Looks on Campus: Chrissy – University of Washington
Recently, I haven’t been having much luck scouting fashionable girls on campus due to the constant rain and bad weather. But last week, Chrissy surprised me with her polished outfit in the dining hall. I love how she wears a dress on a casual school day without looking over-the-top! At the same time, the special details on the dress and the accessories are perfect to spark up her all-black outfit. Very inspiring!
Chrissy 101
Name: Chrissy
Class Standing: Freshman
Major: Chinese & International Business
Hometown: Originally Indiana, but my current “home” is in Shanghai
Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, eating Asian food, video games, city life
Let’s Talk Fashion
How would you describe your style?
“I have never given it much thought; I don’t believe you should try to emulate a specific style. But I suppose if you wanted to capture my style in a nutshell, it would go along the lines of modern minimalism with a more boyish and classical edge.”
Who or what inspires you in terms of fashion?
“Long List! Cantonese street style, cyberpunk cities, Swedish fashion blogs, models off duty, Rick Owens, Anna Wintour, Natalia Vodianova, Sasha Pivovarova… and who doesn’t love Kate Moss? And I also wish Karl Lagerfeld was my best friend.”
Where do you like to shop?
“I.T. Hong Kong, Tough Jeansmith, and (my favorite) JNBY. All but the latter are Cantonese fashion houses, and unfortunately I have yet to see a store for any outside Asia.”
Any fashion tips? Or Fashion Do’s and Don’ts?
“I think that one should wear clothing that complements her body. Most importantly, I strongly believe in investing in the quality of your clothing; I much prefer quality over quantity.”
What motivates you to dress up?
“I feel that part of respecting yourself and your environment is to put forth effort in all areas, including the way you present yourself. Personally, I would not feel confident enough to go to a professor for help if I was in a hoodie and pajama pants! You have to feel confident in what you wear, and dressing up helps provide me with that.”
What are some trends you love/hate now?
“For Spring 2010 RTW, I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi aspects of Rick Owens’ designs – they reminded me of the Vulcans on Star Trek! I also favored Balenciaga’s boyishness.”
Elements of Chrissy’s Outfit
1. Special details: The Asymmetrical, Sheer Bandage Dress
Chrissy’s ASOS.com dress is genius! Different from most typical LBDs, this dress has so many fun and fashionable details, including the asymmetrical and sheer elements. Plus, it reminds me of a Herve Leger dress. It’s definitely a great example of an investment piece that won’t break your budget!
2. Suede Wedges
Stay stylish, warm, and comfortable in these “short boots!” Personally I think they are perfect for any occasion, especially when you want to add some height to your look without walking around the campus in your 6-inch heels (in the rain, too – eek!).
3. Minimal but High-Quality Accessories
I’m usually a fan of placing the emphasis on accessories to spark up a monotone outfit, but Chrissy kept it simple with this look, adding a classic watch and bracelet, both of which (coincidentally?) complement her hair color. Very chic!
Share Your Thoughts!
Overall, I love how put-together and inspiring Chrissy manages to look, even when simply wearing shades of black. Now I want to know what YOU think! Have you tried wearing one color in your outfit? And would you wear a dress on a school day? Let us know with a comment!
Posted on on December 1, 2010 / Filed Under: Looks on Campus / Tags: Asymmetrical, Bandage, Campus Inspiration, Looks on Campus, quality vs. quantity, Sheer, studying abroad, suede wedges
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Elizabeth - University of Missouri
Seriously where did she get those boots? I’m in love!
poison girl
lovely. she has wonderful hair, and that dress..
i love her look, though it’s all-black, except the grey decorations. i wouldn’t wear only 1 color and a bit of another one in my outfit. anyway, i like her.
Dominique
looks very good. effortless and polished
Eva
The coolest “Looks on Campus” so far. She seems really down-to-earth yet really polished and stylish. Plus, I love that she plays video games, too! If anyone here plays League of Legends, add me: YumTiramisu :)
Chelsea - University of Oklahoma
Wow, isn’t she pretty? I love her style too…actually, I think this is my favorite Look on Campus I’ve seen!!
Yvonne
Super cute outfit. I love how she looks dressed up but dressed down at the same time! Love it!
aish
love it
Liza - University of Minnesota
Love her style–that dress is SO cute. It’s really cool how she dresses it down with the leggings and sweater but still manages to look super polished!
Ellie
Cantonese is not a style. It is a language.
L
Yeah Ellie I’m not sure what Cantonese has to do with style. I like her look, but the picture of the top of her dress is unflattering. I can’t tell if it is the dress or her undergarments but it doesn’t complement her body with how tight it is.
Julie
L – I saw that and thought the same thing. I its improper undergarments and not the cute dress doing that to her great body.
Other than that, I love her look.
Hannah
She’s very beautiful, but I would not feel comfortable approaching my professors in a body hugging dress that looks like she went dancing in it the night before.
More stylish practical options perhaps?
kelsey
Love this look! (:
Nikita
It’s a really cute outfit, but it still looks a little too dressy for school (for me, at least). SUPER CUTE THOUGH.
Rin
Very cute
Laura L.
I think she looks good, but the outfit i too risque for campus!
Dawn
This is to die for! She reminds me of that one “ride-or-die-let’s-just-be-spontaneous” friend that everyone has in their circle. I’d say she is afraid to be herself at all times and not afraid to exude mad sex appeal on a daily basis! Kudos to you! I’d def take you an a shopping trip with me!
Dawn
NOT afraid* sorry for that typo
Jen
I think the loose cardigan makes the super tight dress okay for a school day. Her outfit’s cute.
danielle
Awesome outfit. She looks gorgeous!
I think what she meant by Cantonese street style is the style attributed to the Hong Kong region or the designers from there? I have heard it before, but it is an uncommon way of just saying Hong Kong street style.
Lauren
She looks really cute and I desperately want those shoes! I’m suffering from some serious clothing jealousy right now…
Elaine
There is a difference between Cantonese/Mandarin styles. Though they are just languages, they have different Chinese backgrounds. Anyways, this is super cute and I love it!!
Alex
Thank you for putting up a UW student! It made my whole week. So did that dress. I’m in love.
Milana
She’s gorgeous! Love her outfit, although that dress is not flattering on top, but I suspect that it comes off worse in the picture than in real life. Lose the bra, I say! But she would fit right in in Europe with that outfit! The shoes are great!
Lilly
Is it just me, or does she kind of look like project runway’s Carol Hannah?
m
very nice outfit, though it looks more appropriate for clubbing than going to see your prof – but that’s just me. still, she looks great!
as for the cantonese/mandarin thing – i would say that the more proper way of addressing the different styles would be by city: beijing, shanghai, honkong or broader region: north, south, taiwanese, etc.
cantonese & mandarin are dialects but are also associated with different geographical regions of china: mandarin being spoken in the north (beijing) & taiwan & cantonese in the south (hong kong, guangzhou). shanghai is kind of its own thing since though they also speak mandarin, there’s the shanghainese dialect as well, which sounds totally different from the others. not to mention their own style, though i usually associate it with the 1920s & 30s. :)
Kathy
holy crap why are so many SASers featured on this site? so trippy
Maeve
Love this!
Sarah
there have been alot of “looks on campus” lately…. cute though
Elizabeth A.
Wow I love this look! And I do think it’s appropriate for class due to the big cardigan and tights. And despite being all black, the gray really makes the outfit interesting. She also seems like an interesting person.
I find it cool that most of the girls featured in the campus looks (and few guys) know a lot about fashion and collections/designers. The average girl at my school wouldn’t.
nora
awww chrissy!! .<
and sharon, you really write so well, i'm impressed!! can't wait to read more of your future articles.