Final Fashionista Post

Dear Purdue Fashionistas,

I hate to break it to you all…. but unfortunately this will be my last blog post :(. I have had such a blast blogging for all you Purdue Fashionistas this semester! If it weren’t for my COM497 class I probably never would have started my own blog. It was such a good opportunity to keep you all updated on the latest trends and styles and definitely a good experience.

Next year I will hopefully be taking my Fashionista knowledge with me and working in the retail industry. I have a few interviews lined up after graduation and I look forward to starting my future in fashion. Hopefully Purdue will be able to keep up with all the new styles without my advice! For those of you who are going to miss my blog… I would recommend following these blogs:

* College Fashion Blog

* Her Campus Blog

* College Fashionista

If you are currently a student at Purdue and looking for great COM courses to take next year, I highly recommend COM497. This course is not only an introduction to new media, it also teaches you a lot about the important of social media.

Goodbye Purdue Fashionistas!

Best Regards,

Courtney Cox

Soundslides Project

I wanted to take a little break from being a Fashionista and check out the Agricultural Tent at Purdue Spring Fest. I went to Spring Fest on Saturday, April 14 in the pouring rain! It was such a terrible day outside and my shoes were covered in mud, but it was pretty interesting once I got inside the tent. I took a lot of pictures at the event and I was able to interview Francie Armstrong, a West Lafayette visitor, as she spoke to Purdue Agricultural students. Check out my Soundslides Project for my COM497 class.

I have taken an agricultural class at Purdue as an elective my freshman year, but other than that I don’t know much about agricultural. It was very educational to attend this event and I learned a lot about the combine process. It’s always nice to expand outside the box and learn about other subjects. The tools that they provided at Spring Fest allowed us to get a hands on experience. The agricultural students were very informative and demonstrated their knowledge very well. I would recommend attending Purdue Spring Fest next year for anyone that missed out!

Fashionista Events for the Summer

I hope you all had a fabulous Grand Prix weekend! Now it’s time to prepare for the Indy 500 this summer! The Indy 500 will take place Sunday, May 27, 2012. For those of you who don’t know, The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s most famous and prestigious auto race. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the surrounding areas during the Indianapolis 500 turn into a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere during the entire race weekend. I have been attending the Indy 500 since I was a little kid. It’s such a fun experience and I recommend you all to go!

* The fashion is a little different from Grand Prix. Prepare to cut off those jean shorts and bring out the bandana. The more “hick” you look, the better!

* The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world’s largest spectator sporting facility, with more than 250,000 permanent seats. If the seat boards from the grandstands at IMS were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 99.5 miles.

Get ready to eat A LOT!!

• Coca-Cola products: More than 16,000 gallons, which would fill two tanker trucks
• Miller Lite and other beer products: More than 14,000 gallons
• Indy Dogs: If laid end-to-end, would circle the 2.5-mile IMS oval more than two times
• Bratwurst: If laid end-to-end, would circle the 2.5-mile IMS oval more than one time
• Brickyard Burgers: More than 10,000 pounds, equal to the weight of six IZOD IndyCars
• Track fries: More than 24,000 pounds, equal to the weight of an elephant
• Chicken tenders: More than 2,000 pounds, equal to the weight of 13 Borg-Warner Trophies
• Ketchup: More than 475 gallons, which would fill 10 bathtubs
• Ice: More than 300,000 pounds

What to Wear to the Grand Prix Race?

I searched online for “What to Wear to Purdue Grand Prix Race,” and I found nothing worth reading. I searched more fashion blogs about car racing fashion and I came across, what to wear to the Indy 500. I figured this was as close as I was going to get. Although the Indy 500 is a totally different event in a completely different location; it is still a car race in the state of Indiana. I want to share some of their advice with you and them some advice of my own.

“You may not think the Indy Car Races is a place to find a Wardrobe Wire girl, but we love new experiences and are always up for a good time. A chance to see something new and dress the part is always fun for us! And when you attend a new event for the first time, it is shameful to not do your research and fully dress the part! It’s like showing up for a costume party without a costume. Boring!”

• Denim shorts                             • Sunscreen                           • Hat/visor
• Capris                                           • Flip flops                            • Sunglasses
• Jeans                                            • Tennis Shoes                     • Official Race Gear (pick a team and support them!)
• Tank tops                                    • Earplug

When I attended the race I made shirts with my friends and it was really fun because we all matched. Since this is my last grand prix 😦 I want to go all out this year. My friends and I are going to make jerseys that look like racing shirts! Here are some examples of what we wore last year:

Creative Costumes for Grand Prix

It’s finally that time of year again! THE BEST WEEK EVER…. GRAND PRIX WEEK!! It’s time to start thinking of your creative costume for grand prix breakfast club. For those of you who don’t know, the Purdue Grand Prix is a charity go-kart race held annually on Purdue University’s West Lafayette, Indiana campus. The purpose of the event is to raise scholarship money for Purdue students. It focuses on its tradition of “Students Helping Students.” Though the actual race is held on a Saturday, much of the surrounding festivities begin the weekend before. The student body sees this as an excuse to throw big parties and, often, skip class.

However, all this is a build up to the greatest part of the week, besides the race, of course, the return of Breakfast Club. Early Saturday morning the Chauncey bars re-open to hordes of costume clad students and alumni. Screwdrivers and other alcoholic drinks are served, often in large 20oz plastic cups. Patrons dress in costume, the more outrageous or inventive the better. People not in costume are usually the odd ones out.

* THE MOST CREATIVE COSTUME WINS! Start thinking now… the more creative you get, the better. Here are some creative ideas:

Fraternities hold this time particularly important, they will usually throw their largest parties during this week. Grand Prix is also a large event for alumni who often will make a long weekend of the event. Starting as early as Wednesday, the already packed bars, the majority on Chauncey Hill, begin to spill over.

Titanic is Back!

The 1997 film is back in 3D and better than ever! The movie Titanic is definitely worth seeing again. Flush the Fashion wrote a great review on Titanic 3D. Since this is a fashion blog… I want to focus on the fashion. I absolutely love the fashion in the movie. Everything from the style of the dresses to the designs are elegant and perfect. “For the first-class passengers aboard theTitanic, status was everything. Elegantly attired ladies strolled the ship’s pristine decks and opulent dining rooms in dainty lace and chiffon withextravagant trim, oversized hats, long, white gloves and exquisite jewels.”

I found ensembles inspired by Titanic being created today. Here are the Past & Present Creations:

* The beautiful costumes were designed by Deborah Lynn Scott.

* The Boarding Suit: This is the original suit created for Kate Winslet to wear in the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Rose’s Tea Gown: This is the original tea/luncheon gown created for Kate Winslet to wear in the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Rose’s “Jump” Dress: This is the original gown created for Kate Winslet to wear in the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* All of these custom made dresses are available to order on Titanic Gowns. They would make beautiful costumes for an elegant party, or even just a keepsake. There are many more gowns on the website and I highly recommend looking at all the fabulous designs.

Her Campus Purdue

Congratulations to Her Campus!! The Purdue student organization application has been ACCEPTED! Her Campus is now an OFFICIAL Purdue student organization! Her Campus Purdue, a branch of HerCampus.com, is an online magazine for the college women of Purdue with features on Campus News, Events, Profiles, Polls, and even Campus Cuties! Her Campus Purdue is a place for the women of Purdue to get personalized information about what’s happening on their campus! As a branch of HerCampus.com, the content of Her Campus Purdue is written by Purdue students, and is a supplement to the national content of HerCampus.com that is created for college women everywhere.

Since joining the Her Campus Team, HC staffers have been offered jobs and internships with Glamour, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, People magazine, W magazine, Teen Vogue, InStyle, Lucky, O magazine, MTV, The Washington Post, and Ogilvy, among others.

“Do you want to be in Her Campus? Here are some stories we’re working on that we’d love your input on!”

• Submit an Op-Ed!  Are you passionate about something?  Do you want your voice to be heard?  Pitch us your idea for an op-ed.  We’ll let you know if we’re interested in having you write it up for the site!
• Inspiring Career Women  Do you know a woman with an amazing career? Tell us how you know her and what makes her inspirational!
• Her Story Do you have a personal story that you think would make an interesting read for collegiettes everywhere?  In the past we’ve featured college women who took their landlords to court, paid their own way through college, and were single for the first time since middle school.  We’d love to hear your story.
• Love Life Questions  Submit a love life question you’re struggling with to be answered by Joe, Joey, Joel or Jake, our Real Live College Guys!
• The Life of an RA Have you spent part of your college career as an Resident Advisor on campus? Tell us what it’s like!
• Rocking the AP Exams Remember taking those exams at the end of your junior and senior years of high school? Yep, so do we, and we’d love to hear your advice about how to pass them with flying colors.

Attention collegiettes™! Her Campus Purdue will be accepting applications to fill positions for the spring semester! They are currently look to fill all positions including Campus Celebrity editor and assistant editor, Campus Cutie editor and assistant editor, and contributing writers. To apply, send cover letter with desired positions to letastevens@hercampus.com. They want you to join the team!

Fun Fashionista Facts: Sunglasses Edition

Sunglasses are the “must have” accessory for every Fashionista. Sunglasses don’t just protect the eyes, they add style! I’m starting to see more sunglasses on campus so I thought it would be fun to share some sunglasses facts.

* Sunglasses constitute a $34 billion annual market at retail.

* In the United States, every 14 seconds someone loses, breaks or sits on a pair of sunglasses.

* The most expensive pair of sunglasses sold on eBay are: Elvis Presley’s Madison Square Garden’s at $250,000.

* Singer Elton John, is rumored to have a sunglasses collection of over 1,000 pair.

* Most Popular Shades: Ray-Ban sunglasses sold 10 million units worldwide in 1998.

* Mens sunglasses sell every 90 seconds on eBay.

* Sunglasses were first used in China in the 12th century or possibly earlier. The “lenses” of these glasses were flat panes of smoky quartz, which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare, and, according to some sources, evil spirits.

“Fashion plays a grave role, too.”

After writing my last blog post about The Hunger Games fashion, I came across an interesting NY Times article that happens to disagree with my statements. The article expresses, fashion types have not been overly impressed with the movie, at least as far as the clothing is concerned. Although I happened to like the fashion in the movie, it’s always helpful to learn from the experts. According to the article, “Costumes fight for life, too.” Here are a few quotes from the experts:

*The costumes “looked cheaply made,” said Joshua Jordan, a fashion photographer who has done campaigns for Anna Sui and Neiman Marcus. “You wanted it to bring you to an evil Thierry Mugler place, and it didn’t. It has nothing on the fashion business.”

*Olivier Van Doorne, the head of SelectNY, a fashion advertising firm that makes commercials for brands like Emporio Armani and Tommy Hilfiger, agreed. While he liked the film, he said he found the outfits “ridiculous.” “ ‘Blade Runner’ gave a vision of the future you’d never seen before,” he said. “With this, there’s nothing new. It looks like a lot of recycling stuff Jean Paul Gaultier had done before.”

*Sally Hershberger, the celebrity hairstylist, says the on-screen outfits looked “clownish,” like things you would see at a “costume party in Venice.” “It’s not a ‘Blade Runner’ moment,” Ms. Hershberger said. “This is not a fashion film. It looks too cheap.”

*Lorenzo Martone, Marc Jacobs’s ex-boyfriend and a marketing strategist, said he didn’t find anything in “The Hunger Games” particularly groundbreaking. “I think they spent a lot of money but I don’t know if it was money well spent,” he said. “It just seemed like a tuneup of things we already have today.” Basically, he said, “I thought, ‘All this effort, and this is what the future looks like?’ ”

*Paul Wilmot, the public relations guru who has worked for designers like Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein, simply called the film’s costumes “hideola.” (This did not appear to be a compliment.)

*Alexis Bittar, the jewelry designer, said, “I just saw it and loved it.” The costumes, particularly those worn by Ms. Banks and Mr. Tucci, he said, were “tacky” and “over the top,” but that seemed intentional.

 

May the fashion be ever in your favor

I know I’m a little late, but I just got back from seeing The Hunger Games movie. I absolutely loved it! I could go on and on and write about the movie, but this isn’t an entertainment blog, this is a fashion blog. So of course, as you may guess, I will be talking about the fabulous fashion in the Hunger Games movie. This isn’t the typical style you would see around Purdue, but it’s still fun to talk about.

Yahoo states, much hyped sci-fi movie The Hunger Games looks set to top international box office records following its international release this week, although the designer costumes and far-out beauty looks featured on its dedicated Capitol Couture site prove its influence will stretch far beyond the realm of cinema. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky, who previously worked on the Harry Potter films, has incorporated designs by Rodarte, Alexander McQueen, and Jean Paul Gaultier into the movie.

Hindustan Times had a great article on The Hunger Games most interesting trends sparked in the film. Here are a few of my favorites:

Pink is hot
Effie’s most talked-about outfit is the fuchsia jacket teamed with a bum-hugging pencil skirt. To get the similar look, opt for a tailored fuchsia jacket with 1980’s-inspired puffy sleeves and fitted knee-length pencil skirt. Over-sized flower accessory would spice up the look. Effie’s bright well-defined lips, false eye lashes are also a rage. To get the look, use a lighter shade of foundation or powder.  For lips, line and fill in with red lip colour and pat with gold dust or colour in the center.

Caviar nails and more
The elaborately done nails, embellished with caviar-inspired beads are another highlight of Effie’s look. Stylist Linda Flowers was quoted in an interview saying, “Effie’s manicure took 45 minutes a day to apply and she had different nails to match each of her six outfits.” Beauty brand China Glaze has launched 12 shades of cool The Hunger Games-inspired nail paints — agro, fast track, ashes, etc.

Effie’s funky wigs
Effie’s outlandish, coloured wigs have got everyone talking about them. “I wanted to keep her classic but contemporary, so first I created a ’30s-inspired finger wave bob, brushed it out, then I layered in a few fuzzy pieces for more texture. I used a lot of fuzzy texture for all of the Capitol character’s looks,” revealed movie’s lead hair stylist Linda Flower in an interview. Singer Nicki Minaj and model Kate Moss have also been spotted in Effie-inspired wigs.

The Katniss Everdeen look
Actor Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen in the movie, sports different looks in the film, but her rusty and adventurous look has got maximum thumbs-up. Influenced by the military look, her style is  utilitarian and practical. Fashion stylist Aakanksha Jain says, “Skinny pants in olive green or pinstripe pants, mid-thigh length hooded jacket in black or leather jacket and knee-length lace up boots can get you Katniss look.” Pick up dull and earthy colours like brown, beige, olive and black.

The French braid
Jennifer Lawrence’s French braid is racing up the trend charts. Makeup and hairstylist Chandni Singh says, “It’s a classic hair style, but in the movie we see its modern variation.” Here are few easy steps to get the look: The key is in pre-braiding preparations. To add texture to your hair use a volumising product, if your hair is particularly straight, or use a curling tong to create waves. Start by using your fingers to direct hair to one side. Make sure that the hair is free of knots or any tangles. Make sections and start braiding it side ways. For a soft romantic feel, pull out a few strands on both sides and fasten the braid with rubber bands.