Its been (I wish I could even say 'nearly') a year since my last post which is entirely unacceptable. But between the relentless nag of college applications and my recent enrollment in college, there has been absolutely no room for anything other than stress eating, retail therapy (which I often regret after viewing the dwindling balance in my account) and binge watching episodes of Friday Night Lights. So I thought I would post, in rapid succession, some of articles I have written for a fashion publication I write for at my school....

Spring/Summer Trends to get college Students through the Merciless Syracuse Winters

Noa Wolff-Fineout

            Fashion month is almost to a close as the final looks walk down the runways at Paris Fashion Week. The gorgeous Spring/Summer 2014 collections are making the approaching winter season  

and its accompanying Michelin-man parkas, baggy sweats and ever-so-ugly snow boots even more dreadful. However, unlike previous spring/summer collections, this year diaphanous dresses that evoke thoughts of sunshine did not capitalize the catwalks but instead stood in contest with a far more rebellious trend, in which designers allowed shapeless boxy dresses and pleated leather to dominate their collections.

(Mary Katrantzou photographed by Style.com)

The color palettes and fabrics chosen for the garments greatly dictated the tone of the shows. Collections by designers such as Rodarte, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang epitomized the grunge look that so many designers clung to this season. All three designers made the un-cool cool by deconstructing and exaggerating the qualities simple, typically overlooked, pieces such as the pleated skirt, military jacket and sweatshirt. Their garments embodied this underground punk look as they were all muddied by dark hues and constructed from materials such as perforated leather. Conversely, designers such as Mulberry and Giambattista Valli allowed the spectrum of pastels that splashed across their silk dresses, chiffon blouses and brocade blazers to define their collections. These collections stuck to the traditional route for Spring/Summer attire and kept the public yearning for the steamy days when these garments are acceptable. While most collections were very polarized in their aesthetic, some designers, such as Jason Wu, Mary Katrantzou and Oscar de la Renta  chose to experiment with juxtaposition of trends, combining boxy silhouettes with delicate florals and creating masculine military jackets from flimsy chiffon.

(Alexander Wang photographed by Style.com)

(Giambattista Valli photographed by Style.com)