When I shop, I’m incredibly particular. As a college kid, I have a limited budget which doesn’t allow me to buy a lot of clothes. I work at a law firm over the summers, and as a student journalist I need to look professional for interviews. It’s extremely hard to look professional for cheap. As a result, I need a lot of big kid clothes—but as a college kid, I also spend a lot of time in sweatpants. This causes my closet to have a strange division between very professional and very hobo.
A goal I have set for myself throughout my college career is to never buy an article of clothing unless it has at least two different uses (though I sometimes break this rule for adorable yet unreasonable wedge sandals). So when the lovely people at Zappos approached us about providing clothes for a spring wardrobe, I challenged myself to pull together two differing looks for each article of clothing provided.
This Kensie dress was one of my favorite articles sent by Zappos. This first look is something I would totally (and have totally) worn to go interview a source before running to class. The look is great and durable for being out all day with my sturdy boots, and the sweater really helps dress it down.
Look 2:
I love the way the Kensie dress can get dressed up for a day in the office or a brunch out with friends. It’s easy to wear and super cute for a year round dress. I paired this with the incredibly adorable (and super sturdy) ALDO Seidenbecker.
These black track/jogging pants are so popular right now. My natural instinct was to be hesitant to jump on the bandwagon, but God, am I glad I did. These pants are honestly suited for way more than just the two outfits I pulled together.
This first look utilizes how comfy these pants are. Great to throw on with a T-shirt on a day off and go for a hike, run some errands, or enjoy the sun with my dog. Definitely a step up from my normal sweatpants and old band T-shirt look.
This look is in total opposition to the “comfy and not a real waistband” first look. When putting this together, I tried to make sure that it was something I would wear to the office. This is a great and comfortable alternative to dress pants and a button down, and I’d love to spend my days collating and answering calls in this outfit.
I had a bunch of outfits planned for this BB Dakota dress, but when I tried it on with my black heels and yellow trench coat, I said, “Screw it. This is fabulous. I don’t need to multitask this look.” I adore everything about this look and this dress, and I have decreed that I wish to be buried in this BB Dakota dress, along with red lipstick (liberally applied).
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I love all of these looks equally. They’re easy to dress up and down, and all of them can be transitioned between class, work, and home. For a twenty-something on the go, this is the biggest challenge when compiling a wardrobe—but get the right basics and all you need are some heels, a sweater and some red lipstick and you’re ready for the day or night.
Hope is a writer and editor working in the D.C area. She spends her days editing queer romances, obsessing over soccer, and working toward her goal of creating the first all-feline Talking Heads tribute band.