OK ladies, I know all of us are familiar with Oprah Winfrey, one of the most iconic female TV personalities of all time. And if not, here is a quick briefing — Oprah Winfrey is notably famous for her talk show’s extensive coverage of stories ranging from the Bill Clinton scandal to Tom Cruise’s epic, sofa-jumping engagement to Katie Holmes. How could anyone forget arguably one of her most famous episodes in which she legendarily shouted, “You get a car!” to her entire studio audience?
That’s right. When her show was on air, “Oprah’s Favorite Things” quickly became a holiday season favorite, as the leading lady of television comprised an extensive list of gift-giving ideas to kick off the holiday shopping season.
With that, I announce Her Campus University of Florida’s very own “Caroline’s Favorite Things,” where readers like you will be able to keep up with the hottest items on the market specifically geared towards female college students. I’ll definitely try to keep it up-to-date, stylish, and useful for the typical “Gator Girl.”
1. Taylor Swift’s new album: “Red”
I would be remiss not to mention Taylor Swift’s new album, “Red,” for all of our collegiette music lovers out there. We have all heard her new single “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” playing on the radio as a little appetizer of what was to come. This single was definitely a divergence from what we usually hear from country music’s girl-next-door because it included some digitized sounds more typically associated with the pop genre. “Red” is No. 1 on iTunes, and five singles from the album are on the top 10 list.
But why call it “Red”? After doing a little research, it seems as though Swift named the album to encompass the dramatic and tumultuous relationships she has been through while working on the album. I’ll go out on a limb and say that this a much more grown-up musical representation of Swift than what we’ve seen in singles like, “Sparks Fly” and “Mean.”
Check it out, and see if you’re a fan of Taylor Swift 2.0. Her album is available for $14.99 on iTunes.
2. Sheplers Cowboy Boots
Whether you’re a southern girl or an edgy girl, cowboy boots are all over the place. Although this may be old news to all my southeast sweethearts, I am constantly hearing confusion about where the best places to get a good quality pair of boots that doesn’t keep you eating Ramen noodles for the rest of the month are.
“Forbes” recently came out with a story by Larry Olmsted about the best handmade cowboy boots on the market. The lucky winners were Heritage Boots located in Austin, Texas. However, I checked out the website and found the prices were more than Florida Gators football season tickets. So forget that plan, and check out Sheplers. Sheplers has been around for more than 100 years and started in Wichita, Kansas — can’t get more authentic than that!
Not only are the prices more reasonable than Heritage, but the variety and amount of boots is also extensive. You can shop conveniently online or in stores found all throughout the south. Blonde or dark, rustic or glossy, a cute pair of cowboy boots will go with an edgy pair of skinny jeans or a peasant-style white cotton dress.
You can find Sheplers boot for $60.00 – $300.00 at http://www.sheplers.com/
3. Zooey Deschanel Eye Glasses
Say goodbye to feeling like an insecure, middle school, four-eyes! Zooey Deschanel makes this dorky look sexy in her stylish dark-framed eyeglasses. Personally, my eyes cannot handle contacts all the time, but wearing eyeglasses often gives me the feeling I get when I wear my pajamas all day — sloppy and disheveled.
However, Zooey Deschanel has given me a new inspiration to wear bold, statement eyeglasses. The trick with this look is to make sure the rest of you’re outfit is purposeful and cute. You don’t want to have a thick, black frame on a face with no makeup and yoga pants. Try to dress up the rest of the outfit so the glasses are treated like an accessory. I tried to pull off a dark frame, but I thought it looked a little silly with my blonde hair and fair skin. Blondes, try a brown frame, or even a bold color to match your eyes! Keep it fun, but just remember to do your hair and dress up the rest of the outfit. Who knows? Maybe it will even inspire a little studying!
Eyeglasses are everywhere, so talk to your doctor or hit up your local LensCrafters to find a pair, and price, that works for you.