Author: Summer Deciucis

Nathalie’s Sentimental Secondhand Style

Nathalie’s Sentimental Secondhand Style Sleek style and flirty femininity come together seamlessly in junior Fashion Merchandising student, Nathalie Santis’ closet. While incorporating classics and staples in her wardrobe, Santis’ style is far from basic. Accessories shine in her collection; from bags to belts to the perfect shoes. Nathalie often plays with classic silhouettes and elevates outfits with dimensional texture. She ensures each of her looks is completed with her favorite jewelry, and a hat if she’s feeling bold. With personal style icons such as the princess of fashion, Bella Hadid, and the iconic 2000s style of the Olsen twins, there is never a shortage of inspiration.   For Santis, picking out an outfit for the day is often an hour of dress up; soundtracked by Madonna’s biggest hits booming from her iPod’s speaker. She transports back to her first fashion memory of playing dress up in her mom’s closet; instead these are now her clothes that she gets to explore. With the exception of a few pairs of her moms vintage shoes and hand-me-down 2000s clothes; some things never change.   She is truly a Bratz doll come to life, with her never ending trove of accessories, and the rarity of her repeating an outfit. Nathalie puts meticulous time and effort into each of her looks, and you’ll never catch her dressed down (especially in her fashion arch nemesis, leggings).  All of her clothing holds value, whether it’s something she picked up at the thrift store on her monthly shopping trips, or a pre-loved garment that was passed down from her mom’s best friends. Santis has effortlessly perfected her style, which she describes as trendy, neutral and chic, with the help of her style icons and beloved family members. 

Wardrobe Wednesday: Dyanna’s Designer Dream

Wardrobe Wednesday: Dyanna’s Designer Dream Dyanna Gamarro, the fashion it-girl of Richmond, has a to-die-for collection of kitten heels, blazers, and trendy accessories. This fashion merchandising senior describes her style as young, chic and feminine with a plentiful closet to prove it. The fun color palette in her garments keeps her style playful as she combines them with vintage household names. Drawing inspiration from the one and only Carrie Bradshaw, Gamarro’s shoe collection ranges from thrifted Manolos to almost-brand new Ralph Lauren boots. Gamarro thrives in second hand shops, both in person and online. While some may say a diamond is a girl’s best friend, Gamarro’s go to confidant is second hand designer sites, like the RealReal. Gamarro loves to spend her free time browsing one of a kind pieces and adding them to her wishlist. She’s also a professional thrifter. One of her most unique finds thus far has been two Mugler powersuits from a local Goodwill. One of her favorite 80’s pieces, however, doesn’t come from her hard work in searching, instead a hand-me-down plaid skirt from her mother’s 80s archive. While it may take her awhile to put an outfit together, Dyanna never forgets her accessories and a pair of heels. She can always be seen wearing a statement purse, and sometimes even heard, walking in a pair of her hottest high heels. As she struts down memory lane reminiscing on some of her fashion regrets, Gamarro looks onward to achieving her dream of purchasing her very own Birkin.

Wardrobe Wednesday: Julia’s Whimsical Wardrobe

Wardrobe Wednesday: Julia’s Whimsical Wardrobe The culture of 90s fashion is ever present in VCU sophomore Julia Karns’ closet. With style icons from prominent 90s and early 2000s pop culture such as Lorelai Gilmore, Buffy Summers, and Jackie Burkhart, Julia’s wardrobe is nothing short of exceptional. Filled with classic silhouettes, rich earth tones, and soft grunge pieces, Julia’s closet pays homage to the illustrious decade which brought us the whimsigoth aesthetic.   Karns’ has a knack for highlighting sleek, feminine elements, while adding flair with unique, grungy pieces; she does this through her collection of romantic, floral maxi skirts, never-ending leather jackets, and one of a kind accessories. Julia’s day to day staples include her classic, black Jeffrey Campbell platform boots, and her quintessential shade of wine colored lipstick which rounds off any look.   Making outfits her own has been routine for Karns since she was 7-years-old; dressing up in a burnt orange corduroy suit, in lieu of a party dress. Julia’s wardrobe is full of personality and spunk from her vast collection of shoes, to her reservoir of vintage outerwear.    Julia’s stockpile of thrifted jewelry, belts, and curated handbags allows her to truly wear her clothes, instead of her clothes wearing her. Whether she dreams up an outfit days in advance, or spends hours going through her closet swearing she has nothing to wear, Julia consistently looks put together, thanks to her closet full of curated, quality garments.    Karns effortlessly showcases her individuality through her one of a kind wardrobe, and continuously absorbs inspiration from new and old pop-culture. (Very) frequent thrifting trips have allowed Julia to perfect the sport that is sourcing vintage clothing. Resulting in a wardrobe with everything she could want (of course not counting her dream Ganni ballet flats).

Wardrobe Wednesday: Grace’s Perfectly Posh Closet

Wardrobe Wednesday: Grace’s Perfectly Posh Closet Tasteful sex-appeal, effortless elegance, and sleek street style come together seamlessly in VCU student, Grace Marchosky’s closet. Marchosky graciously gave a behind the scenes look into her charisma filled wardrobe and space. Through mixing new and old treasures, oddities, and cherished pieces; she has perfected the recipe to be the nonchalant it-girl.  Posh Spice meets Pamela Anderson in Grace’s ultimate haute collection. Marchosky has put in the work to achieve her dream wardrobe. Spending hours scouring resale sites like Poshmark and Depop is a frequent passtime of hers. Grace’s favorite finds being a vintage cobalt blue varsity jacket, and a pair of black Nike Shox.  Describing her style as contrast, vintage, and inspired; Grace often gravitates towards statement pieces in which she mixes with elevated basics. Pairing feminine and masculine pieces through creative layering makes for inventive, unique looks. Whether its a trip to 7-eleven or going to class in the business hall, Marchosky routinely looks effortlessly chic, emphasizing the importance of fashion.  Large pendant necklaces, statement belts, every day jewels, and slouchy bags are staples in Marchosky’s trove of accessories. Grace has had a deep love for fashion since she can remember; taking inventory of the inspiration surrounding her since elementary school. She rarely regrets fashion choices in respect to every past version of herself; with an exception to her hyper-preppy phase of the mid 2010s (we were all there).    While you can’t blame a girl for wanting to fit in, Grace has zero fear of standing out in a crowd; if anything, she prefers it. Grace’s wardrobe is jam-packed with charm and spunk. She finds inspiration everywhere; from reading vintage playboys to thumbing through her roommate’s closet.

Bag Galore!

Bag Galore! From the dawn of time, bags have been used to carry the most vital necessities from coins to phones to the latest Fenty lip gloss. As pockets shrink and expand through trend cycles, bags adapt to carry varying accessories. While bags were originally made for practically, they have turned into an individualistic fashion choice that makes one stand out from others.  Over the last couple of years, purse sizes have touched all ends of the spectrum from Louis Vuitton’s micro purses to the extra large slouchy totes made popular by Bottega Veneta and Cult Gaia. Wearability, material, color schemes, patterns, and style are all crucial traits of a bag which could make or break your outfit. Bags, of all sorts, add dimension and texture to a once plain outfit. Although bags are seemingly the smallest aspect to an outfit, they can leave a lasting impression.  Not only has interest in thrifted clothing gained popularity, so has the desire for vintage bags. As trends revitalize every few years, thrifting has become the most economical and environmentally-friendly way to source these prized possessions. Lived in, good quality bags have charm you just can’t buy new. There is something special about owning a bag that has lived multiple lives, helping so many people before you carry all their favorite things.   Finding one-of-a-kind pieces has translated into creating these bags from scratch. An overall increased demand of crochet and knitted bags has hit the market after the hobby was taken up by many in a time of isolation. Brands, like Lucky Loves, have revolutionized tote bags by creating bow straps, making it an online must-have. Adding charms, ribbons, bows and pins to elevate bags have been a recent trend, heavily inspired by icon Jane Birkin. Clothing is art and accessories are the paint; we are meant to make things our own. While bags don’t define an individual, they can be a bold form of self expression. 

Wardrobe Wednesday: Meghna’s Spin On Sleek Style

Wardrobe Wednesday: Meghna’s Spin On Sleek Style Virginia Commonwealth University alum, Meghna Vemuri, proudly shared her meticulously crafted collection of clothes, shoes and accessories. Describing her style as playful, eclectic and sleek, Vemuri checks all the boxes as someone inspired by Bella Hadid and the Y2K Bollywood scene. Mixing textures, styles, and patterns are the key elements to perfecting her day to day look.  Every piece hanging in her closet is purposeful, and every shoe displayed holds great value; at least, I think being pretty to look at is valuable enough. Meghna’s closet is full of fun, glitzy pieces, which fit perfectly with her daily basics, and her most cherished jewelry.  Encapsulating delicate, feminine energy in her style is something that comes naturally to Meghna. Playing with flirty fabrics and hues of pink is a treasured pass time. With her highly worn black knee high boots, she easily can diversify and add a tone of grunge to any girly outfit.  Having an overpopulated closet is not something easily done on your own; it often takes a village, or friends who also have too many clothes. Meghna often shops from her friends’ stockpiles, and finds herself scoring in clothing swaps and student closet sales. Meghna’s wardrobe is full of life and versatility. She has love and admiration for each piece occupying her space, and understands the value of beloved items, such as her leather jacket from middle school.  She exudes vibrant cool-girl energy; a modern Carrie Bradshaw if you will, and she does it effortlessly.