Chic in Chicago: Vickie Fine ’14

Vickie Fine is not only a dear friend of mine, but she almost always looks incredibly chic. A 2^nd year Psychology major at the College, Vickie tries to skip the typical college sweatshirt/jeans combination for outfits that boast more flavor and life. Vicki prefers donning simple, classic clothing with which she can pair a piece containing a bold pattern or color, whether it be a mustard yellow coat or a studded brooch found at a thrift store. After having worn a uniform throughout middle school, Vickie took advantage of the stylistic freedom that came upon entering high school, buying a pair of pointy-toed black patent leather pumps in 10^th grade which she states is her favorite purchase of all time.

 
If she were to liken her style to a fashion icon, she states that it would be the hypothetical lovechild of the classically beautiful Audrey Hepburn and the more quirky, fabulous Johnny Weir. She also adores the classic and slightly boyish style of French model and actress, Clémence Poésy (seen in Gossip Girl and the Harry Potter series). Vickie enjoys reading fashion website, fabsugar.com, in addition to the magazines Vogue and Nylon.
 
When asked where she shops the most, Vickie replied with “the internet”, citing bluefly.com as her most frequented site. Her tips for online shopping are to not avoid buying clothing that is meant to fit tightly (big coats and sweaters are great for buying online) and to be sure of your shoe size for a particular brand. In her closet, one will find many pairs of boots and lots of grays and neutrals which act as a base for funkier, brighter pieces.

 
As college students, it is terribly easy to take the lazy route and trudge to class wearing what was worn to sleep. Vicki shows, however, that one can look pulled together by pairing some neutrals (which most of us already have in our closets) with a single eye-catching item. Being fashionable doesn’t require a bottomless budget either. Besides standard retail stores, Vickie shops at thrift stores and discount stores where she has purchased pieces like the black/white patterned coat and the leopard print blouse. So the next time you go out for class, to run errands, or do whatever, remember that an extra minute of consideration can transform you from generic to chic.