College Clothing Alternatives

Just yesterday a facebook friend of mine posted a list of "Alternatives" to VERY collegiate looks (you know, "Norts", Uggs, Vera Bradley...) and I didn't really like their items. I thought they were too much of a departure from the original looks! Here are my choices to eliminate all the repeats walking around on campus:

Go from Uggs to Riding Boots

Any time it's appropriate to wear Uggs, I promise it will be equally appropriate to wear riding boots. You can tuck them into jeans, wear jeans over them and they'll keep you warm!

Switch it up from a North Face Denali Fleece to a Pea Coat

Pea coats come in just as many colors as North Face Denali Fleeces do and some are even insulated for extra warmth! You can find wool ones that will be even warmer than just a simple fleece.

I beg you to swap Norts for Anything Else

You can wear skirts, printed shorts, jeans, ANYTHING ELSE! I don't hate Norts at all, I'm actually wearing them now, as I type. But I'm getting ready to go to bed. I wear Norts as PJ's, not to class. I don't understand the Norts-to-class phenomenon! It is just as easy to put on real clothes as it is to put on Norts!!

Try instead of a Vera Bradley Wristlet going for a heartier Leather Wristlet

Both my roommate and I freshman year had Vera Bradley wristlets, everyone did! It was so easy to pop your Carolina Card out of the plastic pocket and store everything we needed in them. However, they show dirt like CRAZY! And everyone has one, so while you might be the only one with your pattern, everyone has the same style! Try a leather wristlet that will last longer, stay nicer looking, and has the same ease of use that the VB one has!

Do people on your campuses have all these things? Do you see them everywhere? I sure do!!!

xxKatie

Summer Tote Choices

So there are tons of occasions during the summer for travel: Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends, beach trips, the Fourth of July, going out at night, and just bags to have! Here are my "go-to" bags for summer time:

Longchamp:

The "Tote bag" Longchamp Le Pliage bag is great for everyday stuff. I use my Rosalie one all the time and it goes with most everything I own. I also have this same bag in khaki and that one has gotten its fair wear and tear (nice rhyme!) so I prefer the pink one. They are surprisingly roomy and this one has even fit my MacBook Pro laptop in the past!

Vineyard Vines:

The VV bag is great for extended days, you know the days when you know you can't go home after running errands so you tuck everything you could need during the day in your purse. I used mine as a schoolbag that also fit my laptop easily as well as my HUGE 1000 page anatomy textbook. I also love all the pockets that this one has to store pens/pencils/hair accessories/snacks or whatever you want.

Victoria's Secret:

This is THE BEST beach bag that I have! It is a heavy canvas material that is covered in plastic on the outside so that it is virtually waterproof. It has a more canvas-y inside that you can easily shake the sand out of. I used this all during our trip to Turks and Caicos and the best part was: it was super packable! I could fold it up and stick it inside another bag so that I wasn't using massive amounts of space! Also great, I didn't pay for it since it came free if you used the right coupon code!

Eddie Bauer/LL Bean:

I just picked up this HUGE tote a few weeks ago with a gift card that I had from Christmas! I can't wait to slap a big garnet monogram on the side of it and use it for whatever I need! I took it to a friend's house early last week and was able to just toss in all the different things that I was bringing. These big, durable totes are great for taking to the beach or putting towels in to take to the pool.

Vera Bradley:

I really tend to shy away from Vera Bradley these days since I feel like I've grown out of the brand. I do admit though, that my Large Duffel gets a lot of use. It is currently packed full of my winter boots from school. It is a great size to take for 3 or 4 days on a little trip when you don't need too much stuff. I often take mine to the beach when we head there and end up needing lots more space by the time we head home!!

Target:

I totally rock this Hobo knockoff from Target and it's a great wallet. It's big enough to hold all my customer loyalty cards, important cards, and change and money as well. It also has a great slot that has easy access for a license or college campus card.

Do you have any go-to bags? What do you use as a purse everyday?

xxKatie

Vera for School!

Today I went VB shopping before heading over to Robek's (boy, am I going to miss my Polar Pineapple smoothie from Robek's at USC). Now, I don't own too much Vera, however, I found the need to get a small wallet for school with an ID pouch that allowed for access to my school card. The other day, my friend Shannon (she's going to Loyola College in MD) had this great VB wristlet that was able to hold her camera! I knew it would be perfect for my school stuff, and where she put her camera, I could put my phone. I have an LG Dare so its super slim and would fit.I decided on the "Raspberry Fizz" color because it is kind of USC colors and pink! They don't have a strictly pink and green one or I would have gotten that. This cost me about $32 which I didn't think was too bad considering how useful it is. My mom agreed too, that it made sense spending it on such a practical wallet. She even said that she might like something like that considering she's been using the same black leather Coach wallet for a few years. From college students to moms, this seems like a great little wallet! You can even find some prints in the All-In-One Wristlet on sale for $20!

xxKatie

The Great [Preppy] Debate

Hi all! The other night, I tuned into one of the funniest shows I've seen in awhile on VH1 called The Great Debate. They take tons of comedians, famous singers, other celebrities and random famous people and ask them which they prefer, "A vs. B". In the category of "Favorite John Travolta Character", substitute Danny Zuko for "A" and Tony Manero for "B". (Obviously, my heart belongs to John Travolta in Grease since I was like 5.) They had crazy other things too like Aunt Jemima vs. Mrs. Butterworth and Cabbage Kids vs. Tickle Me Elmo. Well, between the comedians' commentaries and the jokes from the celebs, this show was too cool, so I decided to think up a few preppy "Great Debates". Post your answers!

1. Best Preppy Color Combo: Pink & Green vs. Navy & White









2. Best Preppy Pattern: Stripes vs. Plaid
3. Best Preppy Material: Seersucker vs. Madras










4. Best Preppy VV Guy: Shep or Ian
5. Best Preppy Tote Bag: Vineyard Vines or Vera Bradley
6. Best Preppy Shoe: Lilly Pulitzer McKims or Jack Rogers Navajo Flat










7. Best Preppy Silver Accessory: Silver Pearls or Silver Rings
8. Best Preppy Monogram: Circle or Script
9. Best Preppy Menswear: Blue Blazer or Boat Shoes
10. Best Preppy Designer (the tough-y): Lilly Pulitzer or Ralph Lauren

Let me know your Great Debate picks!

xxKatie

I scream! You scream! We all scream for Vera!

So a few minutes ago, I got my copy of the spring and summer 2008 Vera Bradley catalog! I was immediately drawn in by the print on the cover. Very summery colors are so in for this season and I can't wait! BUT something even move interesting caught my eye: a collaboration between Jack Roger (the unofficial shoe of the preppy) and Vera Bradley (tote bag queen). On the front cover was a hybrid pair of both.

A slew of new colors is in for the new season as well. With names like Raspberry Fizz and Pinwheel Pink, I am very excited. There are obvious patterns to fill in for more popular-but-retired colors. Raspberry Fizz, for example, is a replacement for the old color of Sherbet, the old but very popular pink, orange, and yellow combo. Pinwheel Pink is a

much more recent replacement for the soon-to-be-retired Capri Melon (which is one of my

favorites) and Petal Pink (which I have the small duffle in). The pink and g

reen combination is a very popular addition to the new fleet.

About these shoes however, I am still very interested. I searched on Google to see what I could find and typed in "vera bradley jack rogers" exactly like that. I wanted to see what I could come up with. On (http://www.villagebootery.com/VillageBootery/scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=247&curPage=3&sortField=description) website, they have several versions of the Vera Bradley/Jack Roger combo shoe. Very cool right? They run about the same price as the regular shoes, about $85. In many of the 2006-2007 colors like Capri Melon and Botanical prints. I think that it is a great idea for the two brands to collaborate, if the results are as cool as this!!

One problem: as I search further and further (like vera bradley jack rogers, or vera bradley shoes, or very bradley shoes 2008) less and less becomes available. Eh, small dilemma. I want the shoes in the catalog! I mean if you're going to put them on the FRONT COVER, in one of your own prints, you should PROBABLY sell it!!

AND! For any of you readers, how good was I at predicting the cute Lilly Pulitzer Sunglasses? EY, EY? I believe I nailed that on right on the head!!

xxKatie

Preps for a Cause

These days it seems like every celebrity is signing on with some sort of cause. Some want to end global warming, so they drive priuses. Others want to help the effort in Ghana, so they adopt kids or fund commercials. Others want to spread the knowledge of HIV/AIDS, so they join knowledge campaigns. Not only are celebrities getting in on this action, but designers are as well. Both preppy brands Lilly Pulitzer and Vera Bradley are designing items for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to end breast cancer.

Since October is national breast cancer month, companies play up this effort. On Vera Bradley's "What's New" page, the main picture shows the items that give proceeds from their profit to foundations. There is a limited edition "candle of hope" with the VB elephant on the front that donates money. The "Ella Wristlet in Pink Elephant" also gives portions of the profit to breast cancer foundations. 50% of the proceeds of each of these items are given to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.



The "candle of hope" is $35 for a 9.25oz candle. It is a combination of "lotus blossom, cyclamen and sheer musk". The elephant emblem on the candle has its trunk raised "for good luck". The wristlet is a combination of several pink/green/black prints and runs about $28. Just remember half of both of the profits for these items are going towards ending breast cancer!!



Secondly, Lilly Pulitzer is designing the "Tied to the Cause" breast cancer awareness scarf called the "Komen Scarf". Both LP and Ford sponsor the scarf. 85% (or 30 of 35 dollars) of the profits go directly from LP to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. (They are the same people who put on the national and state Races for the Cure!!) The scarf was also endorsed by Hollywood star, Sarah Michelle Gellar and really put onto the scene. These scarves sell out quickly so talk to your Lilly Pulitzer representative as soon as possible or go onto fordcares.com.





In 2005 alone, 2.5 million dollars were raised in the Lilly Pulitzer-Ford campaign. In 2005, TV morning show, The Early Show, gave away 150 scarves during their morning broadcast.



The Early Show features a photo essay on other companies designing items for breast cancer. The include:

1. Everlast (a fitness company)- Pink Boxing Gloves

2. New Balance- "Lace Up For The Cure" messenger bag

3. Red Envelope- Photo Collage Tote

4. Red Envelope- Chenille Pink House Coat

5. Sleepyhead.com- Pink "Shop Pink" PJ's

6. KitchenAid- Light Pink "Cook for a Cure" Appliances (food processors, their trademark mixing bowls, etc.)

7. Beanie Babies- "SpongeBob PinkPants" Doll

When you support any of these preppy designers you're supporting finding an end to breast cancer!!

xx Katie