Easter weekend this year happened to be one of the busiest for students attending the 81st Annual Carolina Cup in Camden, South Carolina this past Saturday.

Students from colleges in the Carolinas & beyond gather together with friends and family to partake in socialization activities, as well as watch some magnificent horses run their hearts out in this steeple chase event.

On the other side of the fence, within the tents and waving flags representing colleges from all over the states, you are overwhelmed by a sea of brightly patterned clothing.  From the latest Lilly Pulitzer Spring collection of dresses to the Vineyard Vines patterned bow ties, the ladies and gents attending Carolina Cup looked as fabulous as ever.

Naturally, I am not a fan of ‘prep’ for ladies but I find it heart-throbbing on boys.  In order to match my date (of 2 years) and prepster boyfriend’s green Ted Baker pants and white Ralph Lauren sport shirt, I turned to Nasty Gal to find me the perfect dress that wouldn’t feel too out-of-my-element.  Online, I found myself a white & mint cutout dress that I am borderline obsessed with.

And not one spill of beverage or speck of mud touched my color-vulnerable ‘Saturday’ best.

For original blog post - - - > To Be Bright

Image Source: http://tobebrightstyle.com/2013/03/31/off-to-the-races/

This fashion season consisted several 'up-and-coming' designers, but there was one who stood out to me.  Known for his effervescent pink hair, Chris Benz is quickly making his way through the fashion circuit.  I was introduced to Mr. Benz last year at Teen Vogue Fashion University where I learned of his beginnings with J. Crew, which is my current employer.

“You should get involved in anything fashion related if it is what you are passionate about,”  Benz advises no matter how miniscule your role may be, it can always lead to something down the road.  The Seattle native launched his first line in 2007,  leading to features in several magazines such as Vogue and Elle.

This season, there were several shows lacking any kind of story behind them; I did not find this to be true of Chris Benz.  His collection was fresh yet dark.  His chosen model successfully portrayed his depiction of the show: Zombie Apocalypse. Mysterious with her pale skin and long black hair, the model added to his designs and made for a more interesting show.  In short, I would describe his collection as a combination between the movies Now and Then and The Virgin Suicides.

His bright, geometric patterned skirts and floral jackets featured throughout the collection brought one person to mind; Teeny.  Teeny was the most fortunate out of all the girls in Now and Then.  Her country-club defined parents spent a majority of nights attending cocktail parties, which led to her snooping in her mother’s closet.  Throughout the movie, she is seen wearing a mix of styles of her own and her mother's, which combines both youthful-floral along with mature geometrical designs.  On the opposite spectrum comes the darker witch-like designs featured by Benz.  Wiladene, the diner waitress convinced to be a witch by the town, fits these designs perfectly. Along with the eery long-draping, black-lace gown, Benz adds a panel of light florals to complete the look.  He puts his twist on each individual design, allowing others to create his or her own stories.

Several variations of white lace pieces are also featured amongst the black.  The light and playfulness of the white lace brings innocence to the collection, like The Virgin Suicides.  In this movie, Lux (played by Kirsten Dunst) and her 4 sisters are the innocence of the town.  In my opinion, Benz provides a collection with an outfit to represent each of the Lisbon sisters and their similar personalities.

Chris Benz transforms his pieces throughout the collection by portraying vivid colors and patterns to tell a story.  Though he had his own theme, it was fun to picture two of my favorite movies mashed into one within his Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear Collection.

Image Source: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/designerdirectory/CBENZ/seasons/

 

 

With the yellow pollen haze settled over Columbia, we see that spring is officially in full bloom. Actually, we really never had a winter to begin with (thankfully). So, that being said, it’s time to pick up a few new pieces for your spring 2012 look, considering the fact that you’ve worn all your tees and tanks throughout the ‘winter’ season. Four major trends that I’m going to spend ALL of my tuition refund check on (you know what I’m talking about, don’t kid yourself) are those that we will utilize literally every day. Especially since we're all on a college budget. No more splurging on that ‘night out on the town’ dress that you might wear twice because it was ‘trending’.

Pastels

Who doesn’t love a good pastel?! You can incorporate this trend into literally everything: from shoes to hairpieces and even nails. Think Easter or ice cream.

Louis Vuitton

White-Out

What I would give to be able to pull off this trend and attend P. Diddy’s White Party (I would probably give my right arm, just saying). From wearing a LWD (little white dress) to a two-piece white suit, I believe this trend will be here for a while. I know I'll be utilizing it A LOT.

Versace

Jill Sander

Throwbacks

This little chapter encompasses two trends that I absolutely adore. Say farewell to the 1970's that's been present in collections for some time. "Marie Claire" has dubbed these trends ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Sexy Suburban Housewife.' Tell me that doesn’t paint a picture. Yes, the updated flapper and new and improved housedress will definitely make you want to sip a martini by 2 a.m. while vacuuming in heels. This look lends sheer elegance and femininity.

Dolce and Gabbana

 

Gucci

So if you're really looking for a night out, whether it be in the Vista or Five Points, these new twists on old trends are definitely the way to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Sources: 

http://media.nowfashion.com/uploads/shows/versace/2011/milan/spring-summer/ready-to-wear/2011-08-23/745/public/2311/photos/2011-09-23-14-30-11-versace-4722.jpg

http://www.bloginity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Louis-Vuitton-Spring-Summer-2012-Look-9.jpeg

http://andrewmorel.com/wp-content/uploads/gucci-spring-2012-collection-opens-milan-fashion-week.jpeg

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Jil_Sander_Spring_Summer_2012_075.jpeg&um=1&hl=en&biw=1341&bih=771&tbm=isch&tbnid=-fHJLyZ_2WnOyM:&imgrefurl=http://thebijouxeditrix.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html&docid=b9w1_C9PaD4cUM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xjtQRWqr6d4/Tp3dzhOODeI/AAAAAAAABVQ/1LNg9omx0dI/s640/Jil_Sander_Spring_Summer_2012_075.jpg&w=426&h=640&ei=IXFpT9D2AYTs2QWEjLjpCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=168&vpy=141&dur=97&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=102&ty=135&sig=115445368536932480335&page=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=79&start=0&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

http://styleshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Dolce-Gabbana-Spring-2012-RTW-01.jpg

http://www.glamazondiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Dolce-Gabbana-Spring-2012-2.jpg

Losing a parent is a tragedy no one wants to face, but fourth-year exercise science student Patrick Lawler found that, sometimes, it can breed hope, rejuvenation and a drive to help others. Two years ago, Patrick lost his mother to cancer, and for the last three, he has participated in Relay For Life, a 12-hour, overnight relay to raise money for the fight against cancer. He teamed up with his friend, Maddie Miller, to form Team Jameson in his mother’s honor.

What's your vice?

"5 Spring Trends I Have to Have": CollegeCandy

With the conclusion of football in December and the season’s euphoria wearing off, spring semester can become monotonous for students, but there are plenty of events that can keep you busy. The big question is: Do you watch from home or go to these events?
 

Should you save, or should you splurge?

 

Sorry not sorry if this is littered with typos/thingsthatdon'tmakesense.

But why would this blog deviate from my usual grammatical perfection you ask?