College Girl with a Stylist Mentality: Sunnies

I worked for Sunglass Hut for a couple months and learned a lot about sunglasses from the best quality polarization to pointing out the different brands of Oakleys. It was a great job and my love for sunglasses just grew. Now many of my friends have a much more extensive collection, but I thought I'd show some of my favorites.

Not to be cliche but one of my favorite brands of sunglasses is Ray Ban. Three of the Ray Bans I own are the black New Wayfarers . They are smaller than the originals and do not slant inward. They are great everyday sunglasses and look great with practically anything. The second pair are the Dylan collection, a remixed version of the clubmasters. These are a little out of my comfort zone but they are very fun. The matte nude color makes me love them even more. Lastly, are the Tech Aviator LITEFORCE in a matte black. They are the lightest sunglasses I have ever worn and literally give the most badass feel, but man do you have to be careful with them.

The second batch of my sunnies are less of the beach wear scene and more of the out on Michigan Ave. The first pair is probably my favorite pair I own which are rounded Gucci sunglasses with a black to green gradient (seen below). They are different and I like to call them my 'bitch glasses'. Right beside them are a pair of cat-eyed Steve Maddens. These sunglasses seen in every inch of Turkey. They are sassy and are a blast from the past.

Now one thing I think every person should have is a pair of cheap sunglasses. Yes, I said cheap. I cannot tell you all how many sunglasses I have bought for just a couple of bucks at Forever 21 and Target. Yeah, they may not be the best quality, but that is exactly it. They are perfect for jet skiing or any high intensity activity. No one wants to loose a $200 pair of sunglasses in the ocean!

I'm currently wanting the Original Aviators with the gold rim and blue gradient lenses, but I'm holding myself back right now. I've been pretty good and haven't bought a pair this year, but who knows if I can stay good and wait.

If you're interested, all sunglasses mentioned are linked above if they are still available.

Also, make sure to stay up-to-date with my personal blog as well found here!

-Amira

Business Casual

So here’s the deal: since the beginning of my time here at DePaul, I have noticed this incredibly prevalent concept of “business casual” that won’t seem to leave me alone. I wish you all could have seen my face when I was told that I needed to dress business casual for the first time. I stood in front of my closet with a look that I can only describe as confusion and borderline defeat. Did business casual mean I couldn’t wear pants? Did I have to wear high heels? What about hemlines? I had too many questions and Google just was not helping me out. I wanted to dress like myself, not Hillary Clinton. 

 With our generation’s movement of self-expression, just how much could I express myself in the workplace (or a workplace-like setting)? On one hand, an individual should be hired for skill. On the other, you are a direct reflection of whatever organization you are representing. To have a feeling of self while simultaneously maintaining a positive image of a given company is a skill that is—in my opinion—wildly undervalued.

 Having that in mind and through a process of trial-and-error, I started making a few general rules for business casual:

1. Don’t wear anything you wouldn't wear while visiting your Grandma

a. Respectable neck and hemlines, layyydies.

2. If you would wear it to a formal dance, don’t wear it to a business casual event

a. I’m serious; I contemplated this for a second.

3. If you aren't comfortable, don’t wear it

a. Just because you have to fit a certain dress code does not mean that you have to completely sacrifice being comfortable in your own clothing

4. (in response to #3) BUT still be mindful of your audience at whatever event you are going to or whomever you are representing.

a. Find a compromise between heels and your dirty Converse. 

5. If you don't know what you should and should not cover, cover it anyway

a. We're talking no sandals, and no tank tops unless stated otherwise. 

6. Don’t focus too much on the “business” side of “business casual” 

a. I personally found the task of business casual to be frightening, but really all that is being asked is to step up your game a little bit. No sweatpants or jeans with holes, but also no pantsuits or ball gowns. 

That being said, there are a lot of stores that offer business casual attire for college students. I mean, technically they are offered to everyone, but I think we all know who the real audience is. Anyway, I’m serious when I say that you can find appropriate (and incredibly cute) business causal at H&M, Forever 21, Zara, and all the stores that you would regularly be found at. Then there are stores like Banana Republic and Gap, which were conceived with a strict focus on business casual. It ultimately depends on how much you want to invest—both monetarily and time-wise. Personally I like having to seek out a good dress on the sale rack at Zara, but that might just be me. 

Anyway, I compiled a few options of business casual below, so take a look: 

-Leah

Krazy For Kimonos

My summer trend obsession definitely has to be kimonos. A kimono is probably one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can own – and I think that every girl needs to own at least one.

Reasons why I am the kimono’s biggest fan:

1. They flatter ANY body type. Literally. I refuse to believe that they look bad on anyone.

2. They come in a ridiculous amount of colors, patterns, and textures. You can find a basic black kimono to throw a t-shirt and jeans, or find a graphic kimono that is the center of attention within your outfit. The possibilities are endless.

3. For all of you shorter girls, don’t fret! Not all kimonos are floor length. You can find a variety of lengths in all different stores. 

If you’re willing to splurge, check out this black kimono from Pac Sun or this piece from Urban Outfitters. 

If you’re like me and thrive on bargain shopping, check out these looks from Forever 21 or H&M (I own this one!)

If you’re having trouble with finding ways to style your own kimono, check out a few ideas I came up with below!

-Kristin

Higher Ground Apparel Spring Drop 2014

Back in January, we here at Designed by DePaul had the honor of interviewing a fellow classmate by the name of Jack Klein regarding a clothing line that he and his friends from back home had brought to DePaul’s campus (check out the article here). Since then, Higher Ground has dropped their newest line of apparel for Spring, and the collection is definitely worth your time. Consisting of a coach jacket, a long sleeve, a t-shirt, a hat and a pair of socks, Higher Ground’s creations continue to impress the DBD staff as well as DePaul at large regarding quality and design (and not to mention affordability, which is seriously nice on a college kid budget).

If you haven’t already, make sure to take a look at what Higher Ground has to offer. On top of supporting a start-up brand, the individuality and urban vibes of HG's products harbor a certain coolness that is undeniable.

Check out the HG Spring 2014 line below:

After you're inevitably on the Higher Ground website (found here), you might as well make sure to follow them on all other forms of social media:

Twitter: @HGroundapparel

Tumblr: Higher Ground Apparel

Facebook: Higher Ground Apparel

Instagram: Highergroundapparel

And if any of you are casually hanging around DePaul this summer, I hear that if you look hard enough there are a few Higher Ground stickers posted around campus, so that's a potentially exciting game of Where's Waldo (but replace the stripe-shirted man with, ya know, a sticker).

-Leah

CFDA Fashion Awards

When I woke up Tuesday morning and checked Twitter (shamefully a part of my morning ritual), I noticed that Rihanna had a lot of explaining to do regarding her Adam Selman gown at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City. If you haven’t seen her attire already, here are a couple shots of the controversial gown:

Though I’m not the biggest fan of the dress, it sure takes some mad confidence to walk around in that getup. Outside of Rihanna, there were still plenty of outfits to take note of. Check out some of the highlights of the red carpet below:

Blake Lively in Michael Kors

Chrissy Teigan in Rachel Roy 

Emmy Rossum in J. Mendel

Sophia Bush in Marchesa

Joan Smalls in Prabal Gurung

Solange Knowles in Calvin Klein

-Kristin

Trending For Summer: Made By Wallflower Cases

Summer is finally here in Chicago and you know what that means: spending your days on the beaches of Lake Michigan, living in your bikini, J.Crew cover up and Ray Bans, and sporting your favorite summer styles that we all so desperately missed over the cold winter. While what you’re wearing on your body is important, don’t forget it’s just as important to dress your phone!

We here at Designed by DePaul were recently given the chance to test out a couple of the Made By Wallflower phone cases. We could only come up with one word to describe our experience: LOVE!

These cases are on point for summer trends. With fun colors and prints, they’re the perfect summer accessory. I’ve been a long time fan of Made by Wallflower cases and their new designs just keep getting better and better. 'Chester' was my first Wallflower Design Co case and to this day it is well loved and I still get compliments on it (see below). 

From their new collection, my favorite case is ‘Ella.' I love combining words and phrases with gorgeous scenery so this case is perfect for me (see below). 

Allison is completely obsessed with the ‘Tiffany’ case because “it’s fun for summer because it has the beach on it and I love the quote ‘everything happens for a reason,'" (see below). 

Kristin’s favorite is ‘Logan’ because she’s “more of a neutral phone case type of person and this would look really well with a white iPhone - also black and white goes with everything!” (see below)

Isabelle’s favorite is ‘Goldie’ because “it’s trendy and kind of flashy. You can pair gold with anything and dress it up or down with your outfit for any occasion!” (see below)

We hope you love these cases as much as we do, comment on this article with your favorite phone case!

Make sure to stay up-to-date on the newest releases from Wallflower Design Co by following their Instagram: @madebywallflower and go purchase your favorite at www.wallflowerdesigncompany.com

XOXO

Sara

Summer Playlist 2014

We made this playlist in two parts. The first part was created while sitting on a blanket in the quad. The second part was created in the middle of class. We’re so college it’s amazing. 

1. Sweet Life by Frank Ocean

2. Out of My League by Fitz and The Tantrums 

3. Shadow by Bleachers

4.  Nothing But History by Gemini Club

5.  A Button on Your Blouse by Drowners

6.  Reflections by MisterWives

7.  Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys

8.  Stuck In My Teeth by Circa Waves

9.  Life Round Here  by James Blake

10.  I Don’t Know You by From Indian Lakes

11.  Feels Like We Only Go Backwards by Tame Impala

12.  Down by The Kooks

13.  Salt by Bad Suns

14. Love Like This by Kodaline

15. Young Hearts by Strange Talks

16. Talk! By The 1975

17. Woe Is Me/Hawaii (I Don’t Want to Go) by Naïve Thieves

18. Blood Stutter by Handsome Ghost

19. Cotton Candy by Papa

20. Hannah Hunt by Vampire Weekend

21. Black Mambo by Glass Animals

22. Feel by Bombay Bicycle Club

23. Ride On / Right On by Phosphorescent 

24. Good Mistake by Mr. Little Jeans

25. Simple and Sure by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

26. To The Top by Twin Shadow

27. Atlas by FUCK ART, LET’S DANCE

28. Come Back by White Denim

29. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright by Mike Mains and The Branches

30. Young Love (Ft. Laura Marling) by Mystery Jets

31. Bad Blood (F*U*G*Z Remix) by  Bastille

32. Bloom by The Paper Kites

33. My Number by Foals

34. Dreaming (The Chainsmokers Remix) by Smallpools

35. A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

36. High Society by Betty Who

37. No Better by Lorde

38. Borderlines and Aliens by Grouplove

39. Eros by Young the Giant

40. Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub

41. Pumpin’ Blood by NONONO

42. Sparklers by Gemini Club
43. Hey Mami by Sylvan Esso

-Kristin and Leah