Ever since freshman year, I have been a devoted member of FSU’s Collegiate Merchandising Association (CMA). It only made sense that I ran for office in the fall of my sophomore year. This organization is open to ALL majors so whether you are a fashion major or just obsessed with fashion, you will find people who share your same passion. Need more convincing?

1. Make New Friends & Network- At any CMA meeting, you will find a great group of diverse people who all share a similar interest – fashion! The group is rather large but don’t ever be overwhelmed – ask any officer, at one point or another we all went to the meetings alone & were intimidated. Don’t be afraid to talk to the officers & other members & put yourself out there. At each meeting, we try to do a fun ice-breaker game in smaller groups which is how I met a lot of people in the beginning. And of course, you can say hi to me when you sign in! I will always be sitting behind the desk so don’t be shy!

2. Gain Hands-On Fashion Experience – Where else in Tallahassee can you gain hands-on fashion experience? CMA gives you the opportunity to work behind the scenes at a fashion show, magazine & other major events. College is all about building your resume & making yourself look marketable for an employer – being active in CMA can do just that!

3. Get Involved with CLUTCH Magazine – I already stated that you can gain hands-on fashion experience but more specifically, being a member of CMA allows you with the opportunity to get involved with CLUTCH Magazine including voting on colors & covers, writing articles, editing & interviewing for a director position. You can join different committees ranging from PR (my team) to graphic design to advertising.

4. Scholarships – CMA gives out two scholarships to outstanding seniors at Intern Brunch. If you are a Retail Merchandising major, I am sure you are aware that you have to complete an intern block your last semester of college. CMA hosts an intern brunch for all graduating interns during their last week of exams, right before they head off to their internships.

5. Run for Office – A great resume builder is showing that you have leadership skills. In order to do this, you need to run for office. The Collegiate Merchandising Association is composed of 9 officers while CLUTCH Magazine is composed of 18 directors – plenty of positions available for you to join in on.

Other Fun Facts:

Convinced yet? Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 8th at 7pm in Oglesby 314-315. I included our entire fall 2010 meeting schedule on the events page so that if you can’t make this meeting, hopefully you can make the next one. I hope to meet some of you there!

Only one more week until the first football game of the season which means it is time to start planning the perfect game day outfit! I have selected four gameday outfits which are perfect no matter what your style is.

1. The Sporty Girl. The first look is a classic college football gameday outfit. It pairs short shorts with my favorite mesh football jersey for girls made by Victoria’s Secret PINK. They added this item to their collegiate line mid-football season last year & hopefully they will be launching a new mesh jersey for fall.

2. The Girly Girl. A lot of girls like to wear dresses to football games. It is an easy way too look cute while also staying cool on a hot afternoon. I searched the internet and found this gameday dress made by Natalie Kim to by my all-time favorite. Absolutely perfect outfit when paired with the FSU collegiate clutch  by Oatmeal Lace Design. You can also make your own gameday t-shirt dress to really be unique & show your spirit!

3. The Prep with a Twist. I love this look for night games, cooler games, & most importantly, the FSU blackout game! Pair the VS PINK cardigan with lace leggings & either black or garnet shorts for a preppy gameday look. Pair with the Lady Vanderbilt for Her Campus FSU necklace & you are good to go!

4. The Free Spirit. I love this look for hot afternoon football games. Throw on a garnet tube top (try the one size fits all Niki Biki tube tops from Repeat Possessions) and cut up a gold FSU t-shit to make a muscle tank. Cut the armholes large enough so that the pop of garnet shows through. Pair with your favorite pair of shorts & gladiator sandals & you are good to go!

More accessories featured above: Beaded FSU Bracelet & FSU Ribbon & Pearl Necklace

What will you be sporting for the first football game of the season? I have been selected to be the official Victoria’s Secret PINK gameday style spotter so make sure you are looking cute & you just might get featured on the VS PINK website!

The Teen Choice Awards aired on TV last night. So who was on my best dressed list? I was loving Kristen Bell, Lucy Hale, Selena Gomez & Ashley Greene!

Which celebrities were on your best dressed list?

Yesterday I discovered that I have been staying only blocks away from Polyvore’s headquarters so I thought it was only appropriate that I mention how wonderful they are & how their site can change your life! Polyvore is a site created for the fashion obsessed but is perfect for nearly everyone.

1. The Online Shopper - Do you love online shopping? Well, Polyvore takes online shopping to the extreme. Instead of going from site to site to check our their selection, prices and sales, you can simultaneously search nearly every site’s inventory – including international sites. Polyvore is a database of clothing, shoes, & accessories that are all pulled from the Internet. Simply type in the item you are looking for or the specific brand you desire and shop away!

2. The Discount Diva – Okay, so you might love online shopping but only because it is easier to compare prices & ensure you are sporting the hottest trend at the lowest price. Well, Polyvore is your dream come true. Search by item, brand, color, and, most importantly, PRICE. You can also search for items that are currently on sale. You can also enter contests to win amazing prizes. Kate Spade is currently hosting a contest which ends in 3 days & you could win a trip to NYC, Chicago or San Francisco & a $1000 Kate Spade shopping spree!

3. The Collage Artist – Are you inspired by fashion? Do you love creating inspiration boards & collages? Polyvore makes creating collages extremely easy to do. Simply click on “Create”, search for the items you want to include (or add your own via the “Clip to Polyvore” bookmark) and create! You can flip, rotate, crop, shrink, clone, etc. After you are satisfied with your creation, you can publish it and it will be added to your Polyvore profile. In the future, you can look back and not only enjoy your creation but also know exactly what items you used, how much they cost & where to buy them.

4. The Personal Stylist – Interested in a career in styling or just love putting together the perfect outfit? Polyvore is made for you. You can create an outfit based on what is in your closet, answer a styling question posted by others via the “Create” & “Ideas” tabs, design an outfit based on your favorite celebrity, etc. Polyvore is a great way to build your online styling portfolio and perfect your craft.

5. The Trend Hunter – Are you the girl who is always looking for the NEXT trend, striving to be the first of your friends to adopt this new fad? Polyvore is also great for that. If you click on “Explore,” you can view the latest trends as well as up-and-coming members. You can also click on “Shop” and scroll down to the “Shop by Trend” links to view all of the items tagged for a specific trend.

I rely on Polyvore for nearly everything. It is my go to site to create collages used on this site as well as for personal shopping. Whether I am creating a look or browsing other sets for inspiration, Polyvore is my go-to fashion site. Check it out for yourself here.

This summer, ABC Family launched a new original series called “Pretty Little Liars.” It instantly became a hit with the drama, suspense, and, most of all, fashion. If you haven’t seen this show yet & love Gossip Girl, then you will fall in love with Pretty Little Liars.

The show follows four very different girls, each with their own distinct style.

Emily Fields is a swimmer. Her style is casual & athletic. Aria Montgomery is all about dark colors & layering. Most often, she can be found wearing tights, a leather jacket and/or boots. Spencer Hastings is brought up in a family that lives to be perfect. Her style is up-tight and, well, perfect. Hanna Marin is the IT girl. Her style is feminine & effortless. No matter what your style, you are sure to find something you will love by watching Pretty Little Liars.

Tune in next Tuesday at 8pm EST to watch the Pretty Little Liars marathon & new episode on ABC Family!

This past week, I stumbled upon a New York based company called Sock Theory. Sock Theory offers the most fabulous, innovative & fashionable legwear around. They carry most anything and everything from stockings & tights, to leg warmers & knee-highs. All of the items featured on their site can help you enhance any outfit as well as embrace your own personal style. Better yet, everything featured on the site is completely affordable. Most items cost between $5-$15 which is absolutely amazing!

Check them out at SockTheory.com.

Fashion + Weather = Feather 

I just recently discovered another great fashion application for the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad called Feather Report. It is an application that doubles as a personal stylist and weather forecaster to offer you weather-specific outfits. There really is nothing like it and it is so simple to use. Just input your zip code and instantly find out what today’s temperature will be as well as the outfit they recommend. You can then see where all the items are from as well as how much the items cost. If you like the outfit, you can add it to your favorites or purchase the items directly online.

Another great feature is the outfit search. This allows you to find your perfect outfit based on the weather, your body type and the occasion. So whether it’s hot or cold, you are curvy or thin, it’s a girl’s night out or movie night in; there’s an outfit for that!

Best of all, it’s completely FREE so download it today on iTunes!

Every year, I love watching the Country Music Awards to see all of the beautiful gowns. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift always look fabulous. This year, my favorites included Carrie Underwood, Hilary Scott, Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, Laura Bell Bundy and Taylor Swift. (Photos by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, April 21st at 7pm in Union 311E, FSU’s Collegiate Merchandising Association will be hosting its last meeting of the Spring 2010 semester. Come join us for member appreciation where we will be giving away prizes as well as awarding the top two members!

Other reasons you should come:
- Sign up to write articles for Clutch Magazine’s fall 2010 issue
- Vote on the color scheme of the fall 2010 issue
- Sign up to be on one of the various Clutch Magazine committees
- Free food

Also, if you are not yet a member, this is a great way to see what CMA is all about. Although this semester’s activities are over, you can find out what CMA is like and see if you would like to become more involved with this amazing organization next semester.

In addition, if you ARE interested in joining CMA in the fall and would like to be on the list to know when the first meeting of the fall semester will be, email me! I am currently compiling a list of incoming freshman, transfers & other fashion lovers so I can email you next semester’s meeting schedule when available.

I hope to see you in the near future at CMA meetings and events!