Next week, I will be heading to New York City to intern at a fashion-based public relations company. As ecstatic as I am, the thought of packing 11 weeks of clothing in only a few suitcases seems nearly impossible. So what do you actually need?

DO find out what the work atmosphere will be like. If you interviewed with the company in-person, you should have been aware of everything about the office including what people were wearing. If you didn’t interview in-person (or were just too nervous/anxious to be observant), feel free to shoot your internship coordinator a quick email.
DO NOT forget about the weekends! Although you will be spending the majority of the time in the office, don’t forget to bring clothing for the weeknights & weekends.
DO research where you will be living. If you are staying in any type of dorm, you will need bedding & other miscellaneous items whether it is a desk lamp, towels or a shower curtain. Buy & pack these ahead of time or wait to purchase them when you get to the city.
DO NOT over-pack! As hard as it may be, try to only bring the items you absolutely need. For work, I would recommend coming up with the outfits beforehand. This way you will be able to determine whether you need all of the clothing items you thought you needed, how to style each outfit, and how many times you should expect to rotate your outfits. The more room you save, the more room you will have to bring fun weekend clothing!

So now that we got through all of the do’s & don’ts.. what exactly should you wear to your internship? Below are three looks I am loving for a summer internship. Keep in mind that if your work environment is NOT business casual, you should stay more towards Look #3. You might be able to pull off Look #1 but I would wait until you are 100% sure of how everyone else in the office dresses.

LOOK ONE: Calypso Butterfly Top; Z Spoke by Zac Posen Skirt; Chinese Laundry Heels. LOOK TWO: Elizabeth & James Blazer; Juicy Couture Bow Dress; Vera Wang Lavender Ballet Flats; Michael Kors Watch. LOOK THREE: Theory Jumpsuit; Theory Blazer; United Bamboo Belt; Black Pumps.

LOOK ONE: I am absolutely in love with this Z Spoke by Zac Posen skirt. I found this skirt at Off Fifth (which is where I score the greatest deals on designer clothing) & found this to be the perfect skirt for an internship. I have it in navy as well. The pink skirt I pair with an ivory top like this. With the navy, I pair it with it’s matching Z Spoke shell or with a pink tank & navy sweater on top. These skirts look great with a variety of tops which is perfect for an internship because you can wear it more than once!

LOOK TWO: In a creative industry, you can easily get away with throwing a blazer on top of your favorite day dress in order to make it a bit more internship appropriate. Throw on your favorite watch & you are good to go!

LOOK THREE: I was so excited when I found this Theory jumpsuit for $17 & Theory blazer for $20 (both at Off Fifth)! They look great when worn separately but are perfect for a more professional work atmosphere when paired together. Throw on a pair of heels & a black skinny belt & you are all set for a full day of interning!

OTHER TIPS & TRICKS

- For your first day or any day you know you will be running around or standing on your feet for long periods of time, wear flats or wedges. Your feet will thank you!
- If you invest in a few different style/color blazers & dress pants – you will be all set. These two items are so easy to mix-and-match & 100% internship appropriate.
- Make sure to pack a notebook as well! You will want to bring it to your first day at the internship (and possibly everyday) to write down any information you won’t want to forget.

If you are interning in New York this summer, feel free to shoot me an email or connect with me on Twitter!

Classes are officially back in session & with the temperature in Tallahassee well into the 90′s, finding something cute to wear to class might seem like an impossible task. So what do you wear? How can you transition these summer staples into the perfect fall weather attire?

OUTFIT 1: Top: Wildfox Couture; Shorts: Current/Elliot; Jacket: Soul Cal; OUTFIT 2: Romper: Pins and Needles; Shirt: American Eagle; OUTFIT 3: Top: Sunbijou; Shorts: American Eagle; Skinny Jeans: 7 for All Mankind

1. Be Casual. Pair a racerback tank with boyfriend shorts. The racerback is perfect for summer because it is lightweight & breezy. Dress the outfit up with some fun bracelets and let your personality shine through. Transform this outfit into fall by throwing a jean jacket on top of it. You can also try a denim vest for another fun summer outfit option.

2. Be Girly. Find a romper that looks great on you & sport that in the summer heat. Pair it with a great bohemian bag, a belt & jewelry & really make this trend your own. How do you sport this trend in the fall? Layer a long sleeve shirt underneath. Another option is to pair it with lace leggings & a jacket.

3. Be Comfortable. In this summer heat, you can get away with a baggy shirt (or lightweight sweatshirt) and a pair of shorts. The bagginess will allow your skin to breathe even though you have more clothing on & you will look chic. Throw away your short shorts in the fall and trade them for skinny jeans & killer pumps.

What are you wearing to beat this summer heat?

Lace has continued to be a must-have trend. You can now find lace tights, lace gloves & lace accessories. Several brands like Free People & BCBG have even made a lace top. Do you love the idea but are clueless about how to pull off a lace top? I will show you three different ways that you can wear the lace top.

1. The Sequin Tank – A great way to really stand out and make this trend your own is by wearing a sequin tank top under the lace top. If you can find a sequin tank with a fun print, it will add much more excitement and individuality to the outfit. Featured in the picture above: BCBG & 2kilo.

2. The Little Black Dress – The second way you can wear your lace top is to pair it with a little black dress. This is a great way to give new life to your favorite go-to dress. By wearing the lace top underneath the dress, it will give the dress a whole new look. Featured in the picture above: Quba.

3. The Tube Top – Lastly, you can go bare & wear a tube top underneath the lace top. If you want to pull off this look on a warm summer’s night – this will definitely be your best option. Featured in the picture above: Niki Biki.

This summer, I have found some amazing finds at Off Fifth. So amazing that I have actually saved over $1000 compared to the retail price. Even searching online, the items are at least double the price or nowhere to be found.

1. Stuart Weitzman Hot Pink Espadrilles – I was instantly drawn to these shoes. Hot pink, perfect for summer, Stuart Weitzman and 40% off the sale price? I’m sold! With only one other pair in the store, I was lucky they were my size. With a retail value of $335, I purchased these shoes for $75.

2. French Connection Pink Lady Dress – Again, it was love at first sight with this dress. The color is probably my favorite shade of pink – a popping bubblegum color. French Connection fits like a glove so again I was lucky that I found this in my size. Retail value for this dress is approximately $158, I purchased it for $50.

3. Romeo & Juliet Couture Denim Ruffle Dress – I wasn’t so sure I would like this dress when I saw it on the hanger but have been craving a denim dress so I figured I would at least try it on. This dress is absolutely adorable on and is perfect paired with a brown belt & some cowboy boots. Retail value for this dress is approximately $96 but I purchased it for only $20.

4. Theory Pin-Stripe Blazer – One of the greatest finds of the summer was definitely the Theory blazer. The fit was absolutely amazing but the price was even better! This blazer originally sold for $415 but I purchased it for only $50! What a steal!

5. Current/Elliot Denim Vest – With the denim trend back in full swing, I had been wanting to buy a denim vest but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on it. Luckily, I found this vest for only $35. Retail price was $232!

6. Free Generation Outfit – The last item did not photograph well but it is a black pencil skirt with an attached black vest. It is the perfect staple for the working girl! Wear it with a blouse, blazer, sweater or nothing at all – it looks great either way! It also fits like a glove & was the cheapest of all of the items. Retail value was around $120 but I purchased it for only $10!

I purchased over $1356 worth of clothes for only $240 by shopping at Off Fifth. If you live near an Off Fifth or are traveling to a place that has one, I highly suggest that you check it out. Off Fifth continues to be my favorite place to shop with great prices and great selection. Whether you want French Connection, Free People, Alice + Olivia, Roberto Cavalli, or Oscar de la Renta, you can find it at Off Fifth!

Click here to find a location near you!

It’s a new year which means it is time to embrace the new you, starting with your wardrobe! Everyone could use a nice and thorough closet purge at least once a year. This allows us to let go of clothing that we never wear and only admire, clothes that don’t fit or are a completely different color than we originally bought or simply clothing that no longer matches your personal style. Either way, its time to get rid of the old so we can make room for the new!

So how do you go about this?

I don’t know about you but saying good-bye to my long-time favorites is one of the hardest things about decluttering my closet. The most important rule you must follow when trying to do so is BE HONEST!

Throw it out if…
1. You haven’t worn it all year.
2. The color doesn’t look good on you.
3. It looks its age.
4. You only bought it because of the brand/price.
5. It’s a trend you no longer wish to follow.
6. It no longer fits and is not worth the price of alterations.
(etc.)

Keep it if…
1. You LOVE it and wear it all the time.
2. You feel and look good in it.
3. It’s an essential basic.

Once you have decided what to keep and what to throw away, all that is left to do is to decide what to do with the clothes that you are ditching. Some will need to be thrown in the trash but others can be given away and donated while others can be sold back to stores like Plato’s Closet.

It may be a difficult and timely task, but you will feel so much better in the end!

Happy New Year everyone!

This Monday night on the CW, the Gossip Girl season finale airs. But I am not here to discuss what is to come on the finale, I am here to discuss Gossip Girl fashion. Gossip Girl has served as a fashion icon to young girls since it has first aired.

Every character on Gossip Girl has their own unique style. They even wear their uniforms differently. Standing out in uniforms? Now THAT’S fashion. On school days, Serena is known for her short plaid skirts and a white button up shirt with either pumps for knee high boots. For a more casual look, she will layer with a vest or sweater. Serena’s BFF Blair’s style seems much more put together. She prefers longer skirts, longer shirts and a bow tie. She finishes almost every outfit off with a headband. Her signature style headband has a big bow on one side.

When the girls aren’t in school, they still maintain their own unique fashion identity. Serena’s favorite item of clothing lately has been her chic leather jacket featured in many of the newest episodes. Blair loves wearing tights to make a statement. Whether its a solid color under a short skirt or lace tights under a cocktail dress, she always looks fabulous.

So how can you steal their sweet looks?

If you want to dress like Serena… You will want to find nice cut jackets, a plaid skirt, knee high socks, a leather jacket and boots. She loves layering items of clothing in order to get her rocker chic style.

If you want to dress like Blair…You will want to find cute summer dresses, headbands, leggings, stylish bag and a peacoat with a matching hat. She loves her accessories, especially when it comes to her hair. She usually likes to leave her brown locks down. By just adding her signature bow headband or a cute hat, her hair can match the rest of the outfit without much effort.