The pencils are sharpened and shoes (flats, combat boots and oxfords) are polished - school is in session! A new school year/fall season is always very important and a sense of new beginnings looms over the crisp air. However, for this fall in the fashion world, Lana Del Rey tells us how to dress for our new beginnings in fashion!

You can access this fall lookbook very easily on your iPhone or iPod, using the Teen Vogue insider app! Ever since downloadng this app, I read it religiously. It’s cheaper and easier than buying the magazine, it’s easily accesible for a girl on the run, such as me!

Once you download the app from the app store, you’ll be prompted with this screen:

Click on “magazine” to view the highlights of this Octobr issue (this obviously changes monthly.) Then click on the H&M section and then “Lana Del Rey Lookbook.”

However, today I’m doing all the work for you and going over this lookbook on here, lucky you!

The first item showcased is a luscious Angora Blend sweater. Obviously, we can tell that Lana’s timeless classic beauty accentuates every piece so well. I just want to rip it off of my iPhone screen and buy it! However anyone can but this comfy, yet simply elegant sweater for only $19.95 at any H&M.

Tweed resurrected from the 70’s last February or March, and Lana looks stunning here in it. The tight fit mixes business with pleasure. It is the culmination of this season’s attention to textures. Pair it with some statement earrings like Lana and you can get this look at H&M for, again, only $19.95!

It is most definitely sweater weather. The second sweater Lana is seen wearing is a comfy cable-knit gem, with a color that would bring out our inner sea goddess. I agree with H&M here, a comfy big sweater, print leggings, and boots is for sure my go-to this fall/winter. So chic and accessible - just like this weater at AGAIN only $19.95!

(1) Lana rocks the leggings oh so well here, an interesting print paired with a simple cream shirt. The peplum adds just the right amount of flair, though. Print leggings are so versatile, and you can be very versatile by getting these babies for only $9.95 at H&M.

(2) OR you could combine both peplums and floral into this classic top for $14.95. It would look perfect with a pencil skirt or skinny jeans and pumps.

Lastly, every fashion conscious girl needs a jacket or blazer to spice up any blah look, or throw on while they’re running out the door. This biker jacket walks the line between feminine and edgy, and is a steal at $29.95.

My answer:

give me yourself plz

In my eyes, it’s not at the Milan or NYC Fashion week that you see the most self expression when it comes to fashion, it’s music festivals! It only makes sense, music fests are places to express yourself through music, why not express yourself through fashion as well? Music fests such as Warped Tour, Bonnaroo, Coachella, Bamboozle, Lollapalooza and more occur all spring and summer, and are some of the hottest places to be. The one I attend regularly is Vans Warped Tour. I always say Warped is the only place where splattering paint all over your body and having the F word on your shirt is not only accepted, but suggested.

Just walking around Warped Tour, you can see the array of different creative outfits worn by girls, and guys alike. Dressing for a music festival can be a very hard thing to do, however. You have to be dressing for these circumstances:

• Very hot weather
• A LOT of walking and action
• Moshing/crowd surfing
• … VERY HOT WEATHER!
• Something to hold your belongings without it being a hassle

If you’re going to be going in pits, a drawstring or secure backpack works. Urban Outfiters carries very cute sensible backpacks, I spotted an inumerable amount of those. I got a cute floral one from aldo. You want your outfit to be cute, yet sensible at the same time. Don’t wear something that’s too high maintenance - you still want the focus to be on the music and fun. I wore a navy blue bodice from Urban Outfitters, Tribal Navy shorts from Urban Outfitters, and (imitation, yet cheaper) Toms from Target. Don’t mind the paint splattered all over my body here.

here’s another example of perfect cute yet sensible outfits for music festivals:

 

Adorable collared tanks, crop tops, high waisted shorts, even bandeaus and pencil skirts work. Choose whatever design and color is your favorite  - don’t be afraid to mix and match!

Listen:

The Story So Far - Mt. Diablo

A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son  - Sleeping with Sirens

The Sinner - Memphis May Fire

Kiss Me Again - We Are the In Crowd

I may be a little late on this OOTD, so that’s why I’m doing two in one to make up for it! I hope all of you lovely people had a equally as wonderful 4th of july. Whether you were watching fireworks downtown for by the lake, I hope you were dressed to impress! Here’s my 4th of July OOTD:

Who said Red, White & Blue had to be strictly crimson, white, and navy? A little aqua incorporated into your look adds a fabulous flair to your patriotic outfit. My American Flag shirt is from Urban Outfitters, and I paired it with my favorite aqua shorts from Target. As for my bathing suit worn under, the bandeau top I got from target and I got the aqua bottoms from PacSun. I always say the best way to go about choosing a bathing suit is to mix and match. I was in the lake the whole day, however if you were on the boat or the beach a chic white cover up with a blue or red necklace and a fedora would be perfect for a relaxing, and fabulous 4th. ‘MURICA!

This second outfit has no specific occasion, however the occasion I happened to be dressing for was driving two hours our hotel in Connecticut, to go to Six Flags the next day. On my head, I wore my bandana (bandanas are my new obsession.) The collared maroon tank from PacSun also had a nifty tie at the bottom. My high waisted Levis are from Savers. A perfect outfit to be comfortable for two hours in the Rav-4 but also look great at the same time. Enjoy your summer!

“Money is the anthem for success”

I know, I know. I usually write about fashion, but why not throw a little culture in here and there? This topic is too imperative to not blog about. Most of you are familiar with the somewhat new, sultry pop singer Llana Del Rey. Starting with her music video for her single “Video Games”, Del Rey always makes sure her music videos are vintage and intriguing. Her new music video for her song “National Anthem” is no different, however it packs a cultural and political punch

She plays a mix of Marilyn, Audrey, and Jackie O in this music video. In this first scene, she’s seductively singing “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to, obviously Mr. President. However, it’s dark in the room and we can’t clearly see who Mr. President is. When the lights go on and we zoom in and we see him, tall, dark and handsome. Literally dark, darker than Obama. The next segment of the music video is the happy couple partying and playing with their biracial children and Mr. President doing his duties. They’re basically an interracial JFK and Jackie O.

The music video has a tragic ending with a JFK-style assassination of Mr. President, as Del Rey’s voice over claims that she “loves and loved him so very much.” It almost brought a tear to my eye, however it did bring up a fiery discussion in the topics. Obviously Del Rey was making a statement here that it doesn’t matter what color you are, you are beautiful. The only reason this video has brought about scandal is because it’s set in a time when this type of “taboo” would never happen. I think it’s a beautiful video with an equally as beautiful message. Obviously people share these same views, or else we wouldn’t have an African American president.

The Director Anthony Mandler said, It was never about re-creating a death scene, it was always about the person sitting next to him, it was always about seeing it through her eyes, seeing this kind of castle crumble in the moment, and that shot where she’s coming up out of the car, and the pain in her eyes, that destruction, it’s like the whole castle is crumbling around her” 

What are your views on this video/topic? Do you agree with Llana here, or do you think this is a pop-culture faux-pas? Answer below!

Also, here’s some songs I think you’d all like if you like Llana Del Rey, and some of my summer jams at the moment.

Llana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRWox-i6aAk

Grouplove - Itchin’ on a Photograph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCLek4aSpbo

Best Coast - Our Deal (Music video featuring starlets such as Tyler Posey and Miranda Cosgrove and directed by Drew Barrymore!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvUtidZkqw4

Pursuit of Happiness (Project X Remix) - Kid Cudi (because it’s the best movie ever!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq10BtU6550

?

Photo Credit: Urban Outfitters

When two of the most influential powers in our culture with a lot of momentum collide, it’s a potent bomb that we all don’t mind going off. That’s what happened when the best of the two worlds of music and fashion met - Best Coast and Urban Outfitters.

With the release of her new album “The Only Place,” and being showcased in many outlets such as the David Letterman show, Bethany Cosentino is on the rise to stardom fast. Just like her predecessors, many starlets needs their own line, such as Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus. She her love for music and fashion is equal, but in her words designing your own clothes is less “scary” and “more like putting your own taste and aesthetic out there.” Where else for this hipster surf chick to showcase her taste and aesthetic but Urban Outfitters?

Urban Outfitters is quickly becoming the new “it” store for those who want to look cute but want to go outside of the box. Personally, it’s one of my favorite stores. I’ve always admired Bethany’s style as much as her laid-back California inspired jams. She studied fashion in college for a while, so she should be trusted when it comes to pumping out amazing and stylish clothes for the summer time. She said her line should be inspired from California in the 90’s and Stevie Nicks, crop tops and varsity jackets galore. Check out her story here:

http://player.vimeo.com/video/41295444

Samples form her line:

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24884959

This dynamic see-through shirt is a perfect mix of elegant and edgy, and comes in 3 colors. $59.00 Urban Outfitters.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24912396

This skirt designed by Bethany embodies the rebelious style of women in the 90s, and comes in 4 colors. $49.00 Urban Outfitters.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24886301

Bethany really gets the LBD just right

$59.00 Urban Outfitters.

Listen: Best Coast, Vampire Weekend and Kid Cudi - All Summer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COrv0PIg-Z4

photo credit: nylonmag.com

As a result of being incredibly broke and incredibly cheap, I was scrolling the Nylon website to get the latest headlines from my favorite magazine instead of buying a hard copy. However this picture and the headline “best-dressed: chanel” caught my eye. The jacket that this model is wearing is absolutely stunning! The color of the jacket honestly does way more than pop. The bright pastel tones go perfectly with the color trends for spring 2012. Not to mention neon and tweed is a genius combo! As shown in the picture below, neon tweed can be used in a blazer, skirt, shorts, and more.

photo credit: polyvore.com

The article itself stated that Karl Lagerfield rounds up his “glittering ambassadors.” These true few starlets from all over the world spread the shining styles of Chanel worldwide. These starlets include DJ Leigh Lezark, artist Jen Brill, model Poppy Delevingne, and everyone’s favorite as Effy Stoneham in UK Skins: Kayla Scoledario. Very cool stuff!

Agh, what a mess! What could arise out of this rubble? A pre-spring shopping spree you say? Why yes, thats exactly what will arise! This is what my room looks like before every shopping spree I go on, especially one that prepares for a season. A season as important as spring requires a bit more preparation. The weather around us will be making a significant change, so of course our clothes will. Soon we’ll trade in our boots for wedges and sandals, and sweaters for crop tops. 

What exactly is this preparation I mention? As Eminem would say we’re “cleaning out our closet.” That’s exactly what we’ll be doing - hunting through our closets, wardrobes, or bureaus for unneeded clothes to make room for new spring pieces! Wondering what to ditch and what to keep? I ditch outdated and unnecessary clothes. I ditch pieces that won’t fit anymore, obviously, can’t be worn with many outfits, or I don’t see myself wearing again. I keep obviously versatile, stylish, and personal favorites. I put all of the rejects in a bag and donate them to Big Brother Big Sister so someone else can carry on the looks who might not have been able to!

Tomorrow’s the big day at Providence Place Mall in Providence, RI. I’ve never been there, can anyone tell me how it is, opinions, stories?

Now for the OOTD!

I pretty much based this look around the skirt. I got it from Free People a while ago and I never really had a chance to wear it. Now that I see it fits in with some spring trends I thought it’d be the perfect pop of color for this outfit. I thought the skirt added enough, so I didn’t want the shirt to take away attention; I went with a simple white v-neck. Paired with my brown riding boots and peacock feather earrings. I’ll be sporting this tomorrow!

Every girl knows that horrible feeling - it’s comparably worse than any form of clinical depression, SADD or any anxiety in the books. It’s that sweeping feeling when you tear through your overflowing closet and think, “I have nothing to wear!” At any point in the season every girl is prone to popping out of their avalanche of clothes and exclaiming that they have no clothes. That’s just a few symptoms, but I believe I have found a new remedy!

After realizing I have this disorder currently (admitting it is the first step) I ventured out on this snowy haze of a saturday to my local TJ Maxx! TJ Maxx is always great for dollarstoredivas that look out for name brands, because the whole mission of the store is to deliver designer labels to the general public without the colossal price tag. However, most of you already knew that. After swooning over a suitcase with the Britsh flag on it (perfect for my summer trip to Europe!) I went to look for some versatile, cute, and reasonably priced clothes. Versatility, style, and price are always my “big three” when shopping.

I’ve always wanted a cool leather jacket, so I was enthused when I discovered the red one on the top of the picture, for only $20! I’m also a little obsessed with the blouse on the bottom, though. It’s classic and casual at the same time, and it’s such a delicate but elegant color that can go with pretty much anything. I didn’t get the necklace there, I got it at Forever 21 a while back, but it’s an example of how great it can go with anything! This shirt was only $12!

I thought I would keep the tribal trend going and get the crop top on the left for $14. The sweater is a gem, it has a regular material on the back with a floral print, and lace incorporated into the cable knit on the front! I’m obsessed, and only for $34!

Altogether these four shirts were around $72. For four versatile and stylish shirts, I’d say that’s a pretty good remedy for this diva’s anxiety.

The best time to wear a striped sweater, is all the time….

Courtesy PacSun

Well, the SpongeBob reference above is most definitely accurate for this winter! Ugly Christmas Sweaters have been the misfits of holiday style for a while, unless you’re over forty and are rocking the Mom jeans along with it. Even over the past few years they have fizzled out with this demographic. However they are coming back with a bang this season! Not grandma’s typical reindeer special, but big, comfy yet chic sweaters in general. What snug yet roomy cashmere sweater doesn’t seem appealing paired with leggings or skinny jeans with your favorite pair of doc martens or riding boots?

Like shown here on this J Crew model, a nice brown satchel or over the shoulder bag always pairs well. Here is one of my favorites that I’ve been craving for a while, that’s easy on the wallet as it’s easy on the eyes!

These handbags go across the body with a long chain!

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags/cross-body-bags/product/85951496-calvary/82 

Aldo, $50, geometric design that’s best for a neutral/plain sweater.

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags/cross-body-bags/product/84057361-dallam/28

Aldo, $35

However, If you want to go for the classic route and rock a vintage reindeer sweater, don’t be afraid! They’re sold in some stores now but thrift stores and Savers will never let you down. My favorite places for high waisted shorts or sweaters is definitely Savers! Here are some of my favorites that I own:

If you’re an all-designer girl adventuring into the thrifting world, don’t fret just yet! Hidden jewels are all over thrift stores, the second picture down is Eddie Bauer! Designer pieces are all over thrift stores, you just have to uncover them and unlock the beauty. They don’t discriminate. Second Time Around always has designer brands plunging out of the racks, just watch fashion hunters! Nevertheless these sweaters will please math geeks with their geometric designs or plain janes alike, just go out there and find your perfect cozy treat!