Wake up at 7:45. Throw on sweats, a hoodie, and flip flops. Throw your hair in a messy bun. Check Facebook. Grab your bag and get to class by 8 AM.

Does this at all resemble your morning routine? I know how tempting it is to get that last fifteen minutes of sleep and run out the door looking like you just rolled out of bed. Fashion is probably the last thing on your mind when you’re trying to remember things like, Where on earth is my physics book? And, Why can I only find one shoe??? However, it is important to put at least some effort into the way you look before class.

The way you dress affects the way people perceive and treat you, whether you care or not. It can also affect your attitude and level of performance in class. If you are wearing pajamas, you aren’t going to feel awake enough to fully participate in a class discussion. If you look like you don’t care, people are going to think that you don’t care (including your professors).

Obviously you aren’t going to head to class decked out from head to toe in your Sunday best (unless you never made it home, you dawg), but there are easy ways to update your outfits so you look a little less messy and … sleepy.

10 Easy Style Updates For Class This Fall

1. A scarf - throw on jeans and a plain colored fitted t-shirt. Add a scarf and voila! Instant fashion. Scarves are really in this year and there are tons of cute ones out there to pick from. You can’t get an easier shortcut to style. Find them at American Eagle, H&M, or Limited Too (yea, it’s for little kids but they have a lot of cute scarves that are only $10!). Read More »

Person: Arden Wohl

This girl directed a film on the Chupacabra. Fashion-wise, she is all about extremes. An article on Radar Online quotes her as comparing herself to a lizard and saying, “Clothing is meant to be fun, right?” As much as she is known for her constant headband-donning, she does not confine herself to one fashion genre. In fact, she seems to be all about extremes, liking “things long and loose, or short.”

It seems many New Yorkers, in our daily quest to make the A/L/N/6 train without attracting any unwanted attention, have resigned ourselves to the same hoodie, leggings and “I’m NOT a Plastic Bag” as every other chick on the platform.

Conversely, Wohl’s socialite peers are partial to Tory Burch (boooooring) logo flats and “ethnic” paisley print muʻumuʻus. Now you may say, “Hold on a second, Nora- Arden Wohl wears those mu’umu’us, too!” Let me tell you something about Arden Wohl: though she was born into privilege, Arden Wohl sure seems to know a little more about the world and its problems than most of her peers. Arden is dedicated to saving Darfur and is currently promoting Libby Spears’s documentary, The Playground Project, about the commercial sexual exploitation of children, with Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney. Arden is also passionate about the Nest Foundation, which raises awareness for the same cause. Read More »

I am a firm believer that the accessories make the outfit. Too many people spend too many hours trying to pair their socks with their polo shirts or their Uggs with their jackets. If you’re decked out with fun accessories, no one else cares what you’re wearing because you’ll look great regardless.

And since I know there are other people out there like me, who don’t necessarily have 10 bajillion dollars to spend on an outfit, accessories are good news. Even if you buy full price from an upscale store, accessories will cost only a fraction of the price you’d pay for pants or a shirt (unless, you know, you’ve got your eyes set on diamond earrings).

Because of all this, it’s a crying shame that girls don’t take advantage of accessories more often. It seems that every girl I see out walking is either tipping the scales with pounds of bling or wearing no accessories at all. It’s not that hard, people. To take advantage of some of my very favorite accessories, read on:

Headbands. The best thing about headbands is their versatility. You can wear them no matter how long (or short) your hair is, and they’re like miracles on bad hair days. They look good no matter what their design, and you can even make your own in a pinch by folding a scarf and tying it at the back of your neck. Read More »

After rocking a boy-cut shag à la Natalie Imbruglia’s early career for two years, I started to get long-hair lust. Everywhere I went, long hair mocked me. Layers, shags, straight, curly; it all taunted me.

Back when I had long hair down to my waist, I was a tomboy. My morning hair routine consisted of making a ponytail. But now that my beauty regime has stepped up a few notches, I’m lacking a few feet of hair and experiencing Phantom Hair Syndrome.

And so a couple of months ago, I made an important decision. I would stay away from the scissors and begin the painful and arduous journey of growing my hair. Any woman that has undertaken this task knows what a commitment it is.

It means bad hair days, awkward flyaway hair, and all too often, a few weeks in the growing-out period where hair shape is frighteningly mullet-like.

I’ve experienced it all and believe me, it hasn’t been pretty. But I’ve picked up some tricks along the way that have kept me from taking the kitchen scissors to my locks in a fit of hair-rage.

Here’s how to grow out short hair and stay sane and chic:

1. Stock up on thick headbands and hair scarves. Think Lauren Conrad’s signature headband look, sans about a foot of hair. The pop of fabric on a short crop looks très cute and is perfect for holding down hair that starts sticking up in an alarming fashion.

2. Cut bangs. When the state of my hair was getting hopeless, I grabbed a pair of sharp scissors and a comb, and cut blunt bangs into the grown-out side fringe I had already. If you don’t have a steady hand or don’t have bangs at all right now, head to a stylist. Bangs will spice up your look, and you can keep trimming them yourself while the rest of your hair grows out. Read More »

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