there for the week's shows and events, for now style.com will have to suffice.

I love that they're doing Fashion's Night Out again this year in NYC and  more cities throughout the globe. It's such a fantastic event, and I really wish there was one nearby! What an amazing opportunity to shop, jam, eat, and mingle with the who's who of fashion.

Their official website allows you to map out your itinerary for the evening as well as view the events going out in countries around the world and other U.S. cities. You can also follow them on twitter for live updates (use the #FNO hash tag in your posts).

Will you be participating in Fashion's Night Out in any city or making it to a Fashion Week presentation?

xoxo, lauren

The [Garnet &] Golden Years

Today was the start of college football season at Florida State. Like I said in one of my previous posts, I'm a HUGE football fan; the game, the tailgating, the school spirit. For example for today's noon game, I turned the fight song on full blast so it echoed throughout the apartment (and probably street, whoops!) and gave my roomies a wake up call. Sleep is overrated anyways right?

Having a cute school spirited outfit for game day is oh-so-important (especially in the south). I picked up this dress from Victoria's Secret Pink's Collegiate Collection. They really are the perfect combination of feminimity, fashion, and football (you can't see but it has a heart & seminole head logo on the back)

I've been trying to cherish every minute of my senior year of college! It's so surreal yet exciting to think I'll be out in the real world in 5 short months. For now, I'm just going to have to enjoy every adventure before graduation!

Any advice for me in my last year of college?

xoxo, Lauren