A Lesson in Time

Before I came to Ball State, I knew one thing... I wanted to study fashion.  So for three and a half years and counting, that is what I have been doing.  The merchandising program at Ball State has been a lot of fun, challenging, and rewarding.  My favorite experience is when I went to London, where I took an independent study class for International Marketing in Fashion.  I doubt I learnt the exact same thing the on-campus class did, but I can definitely say I did learn a lot more.  The exciting thing is that I was out in the city, no teacher, no classroom, and endless opportunities to explore fashion in a different way.  I would suggest that opportunity to any fashion student.

Let me take you back to my first year...

Yup, that is me, freshman year, FCSFA 202.  I constructed my first blouse.  Lets just say I've never put it on since this picture.

Here are the shorts I made in the same class.  They were way to small and again, I haven't put them on since.  This is not to say that the class was bad or anything.  I did learn a lot that I still hold on to today.


Next is sophomore year, where I wrote a blog for my independent study class while in London.  Unfortunately, I cannot find it anymore.  Maybe it was deleted after so long. But I can find this one, Onceuponatrain where I wrote about my experiences abroad.

 Harrods outside at night. This inside was even better!!

 This was a really neat visual display at Selfridges! The dress on the right is ASHISH which I LOVED.  

Junior year was not as exciting as the preceding year.  But thanks to my sewing class I did make my own Halloween costume, a deer!

This year, I got to enjoy putting on a fashion show and designing my own outfit

Putting together the runway at our fashion show.

As of now, with one semester left, I am thinking about majoring in design as well.  It obviously doesn't mean I had a terrible time if I am contemplating staying even longer.

Goldie Boots

Fellow Ball State fashion blogger, Lydia has a great blog to check out! She has a great post about Ball State fashion which shows off a couple different styles you can see around campus.  

Ball State student from Goldie Boots

 Within each blog post she adds the sources used so you can easily access the information she added so you can learn a little more about the topic. Go check it out!

Lydia's Blog:

 Goldie Boots

Press Day

On October 27th, 27 Mannequins held a press day for "Taking Care of Business" fashion show.  The press day was located in Simpson Lounge from 11:00-1:00pm.  Unfortunately, no press came out for the event.  Most all members of 27 Mannequins were present, showing great participation.  Everyone seemed excited that the fashion show was so soon!  A few tickets to the show were sold at the event by other fashion department students.  Ashley Meyer did a great job with putting the press event together, which included appropriate decorations, small finger foods, and a video from last semesters show to give people a little tease of what they could see this semester.  Overall, even though no press showed up for that certain day, the fashion show promotion was included in the recent Ball Bearings magazine to help promote the show to all of Ball States campus!

Warming Trends

Back when AW'10 fashion shows were going on, they predicted that comfortable, warm, bundled up, and oversize clothing would be in.  "Your boyfriend will not be a fan of these trends," said one magazine.  While I look around BSU campus, not much has changed from last year.  UGG boots, sweaters, and leggings are once again, the majority rule.  Here are a few simple changes that everyone can make to turn their last years rags into a comfortable trend. 

Hailing from Scotland, Fair Isle sweaters are very warm, add a bit of color to a wardrobe, and come in many different styles such as cape, cardigan, belted, and pull-over styles.  And for those of you who want to knit your own, its an easy art form!

BDG Reverse Fair Isle Sweater $58

Topshop Fair Isle Cape $65

Paul & Joe Sister Merino Wool Fair Isle Hooded Cardigan $355

To replace those old beanies, faux-fur hats are very warm, they come in different styles, and you aren't really hurting any animals in the process! 

Topshop faux fur horned crossack hat $40

Miss Selfridge Leopard faux-fur trapper hat $28

Zara Leopard Print Fur Hat $29.90

An easy update to leggings and UGG boots are cable-knit tights and socks.  These come in all different colors, can be layered with socks, and are a little thicker and warmer than tights while providing the same coverage.  

Simply Vera Vera Wang Cable-Knit Tights $12

Merona Cable Tights $7

Urban Outfitters Open Stitch Over-the-Knee with Rib Knit Cuff Sock $14

It's easy to make these simple changes to update your outfits and still remain warm and comfortable!

Festive Fashions

Music fest season has come and gone but the fashions still remain.

Whenever I relate fashion and music, I instantly think of festival fashion, and maybe all that crazy attire Lady Gaga pulls off.  But for the past two years I have been watching the trends come out of music festivals and it is all so thrilling.  For one, people dress to impress.  Its kind of hard to pull out your best outfit when you have to take into account for heat, rain, sunshine, mud, and the cool, crisp night.  Secondly, you can expect to see so many different subcultures of trends because the band set usually covers a wide array of genres.  Over at Coachella in California, many people, including celebrities, found just the thing to wear.

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Along with great fashion comes great parties.  Lacoste, Diesel, Sophomore, and Express all jumped in to the music scene by throwing after parties where fashion was less about beating the heat and more about looking sweet.

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It doesn't just stop there though.  Websites like Topshop promote their picks for festivals which included fringe, crop tops, and .  Topshop even threw their own festival last year to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust, but the outfits there stole the show.  More info and photos can be found on Topshops blog, Inside-Out.

Photos from festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Topshop's Bandstand Picnic are great ways to check out the latest street fashion and can prepare you for the next season. 

Fashionable is the New Comfortable

University students usually get a bad reputation for the clothing they wear.  In many classes we have had to describe the typical "college student dress".  It usually includes something on the line of...

• Sweatshirts
• Sweatpants
• T-shirts
• Tennis shoes
• Flip flops
• Jeans

I personally don't really find much of this appealing, but in all actuality, this is how many students at Ball State dress. I took the liberty to find some students who dressed a little outside the stereotypical box and asked them a few questions about their personal style.

Courtney Hoglund

Outside Business Building

Courtney is a fashion merchandising student from Chicago, IL.  While growing up in Chicago, she has been surrounded by people who take chances with their clothing and style, which has influenced her today.  Rachel Zoe is an inspiration to her.  Courtney likes to pair comfy with trendy on some days.  Most days, she will be sporting something more trendy, boho, or classic glam.   Today she is wearing a Free People dress. 

Thomas Mcanulty

Sitting outside AJ

Thomas is from Carmel, IN and knew a thing or two about fashion.  He told me that he loves looking at runway trends and especially likes D&G but doesn't really follow them for his personal fashion inspiration.  He gets looks inspired from LOOKBOOK.  Today he was wearing a Hollister polo, RayBan sunglasses, and Rue 21 shorts.  

Jeff Hurst

In the Village

Jeff is from Avon, IN but would look comfortably casual among the folks in NYC.  He made it clear that he will never sport any flashy labels! He reads GQ religiously and will only wear clothing that fits his body well.  Urban Outfitters, Topman, H&M, and Burberry are among his favorite stores as they know how to fit the slim sized men like himself.  Today he was wearing a Burberry tie, Insight sweater, Levis pants, Tom Ford sunglasses, and an H&M oxford shirt. 

As the point has been made clear, Ball State students don't just go for the comfortable lazy look.  These three students are just a handful that live each day as it were their runway.  Since street fashion has become so big lately (think of this blog or again, this one here), its important to be able to look around and get inspired. 

Lengthy affairs

All over the Spring 2011 runways, there was length.  This is a continuation from its counterpart Fall 2010, as seen here in Unique collection. 

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For Spring 2011, colors are light, cuts are flirty, and materials are light.  This style definitely takes inspiration from past decades a la 1950s and 1960s.  This creates a simple, not so fussy style which mimics this present season. 

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Chris Benz works this look the best with his retro style and beautiful patterns. 

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Barbara Tfank recognized the same style with a definite 50s 

influence, which incorporate long skirts paired with blouses.   

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 Behnaz Sarafpour make it a purpose to use sustainable fabrics 

to show a connection with nature.  Here, an a-line skirt is the perfect match for a simple tank.

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As a somewhat new designer, Jason Wu yet again puts the right 

spin in his collection.  Mixing texture with design, this outfit hits right on target.

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This Verrier dress hits below the knee and fits the body in a slim way, 

drawing emphasis to the waist, and creating a lady-like silhouette. 

For spring, pair an ankle length skirt with a simple tank or collared shirt for a simple, everyday ensemble.