I was recently inspired by a friend who decided he needed a “new look” and asked that I help him go shopping. This made me to revisit the fundamentals of creating a fashion
forward look that is true to you.

From this experience, I found that I could break the student body at my school, Humber College, into three stages of fashion development: the unaware, the basically chic and the Fashionistas.

To me the true fashionista are those who experiential and like to play with fashion. I’m not sure about everyone else, but the way I dress myself on a daily basis is direct
representation of what kind of mood I’m in. Some days I’m feeling tired, so leggings, oversized “ugly sweaters” and thick sweater socks are in order. Other days I’m feeling tough so I choose my acid wash skinny jeans, a pair of wedges and grungy chic Tshirt.

I’ve been working my wardrobe for the last seven years so I have a lot of statement pieces, but it takes work to build up a wardrobe. If you have always wanted to upgrade your wardrobe but didn’t know how to start here are some tips:

Phase one: You have no idea what looks good or what’s in style. 

What you should do: Start by looking through street style and fashion blogs such as the
Sartoralist and Jak and Jil. Find looks you like and figure out what items you are drawn to. Try to find a few famous people who’s style you admire.

Next, if you are shopping illiterate bring a fashionista friend with you. They’ll help you narrow down all the options. At this stage you should be looking for trendy basics at
stores such as h&m, Zara, or UrbanOutfitters (my favorites).

Remember, accessories are important too! Look for items you can mix and match into your current wardrobe, but look good together. After your initial shopping trip, continue to purchase separates until you feel comfortable moving to phase two.

Phase two: An decent amount of relatively stylish and safe clothes.

If your goal for dressing well is to look put together enough to be respectable at work functions and social events, you’re all set. However, if you want to get noticed on the street for your style and take things a little further, the next step is to check out vintage stores or boutiques. The vintage look is so in, so the more retro, the better.

Again, finding inspiration is key. Start by finding some awesome vintage accessories and coats. Look for scarfs, belts, shoes, ties, purses or hats. Once you feel comfortable in vintage stores you can move to phase three.

Phase three: You wear whatever you want and make it look stylish.

At this point you probably have a pretty good sense of what looks good and what’s in style. Now you can move up to true fashionista level and have some fun!

Look for investment prices and mix things up. Some favorite trends right now include bright colored pants, pattern blocking pastels or tweed. Always keep looking at inspiration, but use the runway trends without toning them down too much.

FYI, Runway shows are about 6 months a head of season and depending on where you live, it could take 1-2 years before you see those runway trends reflected on the streets.

You might also be interested in:

1. CollegeFashionista: The politics of fashion at American University
2. CollegeFashionista: Fashion activism at UC Berkeley
3. CollegeFashionista: Blue Skies and Fashion Highs at University of North Carolina
4. CollegeFashionista: Novel fashion in ‘Nole nation
5. CollegeFashionista: For the Love of Fashion at Loyola University