By KATHERINE BASE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As the weather starts to warm up and hoodies come off, fashion-conscious undergraduate women start to realize that they can only get away with wearing the Fordham logo for so long. Just when the dreary winter wardrobe becomes somewhat monotonous, Fordham students say goodbye to the hooded sweatshirts, ratty sweatpants, layered t-shirts, bad hair days and snow boots.
Of the many students with whom I cross paths in the mornings, one of my friends was the first to catch my eye. She was in black studded wedge sneakers, skinny jeans, a sleek black leather jacket and a white crop top, with her hair in a high, tight ponytail and the brightest red lipstick I had ever seen.
“Honestly, dressing well in the winter is probably one of the most challenging things, because it’s so freaking cold, all you wanna do is go to class in a Snuggie, and wear it ‘till it gets hot again.” Niki Devaris, FCLC ’14 said. “But I mean it’s basically mid-March, so I knew I had to get myself out of that sweatpants/sweatshirt funk. Wedge sneakers are really hot right now, so I thought, what’s better than wearing stylish sneakers while growing a few inches for the day?”
Devaris said she changed her monotonous winter style to a more seasonal look for a bargain price.
“There are tons of trendy shops I go to which let me dress for less,” she said. “I’m a big fan of SoHo, and you could probably catch me in Necessary Clothing, Mystique or LF any day. Those shops are great, because they keep you on your fashion A-game, all for a reasonable price. Even the jewelry stands off Canal Street are great. You are always guaranteed to find something.”
While dressing well is not going to make or break you, some of Fordham’s students say it is a crucial part of their day.
“Rain, hail or even a legitimate blizzard won’t ever tempt me to look like a slob,” Jennifer Levy, GSB ’14, said confidently. “I’ve been interning at Carlo Pazolini on Fifth Avenue, and I’ve been so accustomed to dressing up for that, that I even do so on my days off now. I think it just gives you an overall better presentation.”
Levy said that she not only dresses well almost every day, but manages to stay stylish and professional for her internship.
“I’ve been wearing a ton of ruffles, whether it’s on my tops, bottoms or dresses,” Levy stated. “Bold colors will also always make a style statement, so I’ve tried to wear a ton of colors with neutral bottoms, or vice versa. Wedge sneakers have grown to become my favorite type of shoe, and I’m probably almost always wearing some kind of leather. Colored leather, black leather, shirts with leather sleeves, leather skirts, leather jackets. I am leather obsessed.”
While trying to be a fashion-savvy woman sounds pricey and challenging, Levy actually has many bargain secrets. One is shopping on Fordham Road.
“I can’t stress it enough,” Levysaid. “My friends are always like ‘I have nothing to wear,’ we need to go shopping in the city. And I’m just like, there are about 100 boutiques five blocks from your apartment.”
She says that most of her friends do not expect to find anything to their liking in the Bronx.
“But I have found so many little shops from five to ten blocks away that have grown to be my favorites,” Levy said. “No one would ever be able to tell if my stuff was from Easy Pickins, or say, like, Saks Fifth Avenue. It’s funny.”
According to Christine Cholankeril, FCRH ’14, the upcoming fashion trends making the headlines of top women’s magazines are sure get her out of the winter blues.
“I feel like March is a fashion transitional month. Winter is over, spring is finally here and an array of trends are basically thrown at us at the headlines of top women’s magazines,” Cholankeril said. “Sometimes walking around campus makes me feel like I’m still stuck in like January. It’s pretty depressing.”
She thinks students should take advantage of the slightly warmer weather and the fast-fashion tips provided for them in magazines.
“Once spring break rolls around, I have this winter clean out kind of thing in my dorm, where I box up all my winter stuff and replace it with my spring clothing,” Cholankeril said.
What sparks Cholankeril’s inner fashion guru? Stripes, cropped tops, florals, leather and global prints are her favorite. Unlike Levy, she views dressing well on a daily basis as a little unrealistic.
“We all have our lazy days,” Cholankeril said. “You can’t expect people to look like they are on a runway 24/7, but most of the days where I know I am going somewhere — important whether it’s to class, or in the city, I try to always look cute and trendy despite the weather. You never know who you’re going to bump into.”
While some of Fordham’s femal students are still stuck in the dreary winter blues, some antsy fashionistas are already boxing up their puffy coats. Styles are changing on both campuses as a new season approaches. Hello, spring!