Guest Post: Alex from Undergraduate Style

Happy Monday, lovelies!  I have a special treat for you today!  I know that I have mentioned the amazing Alex from Undergraduate Style before.  Well, today you get the chance to know her a little bit better because she is guest posting for me here at Whitney à la mode.  You will love her genuine spirit, her adorable style, and her ability to dress on a dime.  Without further ado, here is Alex!


Hi! I'm Alex at Undergraduate Style, and I'm super excited to write a guest post for Whitney because I consider her my very first blog friend!

First, a bit about myself. I'm currently a student of Spanish and history at the University of Kansas. My blog is all about my attempts to develop my personal style and build a timeless wardrobe while still in college (and on a college budget!) I also occasionally blog about beauty, Greek life, and life as a resident assistant. But yeah, mostly style.

Anyways, Whitney approached me about doing a guest post about spring transition pieces--especially how I  transition between seasons on a college-kid budget! I've had to be especially creative in this transition season because I gave up clothes shopping for Lent! That means no clothes, shoes, or accessories until Easter. But never fear! Simple wardrobe remixing comes in very handy here. Here are a few ways I've transitioned on a budget that you can do too!

Especially here in the Midwest where the weather has been so fickle here the past few weeks, I haven't been able to go all-out spring. But that's why it's called a transition! It's important to keep your look spring-inspired while being prepared for weather that's just a little chillier than you'd like. Plus, tanks, shorts and sandals just aren't really in-season for spring--at least not together!

-Keep it balanced.

My rule of thumb is: keep one half of your body layered/covered up, and let the other half fly free (provided that it's warm enough, of course.) For example, you could wear a sleeveless blouse, cropped pants or jeans, and a pair of sandals or ballet flats. Your bottom half is more covered, but your arms get to soak in the sun! Conversely, you could choose to wear a refined pair of chino shorts paired with a light, 3/4 sleeve tee and booties or cute sneakers. You finally get to show off those gams after a long winter, but your arms and feet are covered up! See what I'm getting at here?

In this outfit, I chose a brightly colored sleeveless and sandals, but balanced it with longer pants! I also brought a cardigan with me to throw on when I was in a colder room.

-Play with color.

If you're wearing a traditionally-spring look, mix it up by using muted, cold-weather colors. On the other hand, if you find yourself forced to layer up in a sudden cold snap, surprise all the miserably cold people you encounter by choosing cheery spring hues! For example, make a patterned tank cold-weather-appropriate by adding a pastel cardigan. Add jeans and boots (and a coat, of course) and you'll be stylish AND toasty warm! In the look below, I wore a maxi dress and sandals (a traditional spring ensemble) but, in order to stay in season, kept the color palette neutral, adding only a muted mustard yellow cardigan for color.

-Pick one transition piece and WORK IT!

Pick up a fashion magazine or browse any online retailer and you'll see a million lists of must-have pieces for spring. I say, nay. Thou shalt not be ruled by what anybody has to say regarding must-have pieces. But, I do believe you ought to pick a transition piece that works perfectly for YOU and work it! This will save you tons of money and time spent shopping. Pick that one perfect piece, and use it over and over again in different ways. Use it as an exercise in creativity to see how many ways you can style that piece!

For me, this piece is a cargo vest. I've been searching for the perfect one since last summer, and I found one in the nick of time, right before Lent (and, therefore, my shopping fast) began! I personally really like having a vest as my transition piece because it is such a valuable layering tool. I can add it to a long-sleeved shirt on days where I need a little extra warmth, or to a tank or short-sleeved blouse for visual interest! It's so easy, but the possibilities are endless! But again, pick something that works for you. Vests aren't for everybody.

Here's one way I wore mine!

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to guest post, Whitney! It's been real! Happy remixing!