Lesson Four: Denim

Most people hate shopping for pants. Although it is frustrating when you are trying to find the perfect pair of jeans, you must realize that patience is a virtue; there is a perfect fit and brand for everyone, it just takes time to find it. Like finding a boyfriend, you have to try on many pairs, and perhaps settle on a few that really aren't your style, but if you are patient and learn what you need from your jeans, you will find what is best for you. It took me 22 years to locate the store that serves me the perfect denim pants and shorts (The Limited), but the road to finding it was not easy. If you are over 20 and still have not found the pair of pants that make you feel awesome, here are some guidelines.

1) PATIENCE. Do not settle on a pair of jeans if you do not like them after a try on in the store. It doesn't matter if they are on sale, if they are trendy, or if they will look great once you lose 5 pounds -- if you dislike them in the store, you'll hate them at home. Be patient and try on as many jeans as it takes to find the ones that fit, look stylish, and are comfortable.

Side note: Although you are just barely out of your teens, it may be a good idea to drop the juniors section and start searching for your jeans in stores that cater towards young working women. As a woman with hips, I have realized that juniors jeans are usually cute too narrow for me and even moving up a size does not provide me with a proper fit. Even if you are petite enough to fit into juniors clothing, you may find that misses clothing will provide you with a more flattering and comfortable fit in your hips (and will look more mature.)

2) RISE. I know you may have been all about the super low rise jeans during high school, but it may be time to look at a higher cut. A mature low rise jean should be one inch below your belly button instead of three. This type of rise will fully cover your hips and prevent unflattering 'muffin tops' while you are standing and sitting. This should be a fairly comfortable fit for pretty much everyone and be flattering on any body type. Look for pants with a slight stretch in the fabric, after a few washes these types of pants will fit perfectly on your body.

3) PANT LEG. Depending on what body type you have, some pant legs will be more attractive than others. However, jeans with a boot cut or a slight flare will look good on everyone, so those styles are always a good starting place. Until you are comfortable with your body type, stick with simple pant styles and don't wander into the realm of the super trendy ones. More than likely it will be hard to find one that you are completely in love with and they are very rarely on sale until they go out of style.

Advanced: When choosing your pant leg, think about what type of shoes you will be wearing with the jeans. If they will be casual jeans than a normal boot cut will do. However, if you want to wear them with flats or heels, you may consider a more tapered leg (skinny jean) to show off the shoes. This may seem like a bit over the top, but the right cut and wash in your jeans can really bring an outfit together. Thinking about and planning outfits while you are shopping can help you choose the right addition to your wardrobe and also save you from impulse buys.

3) WASH. The wash of your jean is very important. I always err on the side of darker wash jeans because they are always flattering and can serve well for many outfits (aka can be dressed up or down); darker washes minimize the size of your thighs and hips and give you a nice long and lean look. If you are very petite and have smaller thighs, then you can go into some of the lighter and trendier washes. For women who are curvy or have larger thighs, lighter washes can make you look bigger than you are and be very unflattering. There is never any harm in trying them on, but always remember to buy what looks good on you, not in the magazines.

4) LENGTH. This is also an important topic which some do not take seriously. Again, the length of your jean will depend on the shoes you will wear with it, so it is important to think ahead when you are trying on your jeans. For flats and casual athletic shoes, it is optimal for the bottom of your jeans to just hit the bottom of your heel (with your shoes off) when standing. This will allow the pants to not drag the bottom of the ground when you are walking with your shoes on and not rise up too high when seated. If you will be wearing heels with a boot cut or flare style of jean, choose a length that is two inches longer (or so) than your ‘flat jeans’. Why? Longer jeans with heels balance out the look and make your legs seem longer than they are.

5) SIZE. Throw your size number out the window. Although each number should have a specific measurement, the truth is that each waist cut, pant style, and brand have slightly different measurements. If you try on your normal size in a brand new style of jean and it is too small, leave your ego at the dressing room door and grab a larger size. Moving up a size does not always mean that you are gaining weight; it just means the larger size may fit your proportions better.

Of course all of these are just suggestions, but the one that is a sure fire ticket to success is number one: PATIENCE. If you aren’t patient enough to try on clothes, you will never find the ones that show you off!

Lesson Three: Know your shape

The biggest obstacle to overcome is knowing how to dress your shape. It doesn't matter what size you may be, there are very flattering and unflattering ways to wear your clothes. However, the first step to dressing the shape of your body is accepting what type of body you have.

So, you have been in college a semester, or two, and more often then not you have gained a bit of weight. Under the pressures of classes, tests, work, applications, and keeping up your GPA, it is really hard to also balance nutrition and exercise. I'm not making excuses, it is just a fact. If you are in this group, don't deny it. Just accept it and move on. If you have noticeably gained a size or two but continue to dress in the size you were, it doesn't matter how nice the clothes you have are, you will look extremely sloppy and look larger than you actually are. Although you may not be at your optimum size, do not let that deter you from putting your best fashion foot forward! As long as you are confident in yourself, you can look good at any size!

Although each body is different, there are a few classifications that are generally used to describe body types: straight, pear, spoon, hourglass, top hourglass, inverted triangle, oval, diamond. This website features a calculator which will assist in figuring which shape you fall under and provides some tips on how to dress that shape. However, whatever website you visit, or book you read, the main rule is to balance your features by following these basic rules:

1) Use silhouettes, prints, and washes to minimize your most prominent attribute (i.e. shoulders, chest, stomach, hips, thighs, height, etc.)

2) Use jackets, belts, and different cuts to create a defined waist.

3) Depending on your height and body type, choose dresses, shoes, pants, and tops which elongate/compact the body (elongate if you are shorter, curvy, and have a shorter torso/compact if you have are taller and have a long torso)

If you aren't sure where to start, find some photos of celebrities which have you body shape and try to mimic their style choices.

Lesson Two: Plan ahead

The number one thing I hear college students say is, "I don't have time to get ready in the morning." False. If you are a single adult and are only attending class 5 days a week, believe me, you have time. What these students really mean is, "I do not have the mental capacity required when I have just woken up, nor do I have the allotted 45 minutes it takes me to usually pick out an outfit."

Solution: Plan Ahead. Pick out your outfit the night before.

It is such a simple idea, but believe me, it works! If you find that in the morning it is hard to pick out an outfit other than your usual nike shorts + sperry top siders + sorority shirt that you wear every day of the year...try picking out your outfit the night before. Not only will you have the concentration necessary to coordinate your clothing, but planning an outfit is a nice way to wind down the evening and get excited about the day to come. Yeah you may have a homework due tomorrow, but at least you will be getting compliments as you are turning it in!

However the key to making this plan super efficient is to be familiar with everything in your closet; this will minimize the time it takes to find an appropriate outfit. This means you know the silhouette of every dress and top, the cut of every pant, which pants look good with which tops and shoes, what outfit is feasible to wear in different types of weather...etc. Knowing and developing your wardrobe takes time, but once you do this picking outfits in advance will become super quick, easy, and painless.

The second step to pre-selecting an outfit is of course wearing that outfit the next day, this is usually the part that takes the most commitment. But just think, (sick days aside) would you rather blend into the crowd with your tshirt and shorts, or stand out in your outfit which exudes personal style?

Lesson One: You are beautiful, so show it!

I decided to write this blog because I see beautiful girls around me every day, but they think they are too busy being a student to put effort into the way they look. Now, I do not think that clothes make a woman beautiful, but every day that I create an outfit that consists of more than a t-shirt and gym shorts I walk taller, have a little skip in my step, smile, and just feel confident and alive. I know I am beautiful, but creating stylish outfits helps me showcase that beauty to the rest of the world.

I have seen some girls that were fashionistas when they were younger lose that all of their confident style in the midst of the fast paced college life. It would be one thing if I knew these girls were just 'dressing down,' but I know how tough it is being a college student. Being thrown out into the real world for the first time can take a really toll on your self esteem and sometimes the way you dress reflects how you feel about yourself. There is so much on your plate that you forget to take care of yourself, and as the stress piles on you stop caring about how you look. Ok so there are those nights you partied a little too hard, or that you studied for two tests while finishing a term paper, after that you should be allowed a day in your comfy clothes. BUT think about it, what's your excuse the rest of the time?

While in college, you are supposed to grow academically and professionally, but most of the time fashion and style take a back seat. The point is, you are the time in your life where you can explore different styles, and looks. I would like to see everyone take the time to find their personal style which shows off the person who they are! Not only will you begin to feel more confident, but people in class, your professors, your academic advisor...they will all notice you. And that's not such a bad thing when you are on a campus containing a couple thousand students.

As a sophomore in college, after reading all of those fashion magazines, I decided I would no longer dwell in my gym shorts but I would live my life on a runway...a time efficient and budget conscious runway! I hope that my blog posts will inspire others that they can and want to do the same!