FORMAL INTO CASUAL

All the lookbooks and blogger styles that inspire me inevitably have professional/ formal elements featured in their everyday wear. For a college student who goes to UCLA, where most people wear converse or flip flops with leggings and a UCLA sweatshirt, wearing such formal elements can be a little daunting (at least it is for me). Here are some easy, non over the top ways to do this.

Shirts

You can try the crisp white box shirt to go for a more artsy and high fashion feel. Alternately, loose, classic patterned shirts look great with a half tuck in casual skinnies. I love the accessories in the pictures above as well.

Sleeveless Trench or Long Vest

These are a little more intimidating, but the pictures above perfectly illustrate how to casually style them. I love the mustard vest, it has the perfect cut and is a great color for spring. The camel one is more easy to style, but definitely elevates your look.

Pointed Shoes

Pointed booties, flats, stilettos - all of them look so chic and add instant class to an outfit. Samantha Maria, one of my favorite bloggers features black leather booties The pointed, lace up style is huge right now, especially in flats. Ditch your flip flops for some pointed, lace up flats while walking to class. Even the black slip on flats or flat booties are a super practical option for class.

Midi Dresses

Midi dresses hug curves in such a beautiful, sexy way - I adore them. They look classy, sexy and chic all at the same time! I love the idea of styling them with heeled booties, but this Nasty Gal styling option is perhaps much more practical for class.

I’ve been personally incorporating some of these into my wardrobe recently and I’ve been getting tons of positive comments. Try it out for a week to see if it suits you!

Mitali