October 26, 2009
Fashion tips for the gym: Part One
Oh, the gym. It’s the place where macho dudes go to lift ridiculous amounts of metal and where girls go to spend hours upon hours on the elliptical machine.
I am not here to preach to you on what to do while at the gym, but I can give you a few pointers on what to wear to the gym. And men, stick around. There is something for you in this blog post series.
Let’s start out with tips for the women:
1) Keep the girls strapped down. Before engaging in any workout, make sure you have a supportive sports bra. That’s right, a sports bra. Too many women let an unsupportive bra keep them from getting the most out of their workout. They may not be the most flattering , but this is one time when functionality trumps style in the fashion world. According to Associated Content, “two or three sports bras designed to lift and separate such as those made by Nike, Enell, or Bendon Sport are well worth the extra money. No woman wants to have the uniboob look, especially when she has worked hard to get her body in shape.”
2) Here in Florida, it is still possible to wear shorts while exercising outside. However, in places that have seasons, it might be a good idea to switch to long pants. Unless you are a super model, try to stay away from spandex. Just don’t do it. As a matter of fact, no one should wear spandex. In what universe is it flattering to make your legs look like an upside down volcano. Stick to velour, cotton, terry or fleece.
3) For those rare nights the temperatures dip down, Under Armour is fantastic for keeping warm without wearing a million layers. Under Armour is made to absorb sweat and be worn by itself or underneath clothing. In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Under Armour is even offering a special line of athletic gear.
4) It is important for women to wear clothes that are comfortable, as well as functional. Just like regular tops and blouses, find pieces that accentuate your features but give you the coverage you deserve. Netsweat.com offers a wide variety of great workout clothes.
5) And finally, keep everyday clothes separate from work out clothes. If you can wear a T-shirt to the gym, it isn’t the best idea to wear it to a restaurant or walking around the mall. Keep it classy ladies!
October 5, 2009
Everyday doesn’t mean ordinary
It is easy to get into a funk with your fashion.
I know I do it all the time.
I walk into my closet in the morning and I gravitate toward the familiar, especially when I am running late and don’t have time to get creative.
Wearing the same blouses and bottoms is easy, but it can get boring.
How do you make your favorite tops and bottoms exciting after wearing them over and over?
1) Change up the footwear
If you wear the same outfits on a regular basis, it is safe to say your shoes don’t change that often either. When getting dressed in the morning, dig through that pile of shoes in your closet and you might discover an unexpected gem. Whether it is flats, heels or sandals, pair your ordinary outfits with shoes you wouldn’t normally put them with.
2) Get creative
An article from wikiHow offers some great advice on how to get creative with your clothes. On a lazy weekend, gather up your old denim and add some flair to them, such as adding colorful patches or putting a lacy him on a skirt or top.
3) Take inventory and organize of your closet
If you take the time to take a look at what you have in your closet, organize your pieces and make them easier to find, it will be simple in the morning to put together new and interesting outfits.
4) Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize
Add a complimentary scarf, a bright bracelet or rock a dangling necklace. If you don’t have anything to match one of your favorite outfits, try making your own jewelry. Add fun and funky purses to a normally conservative outfits to make the look more sheek.
5) Choose colors that compliment each other and you.
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October 1, 2009
High Heels or Healthy Feet?
Let’s face it.
Heels are hot.
They accentuate womanly features and add flair to any outfit.
Leslie Gallegos, a graduate student at the University of Florida, knows this fact all too well. She has the right state of mind when it comes to finding quality footwear.
“I want something that is a bold color and has a classic look,” Gallegos said. “I want something that is not cheaply made.”
But when it comes to the feelings of her feet, there are more important things on her mind.
“I want something that is going to make a statement,” Gallegos said.
And she is not alone.
According to an article on the British Broadcasting Corporation Web site, the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists found that 37 percent of women would wear shoes they thought uncomfortable, as long as they were fashionable.
Wearing sexy stilettos for one night out on the town won’t do much harm, but prolonged use of heels can cause some seriously problems.
According to the Washington Post, wearing high heels can cause bunions, hammertoes, and put the spinal cord out of alignment.
Bunions are one of the more infamous foot alignments caused by high heels. On the joint at the base of the big toe, tight fitting shoes can cause a bony growth to form. This causes the big toe to angle in toward the other toes, resulting in discomfort.
Hammertoes are caused when the second, third and fourth toe are shoved into a “bent position” because the shoe narrows at the toe. Eventually, those toes are unable to straighten, even when the toes are set free from the constrains of the offending shoe.
Talk about gross.
So how do you avoid these painful and unsightly foot aliments?
When finding the right fit, Footcare Direct recommends shopping for shoes in the afternoon because feel tend to swell the most during that time. It is also important to make sure all toes can wiggle in the “toe box”.
Regarding shoe construction, they say, “soles should be strong and flexible with a good gripping surface and arch supports distribute weight over a wider area. Rigid shanks also give added support.”
September 24, 2009
The Essentials
Part Two: Evening
The Perfect Pair of Jeans
It matches everything. If it couldn’t get any better than that, the perfect pair of jeans can make any pair of legs look 10,000 miles long. Go with a dark denim and straight leg cut. Unless you have the body of a super model, skinny jeans might not be the best option. They tend to emphasize the hips and tummy and aren’t the best option if you aren’t 100 percent happy with that part of your body. Combine a pair of stellar jeans with some sexy heels and you have a look that will make heads turn.
As a word of caution, stay away from jeans with bedazzlements and embroidery, as well as rips and wash lines.
Peacoat
For those cold romantic nights and cool winter days, a peacoat pulls together any outfit. It is a timeless piece that has been around forever and will be around even longer. Be sure to splurge on a coat with natural fibers and not a cheap polyester blend. Peacoats come in a variety of lengths and it is important to make sure you get one that matches
The Perfect Dress
It’s a dress you can grab from your closet that you know will make you look fabulous. You can dress it up or dress it down, wear it on the weekends or in the evening.
Try to find a dress that has a definitive waistline that hits the smallest part of your torso. For most women this is right below the breast. By doing this, you are giving yourself an hourglass shape and elongating your legs, making you look taller. Find a dress that is compliments your skin tone and doesn’t wash you out.
The Little Black Dress
It’s what you wear at that upscale bar in downtown Manhattan or on an anniversary date with your husband. It is famously known as being the one item every woman must have, yet has a slightly notorious reputation. Despite being one of the more infrequent items used, the little black dress is appropriate in all seasons and for most evening occasions. Paired with a cardigan it can be more formal, but you can also make it look sexy with a pair of red or black stilettos. It is important to stick with a classic look rather than purchasing a dress that is a more trendy. A little black dress can last for decades and finding the right style can make give more value to your investment.
September 23, 2009
The Essentials
Part One: Intro/ The Office
How many times have you gone shopping only to pick out random items, take them home and find that they don’t seem to go with anything in your closet? It is easy to get sidetracked and buy things you want versus items that you need.
In the next series of posts, I am going to reveal the articles of clothing you need in order to put together a fabulous and sophisticated wardrobe. Whether it is for work, evening or weekend, if you take the time to search for and purchase these essential items needed to build a solid wardrobe, you can again find joy in finding those random gems on the sales rack because you know you will have something to wear them with.
When purchasing these items, it is important to realize that these pieces should be considered an investment. Don’t be afraid to spend more money. These items are meant to last for years and give you the most important pieces needed to have a sophisticated and classy wardrobe.
Nothing looks more professional and brings you positive attention in the office, than a power suit. A suit that is tailored to fit your body perfectly is an important investment for any woman wanting to further their career. Be sure to get a suit that has a jacket, pants and a skirt. This enables you to mix and match the pieces of the suit and put together dozens of outfits. It is not essential to stick with an all black suit, but to find one with unique trim and details in the fabric that make it your own. However, it is important to make sure the jacket doesn’t buckle at the breast, the suit creates and hourglass shape and that the skirt comes just at or above the knee.
For those days where it isn’t necessary to go all out with a power suit, a pencil skirt is a safe bet for an outfit at work. This timeless piece can be paired with virtually any blouse. It is important to get a skirt in a neutral, such as a chocolate brown or charcoal gray, so it can be appropriate in all seasons. In the winter, pair the skirt with boots and in the summer with strappy heels or sandals to make it season appropriate. This piece is form flattering, adds curves to the body in the right places and is sexy without being to revealing.
Whether or not your office is kept at sub-zero temperatures, a cardigan always comes in handy when wanting to keep warm or make an outfit look more put together. A cardigan allows you to wear your favorite tank top to work, yet still keep covered up. When you know you have dinner plans after work wearing a cardigan over a sexy top is perfect when you don’t have time to run home and change.
September 22, 2009
Football Fashion in Pictures
From sporting T-shirts, to donning jerseys or getting fancy with a sundress, here are some visual examples of what to wear to sporting events. Even if you aren’t a Gator fan, you can use these examples and adapt them to your own team.
Dresses and tank tops are perfect for those late-summer games in the South where a jersey is to hot and heavy to wear.
A fun way to dress up for sporting events is to wear hair accessories that represent your favorite team. You might also try wearing hair ribbons that represent your team’s colors.
Finding funky jewelry can make any game day outfit unique and it is a sure way to add your own personality to your look.
September 17, 2009
What to wear on gameday
Congratulations!
You were able to snag a golden ticket to Saturday’s game. Whether you are a season ticket holder in your fourth year at the University of Florida or a freshmen getting ready to go to the Swamp for the first time, a day at the Swamp simply can’t be beaten.
Now that you have jumped over the first hurdle, now there is even a bigger question on your mind…
What am I going to wear?
It’s pretty obvious to sport some orange and blue in order to show how much you love the Gators. But instead of wearing a plain ole’ Gator T-shirt with, Heather Kohn, a senior microbiology and cell science major, prefers to show her unique style.
“This season I’m rocking a pair of sweet stunna shades that my mom made for me,” Kohn said. “Cheap flea market glasses rhinestoned with orange and blue Swarovski crystals. They’re awesome.”
But there are some old-fashioned Gator styles that should never be worn.
“Oh and orange pants, do not wear orange pants,” Kohn said. “My friends and I always laugh whenever we see old people wearing those awful, awful, awful orange pants.”
Looking fabulous is not all that goes into deciding what to wear.
“I like to mix up my attire, however, if I wear a t-shirt and we lose, that t-shirt cannot be worn to a game again,” said Dana Boucom, a UF-alumnae. “Case in point, I bought a game t-shirt for the Auburn game two years ago, right before the game and then we lost, therefore, I will not wear the shirt because I don’t want to risk jinxing my beloved Gators!”
There are also some rules that all Gators must abide by.
When UF plays the University of Tennessee, it is an unwritten rule to not wear orange because you can easily be mistaken for a Vols fan.
Whenever the Gators face-off against a school with similar colors, such as the University of Kentucky whose colors are blue and white, it is imperative to wear the opposite color. In this case, it would be necessary to wear orange.
It is also important to dress practical for football games. Going overboard can sometimes be problematic.
“I think girls in short dresses and heels are ridiculous, if you are going to wear a dress wear flats with it,” said Robyn Marcus, a UF alumnae. “Heels are dangerous to others. To many times have my poor toes been crushed under heels at games.”
September 8, 2009
Women, sports and fashion don’t always mix
This summer at my internship with the Leesburg Lightning baseball team, I was forced to wear an over-sized polo shirt and modest-length khaki shorts for my uniform. I not only felt this was a tragic look, but was part of a much bigger problem.
Women are often overlooked when it comes to sports fashions. At sporting goods stores, it is often difficult to find apparel that accentuates a woman’s figure. More often than not, only mens extra large T-shirts are left on the rack.
With the beginning of the college football season this past weekend, many women will be out searching for jerseys, caps and T-shirts so they show off their school spirit and let everyone know what NFL team they love to root.
If you are traveling to go see your team play, it is often fairly easy to find stores that carry apparel for the local teams. Gator Mania, located in Gainesville, Fla., has everything anyone could ever need to show their devotion to the Gator Nation.
Searching for apparel online is also a great way to find that perfect outfit for game day! Not only will you find the biggest selections, but you can hone in on your bargain hunting skills to find the best deals.
Some retailers have answered the woman’s cry for their own unique sports fashions. In July of 2008, Victoria Secret came out with a line of collegiate clothing featuring 33 schools. Now the line has over 50, just recently adding the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida to the list.
If you find you cannot find an outfit in time for a game, women have the option of being able to play up their outfits to show support for their team. If is easy to find tops and dresses to match the colors of your team. Whether that be a blue sundress with an orange belt or blue and orange tank tops paired with some denim shorts, women have copious amounts of options available to them. It gives you a chance to add a feminine and creative touch to what can sometimes seem like a male dominated industry.
So take advantage of the challenge and find unique ways to support your team. Women have the ability to show their support in ways men could only imagine.
Next time, I will share some ideas on woman’s sports fashion so that you can be prepared for the next Gator football game. And men, I haven’t forgotten about you. I will talk about unique things that men have done to stand out in the crowd when cheering on the Gators!
September 2, 2009
Mission Statement
By pitching this blog idea, I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I am usually the girl you find hanging out with the guys or throwing around a football, but I wanted to branch out and try something new.
I am going to write my blog on the subject of fashion. Fashion is topic that effects everyone’s every day life and for some, it is the first difficult decision they have to make every morning. My goal is to make that a little easier by reporting my findings on fashion in the Gainesville community and beyond. I am not looking to report on couture, or the latest trends on the runways. I will focus on everyday fashion for the particular young guy or gal. Being fashionable isn’t about sporting the most expensive new designer bag, but it is about putting on clothes that make you more confident and feel better about yourself.
It will be easy to gather multimedia for this blog. All around us are examples of hip style and fashion tragedy. I comprised a list of at least 15 more blog post ideas and one of my favorite potential ideas, a fashion makeover, provides the opportunity for before and after videos or pictures. It would also be fun to videotape an interview of someone describing their fashion sense or people’s idea of fashion and its importance.
There are number of topics available for discussion, but here are some blog ideas that have crossed my mind.
1) Pros and Cons of wearing heels
Wearing a pair of fire engine red stilettos can jazz up any outfit, but how do the long term consequences of sporting strappy heels on a daily basis compare to feeling fabulous in a new pair of Cole Haans?
2) Shopping on a budget in Gainesville
Now more than ever, shoppers are looking for a bargain. Where can girls and guys find the best deals on that new pair of boot cut jeans or a dress for a Friday night date? There are plenty of alternatives to the shopping mall in Gainesville, and here is the scoop.
3) Simple ways to spruce up an everyday outfit
There are several ways to make that jeans and a T-shirt you found in the back of your closet look unique and fashion-forward. From adding accessories to changing up a handbag, here is how to make a boring outfit absolutely fabulous.
4) Let’s not forget about those guys out there
This topic has the potential to expand into a series of blog posts. I want to give guys an upper hand in fashion world by pointing how how guys can be hip without going over the top. What are the latest trends in male fashions? How can guys be themselves but still dress for success? Why is fashion as important for men as women?
