Stephanie Taylor

It’s getting close to that time of year when you retire your chunky knit sweaters, long winter puffer jackets, and wool scarves.  If you’re like me, you have begun browsing your favorite clothing websites for a spring wardrobe update.  Whether it’s shoe shopping or finding that staple sundress, the search is on.  But before making any commitments within your shopping cart, it’s nice to know what fashion bloggers and magazines are saying about trends that were modeled on the runway during spring fashion week.

Spring is a time for color! Brighten up your cozy and gloomy winter wardrobe with soft pastels and bright colors. Designers’ collections during spring fashion week incorporated citrusy and vibrant colors like:

·      Emerald green

·      Yellow 

·      Hot pink

·      Orange

·      Especially cobalt blue.

As for patterns and styles:

·      Don’t be afraid to show a little more skin this spring by wearing tops and dresses with translucent panels.

·       It may be a strange idea, but collage and mixing prints on pants, tops, or dresses are a new style you should consider trying. 

·      As always, stripes ring in the spring and summer season whether it be nautical or black and white. 

·      Branching off of the black and white contrasting stripes, black and white contrast in anything is a must have for this spring. 

·      If you’re feeling adventurous Bermuda shorts and short suits are trends you will most likely see in fashion magazines in spring (yes, I do realize that Bermuda shorts may bring    back some middle school memories).

So, that’s all nice to know if you’re into what’s trendy, but when it comes to applying these hot spring colors and styles to your own wardrobe you may need a little guidance. Below, are looks I threw together based on the some of the styles and colors for spring. Happy shopping!

Pastels:

New OSU royalty will be crowned this weekend.  Jordan Harmon, a multimedia sophomore, will be ending her reign as Miss American Indian OSU this Saturday at the Miss American Indian OSU pageant.  The event will take place in the Student Union Ballroom at 2:00 p.m.

Contestants will compete in different areas of the competition, including regalia, on stage question and knowledge of American Indian history and culture.  There are two contestants up for this year's crown.

For more information about American Indian affairs and student groups on campus, please visit the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the basement of the Classroom Building at room 009.

Next week, Oklahoma State students  will be educating their peers about health awareness as a part of Wealth Week.  The week is lead by a class called Share the Wealth who's goal it is to educate students about ways to improve and protect their health.

Share the Wellness stands for wellness educators advocating lifestyles toward health.  The class conducts programs on sexual health, communication, nutrition, prescription drugs, stress management and alcohol education.  The group speaks at different class and student organizations on campus. 

Any OSU student from any major can participate in the class.  It is a two semester requirement.

Brittany Alexander, a sophmore in the class, sat down with Her Campus to talk about the event she is charge of for the week. On Wednesday, April 4, the class will lead an event called "Summertime" aimed at educating women about the benefits of weight lifting and teaching them how to incorporate weightlifting into their workout routines. 

A certified trainer from the Colvin recreation center will be at the event to provide tips on strategies for lifting and also general workout tips and advice to improve women's physique.

Everyone is invited to attend, but the event is especially for college women, Alexander says.  The class hopes to educate women on physical fitness with a focus on lifting and the benefits it has to the body.  The class will also teach about preventing against future disease like osteoporosis and other illnesses that affect women.

"This will be the first time the Share the Wealth class has put on the event," Alexander says.  "We hope it will be a big success!"

Oklahoma State students and staff are invited to see Miss Representation this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in JB 208.  The 90 minute film uncovers a daunting trend, the misrepresentation of women by the media and the impact it has on our society.

“The topic of women’s representation—or misrepresentation—in the media is an increasingly important topic as our world becomes more digitized,” says Jen Macken, Coordinator of Women’s and LGBT Affairs.

The screening is hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Association of Women in Multicultural Affairs. The film, written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, reveals the connection between mainstream media and the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.  Viewers will be asked to questions how the media’s limited portrayals of women and girls impacts their ability to attain leadership positions. 

“Women as well as men often learn much about society’s appropriate gender presentations and behaviors from what they see around them, on the web, in print, and in television and movies,” Macken says.   “The way that woman are portrayed in various forms of media, then, becomes an important developmental factor and shapes the ways that girls learn to be girls and eventually how to be women.”

 In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader, Macken says.

 Although women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures.  Women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, while 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.