University Chic | For college, grad school and beyond

Trend Report: Ruffled Dresses

By University Chic - July 30, 2010 - 10:18am | Comment

Plaids, stripes and polka dots? Not anymore... this fall, ruffles are back with a vengence. If you thought that ruffles were only for the little leagues, then look again because they're making a huge comeback with Big Ten and Ivy league crowd this semester. Regardless of where you go to school, the perfect ruffled dress in your closet can carry from rush to a hot date with that cute RA you had your eye on all last year.

Vintage Chic: Cute, classy, and funky... meets vintage? Now you can have it all and then some with ModCloth’s very own offering of flirty '50's and '60's inspired frocks. From sophisticated to bright and colorful, they have it all. You’re day will definitely shine-on in their daffodil yellow sleeveless Look on the Sunny Side Dress ($87.99). Pair it with a pair of black and white oxfords, and you'll be channeling your inner Audrey Hepburn in no time!

Urban Feminine: Love ruffles but prefer a streamlined look that screams "big city sophistication?" It's Etsy.com to the rescue! MyLolaFashion's simple A-line dress with spaghetti straps and ruffled bodice ($75.00) can be dressed up (black leather boots and blazer) or down (flats and a cardigan work in a pinch), creating a simplified urban style perfect for class or even a job interview.

Dark n' Flirty: Dress them up or dress them down, ruffled dresses can take you anywhere...even out for a night on the town. Along with a large selection of cute daytime options, Forever 21 has a great variety of dressier ruffled looks that can work for sorority semi-formals or even your next spring break escape. For the ultimate evening out, slip into their navy blue Flounce Ruffle Dress ($27.80) and then let the fun begin!

-- By Kelly Leslie, San Francisco State University

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Shopping 2.0: Fashion Takes to the Web

By Ellie Krupnick - July 29, 2010 - 1:13pm | Comment

The fashion industry is all about spotting the Next Big Thing, whether it’s next season’s It Bag or this 15 minutes’ It Girl. So why should it be any different with technology? These fashion companies stand out for their innovative uses of new technology, beautifully blending geek with chic for a seriously improved shopping experience.

Of course, every company from here to Timbuktu has taken to Facebook to get the word out— but none as well as The Limited. In a novel move, the mall classic has finally given fashion-loving Facebook users a reason to “Like” a company: once you become a “fan” of The Limited, you gain special access to exclusive deals and promo codes through the “Exclusives” section of its Facebook page. Sleek aviator shades are $16.99 instead of $24.50, a cute Boyfriend Jean Short is slashed from $44.50 to a neat $19.99, and a whole category of pants receive a “$25 off the second pair” treatment. Finally, a brand has given Facebook users incentive to hit the “Like” button.

But what if you don’t just want details but a truly personal shopping experience? One of the best in the biz is Covet.com, the online fashion site whose “Stylyzer” feature asks you to respond to pairs of pictures to answer “Which one is more your style?” Covet.com uses your responses to Kim Kardashian vs. Rachel Bilson, Kate Winslet vs. Katie Holmes, black high-heeled boots vs. flat slouchy brown boots, plaid vs. animal print, and even the Eiffel Tower vs. Big Ben to create your Style Profile. Just add your sizes, and you’ve got a personalized style identity that Covet.com will use in their daily/weekly emails to you. It’s like having a personal shopper who’s always on call— quite an excellent use of technology, we’d say.

But what about taking it beyond the computer and onto your phone? Pioneering company Subports links your cell to your credit card so that you can shop online straight from your phone: just browse the hundreds of cool goods on Portal Mrkt, Subport’s online shop of independent stores and designers, and text the code of the item you want to 767825, or “PORTAL.” You’ll get a confirmation text to confirm the purchase, and those sunglasses/tee shirts/bangles are yours! Shopping 2.0 at its finest.

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iCollege Movement: Online Degrees the Future of Education?

By University Chic - July 29, 2010 - 9:45am | Comment

When most of us picture college, we think of a bunch of perky coeds furiously writing notes in a lecture hall, or maybe a group of hard-partying frat bros and a series of drinking games. However, the image of the “college student” is changing; as the “iCollege” movement gains momentum, more and more different types of people - at various stages of life - have access to a college education.

What exactly does it mean to be an “iCollege student?” Well, it’s cheap and convenient –– and it’s totally acceptable to “come to class” without makeup on, or with a serious hangover since you’ll be learning from the comfort of your own home. Essentially, the anticipated college program is an online university offering courses students may download for a couple hundred dollars. Wide and sweeping access to a sphere usually limited to student from well-off families or high achieving high school students can potentially be enjoyed by any person with a laptop and time to spare.

Many respected universities have begun to stream lectures online or create entirely separate online-only courses. The Pennsylvania State University System is considering making language classes online only, and some schools, like Indiana, are playing around with the idea of entire online campuses. Though I imagine an online campus to be almost like an early SIMS computer game, complete with a digitalized Greek Row and dining hall buffet, the idea of an online community of learners attached to an accredited university is becoming more and more legitimate as new technologies are embraced in the world of education.

As I’ve become more familiar with the publishing industry through a recent internship, I have learned that there is an ongoing dialogue about e-books and e-resources for use by students. So long as the publishers of textbooks are willing to make the change, professors are ready to take their coursework online, and students are willing to learn from afar, the iCollege movement is poised to takeoff (and possibly) revolutionize the way we view continuing education.

-- By Kylie Thompson, Harvard University

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