The Craze: A Sheer Way to Get Noticed

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and styles.

Great news! The weather finally seems to be cooperating with our spring wardrobes. Pack away the oversized, chunky sweaters and grab your light layers to pair with sheer fabrics. Sheer fabrics offer a playful, yet sophisticated look that can be layered with basic tanks and camis so we aren’t too revealing. The Spring 2011 runway collections of Chloe and Lanvin were full of this trend.

Lanvin

Chloe

While most sheer fabrics in stores right now are neutral colors, floral patterns have been popping up for spring. Tops are mostly featured with sheer fabrics but dresses and shorts for the summer have also started appearing on store shelves and racks. Check out these affordable sheer layering tops below.

Madewell

J.Crew

Asos.com

-Kate Ahrendtsen

The Craze: “Sea­–ing” Scalloped

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and styles.

In my recent travels I purchased a pair a scalloped shorts (that are unfortunately no longer available) from Madewell and am absolutely enamored by this trend. The spring collections of D&G and Bebe had pieces with the scalloped feature. Scalloped shorts offer versatility as they can be dressed up or be worn in a casual setting. Most are designed with comfort in mind, including light fabrics, elastic waistbands and are loosing fitting. While shorts are the most common items that feature the scalloped effect, Forever21 now has a mini with a scalloped hem. The temperatures will rise, eventually, until then, start filling your closets with this trend.

Topshop

J.Crew

Forever 21

D&G

Bebe

Asos.com

–Kate Ahrendtsen

The Orange Carpet: Menswear Maven

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

Favorite Trend: Skinnies

Trend that needs to “die”: Nothing, Keitz says she is open to everything!

Seeking a cold-weather layering alternative to a cardigan or a blazer? Take a page out of Anders Keitz’s book and try wearing a vest as a layering piece. Keitz, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, wears a tailored vest to add an extra layer of both warmth and excitement to her outfit. Keitz also brightens up her outfit with a gorgeous floral print scarf.

A tailored vest is a timeless, classic piece that can be worn with jeans, dress pants, or a pencil skirt. A vest is a super versatile piece that won’t be going out of style anytime soon.

Interested in adding a classic and timeless vest to your closet? Check out these options. Hurry and check out these on-sale items before they go away!

Keitz is wearing:

Courderoy Pants: Madewell

T-Shirt: J Crew

Vest: Madewell

Scarf:Anthropologie

Boots: Steve Madden

Classiques Entier® 'Matrix' Vest at Nordstrom: $99.90

Madewell blazer vest $49.99

BDG Linen Vest at Urban Outfitters $29.99

– Rachel Laber

Cuse Closet: “The Hills are Alive”

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

All my life, I’ve been a self-professed Sound of Music fanatic. This obsession was supported by the codependency of my friends who’d happily pass the hours with me, singing the soundtrack in sequence from start to finish, complete with harmony parts (we were choir kids ‘nuff said…). And in fourth grade I jumped at the chance to be Maria, singing the film’s title track for an afterschool Broadway Revue production.

Earlier this week, as the prefinals projects were mounting I found myself wanting to listen to the movie soundtrack again. I am still leery of downloading whole albums onto my computer so I settled on listening to it on YouTube. Maria’s naïve confident voice perked me up and I was shocked by how close in age I am now to the character.

Today’s outfit was a subtle testament to the film. A striped blue tunic that I layered under a gathered jersey knit dress had a folky feel similar to what the young nun wore while traipsing around the Austrian Alps. Even while on the run from German Officers, Maria never encountered snow, I was not so lucky so for However for practicality’s sake I layered on an oversized grey cardigan over my Maria dress combo and to keep the whole thing from getting to twee, I finished off the look with a pair of black lace-up boots.

-Emily Montgomery

Blue and white striped oxford tunic- bought this summer while studying in Madrid

Chocolate brown pintuck dress- boutique in downtown Syracuse

Oversized grey cardigan- Eddie Bauer Outlet store, Seaside Oregon

Grey tights- American Apparel

Brown corseted belt (previously worn) - Madewell

Fringed black boots- Value Village

Cuse Closet: Getting Better all the Time!

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

Last Thursday I got sick. It wasn’t too surprising, after working through too many long nights and watching everyone around me fall victim to the sinus plague, but this year I wanted to be prepared. As soon as I felt that tell-tale tickle in the back of my throat, I headed to CVS to restock my supply of cold season staples- Tylenol Day Time, Mucinex, and Halls cough drops. After popping all these cold medicines, I felt like a zombie (or perhaps a meth-head) and I don’t think they really aided in my recovery. What did help, though, was rest and the best cure of all—fashion.

When I'm feeling rundown, sick, or slogging my way through day two of an all-nighter, one of the things that always makes me feel better (along with drinking as many cups of vanilla roast as possible) is to take a few extra minutes getting ready in the morning and picking out something I really love. Usually during these groggy moments I reach for the most classic clothing in my closet however I never want to feel as done as a post-makeover contestant on TLC’s What Not to Wear (pre-makeover contestant goes without saying). I try to strike the balance between power dressing and personal dressing by combining my staples with patterned and colored pieces as much as possible, to give me a little more moxie. While layering my most tasteful trench and a wool sweater dress over a floral frock from last season, I was well on the path to a speedy recovery.

Black Trench Coat- Michael Kors

Black Wool Sweater Dress- Madewell

Black shoulder bag - Vintage Coach (found at Value Village for $15)

Charm Necklace - Handmade

Brown Corset Belt- Madewell

Floral Strapless Dress worn underneath - American Eagle

Tights- Hue

Black Patent Pumps - Steve Madden

-Emily Montgomery

The Craze: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and style.

Winter catalogs have arrived and holiday decorations are going up left and right in retail stores. That means it’s time to fill our closets with this season’s hottest winter wear and accessories! While piecing together a winter outfit may result in compromising fashion for warmth, these great finds will help us look decked out for the holiday season.

We all own Ugg boots, probably more than one pair, but now it’s time to try something different. Ladies please put your Uggs away! Check out the Sperry Top-Sider shearwater boots available in a variety of colors and styles.

The classic pea coat and popular puffer jackets are still hitting the racks for the winter. But if you’re shopping for color, any camel-colored coat will keep you warm without compromising fashion. Camel-colored outwear graced the Chloé runway in its Fall 2010 collection.

Gap

Chloé

Ornament your outwear with another hot runway color by picking up some great red-colored accessories to compliment any winter outfit.

Madewell

J. Crew

-Kate Ahrendtsen

The Craze: Never Ending Nudes

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and style.

The rave for nude tones continues as the temperature drops—marking the start of winter. Marc Jacobs Fall 2010 runway collection was full of nude tones and the trend is still popping up in retail stores. Nudes can be seen in just about every clothing item or accessory. Nude tones are gracing the campus. The natural hues can be paired with pops of colors or costume jewelry. They are a great alternative to black. Nude colors seem to be a classical trend that works for any occasion that offers a soft, feminine touch to any outfit.

Madewell

asos.com

Urban Outfitters; Kimchi Blue

-Kate Ahrendtsen

Cuse Closet: Touches of yellow

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

Today's closet: Emily Montgomery

 

Emily Montgomery in touches of yellow

I vividly remember detesting yellow beyond all other colors in the fourth grade. Yellow was saccharine and boring, and it hurt my eyes. But in the past year or so I’ve been gravitating to it more and more. 

My favorite way to wear yellow, you ask? Mellowed out in small doses as I did today.  When done right, yellow will leave you feeling a little livelier and a little warmer, like a good cup shot of espresso - who can argue with that when it’s 10 degrees and overcast outside?

Black Sweater Dress- Madewell Fall ’09
Yellow patterned tank- thrifted, originally J.Crew
Belt- A Gift
Tights- H&M
Boots- J. Michael’s Santana Canada Brand
Necklace- The sales rack at Free People

- by Emily Montgomery