This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Barnard chapter.
Name: Sarah Fels
School, Year: Barnard College, 2016
Major: I’m a psychology major and an art history minor.
How would you describe your style in three words?
Mary Kate & Ashley. (I’m just kidding. I’m not on their level yet, but I do have #goals.)Who are your style inspirations?
1. See above.
2. My super trendy sister who works as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s.
3. My mom.
4. All the effortlessly trendy European girls I saw while studying in Madrid last semester.
5. Kendall Jenner, although I can’t pull off anything she wears.
Where do you like to shop?
My mom’s closet, my sister’s closet, anywhere I can use a coupon, and Bloomingdale’s when they have a sale (a.k.a everyday—I really can’t deny being Bloomies basic). I’d say I’m also pretty successful online, which means Shopbop, Ruelala, and Revolve. Recently I’ve found a lot of success at Century 21. They always have great, quality tights (think Wolford, Alice & Olivia, and Donna Karan) on sale. I also obviously purchase 97% of my daily wardrobe at Lululemon.
What is a piece of style advice you live by?
I have three major mottos that I keep in mind:
1. No pair of sunglasses is ever too big.
2. If you separate your laundry into colors and the only piles you have are black, grey, navy, white, and one tiny pile of pink intimates…then you’re doing it right.
3. Dress with what is right for your body, not with what is right for the trends. You want to love how you look when you see pictures twenty years from now.
How do you dress to stay warm and chic in the winter?
I recommend starting with a good down coat—an absolute must in NYC—and then layering everything. I get really cold in the winter, and so I take my layering seriously. Black tank, black t-shirt, black long sleeve, and then a number of sweaters. I’m not kidding. The only skin I find it acceptable for me to be showing is a little bit of my knees if I happen to be wearing distressed jeans. I also always have more layers floating around the bottom of whatever bag I currently have with me. When I go to work or need to look nicer, I wear thicker leggings under skirts instead of black tights. I also wear Eugenia Kim headbands or Rag & Bone beanies, gloves with the little things that let you text, fingerless gloves, or mittens with a top part that you can fold back, and a scarf. My favorite scarf right now is a grey alpaca one that my sister knit for me. It has such a beautiful and intricate stitch. I also love my Missoni and Burberry classics and a really thin Haute Hippie one that looks exactly like it’s Gru’s from Despicable Me.