Authenticity

So I just spent two months living in beautiful SoCal at the University of San Diego and I can honestly say I absolutely hated it. It was gorgeous, the weather was amazing, the beach was a quick bus trip away, and I got to go surfing! But something I was really disappointed with was the lack of authenticity of the people I met at my college. It made living there unbearable because no one was real. I come from a very small town so I'm used to quirky unique people who live how they want and dress how they want and I value those aspects that distinguish people from one another. At the University of San Diego, the trends were what dictated almost everyone's choices. From what concerts you went to to what clothes you bought to even what cupcakes were cool! (Hint: sprinkles! But they actually DO taste amazing!) So today, here are some of the best and worst trends I experienced in SD: (in my opinion, of course)

Worst: the obsession with European clothing,

Why? Well not only are European clothes way more expensive in the US, but I personally find most stuff at least from Zara and Topshop really unnatractive... High collars, boxy shapes, and lots of black remind me of sad orphan movies in the rain (sorry Zara). Topshop is notorious for those boxy "jumpers" and tees too. Sorry, but I'm an American and I call my knit winterwear sweaters, thank you very much. And Brandy Melville, the new SoCal fashion obsession from Italy, actually is pretty adorable; as long as you're a perfect size 2 or smaller. So if you were one of those abercrombie & fitch protesters because they don't carry anything bigger than a size large for women, please don't be a ginormous hypocrite and go buy half your wardrobe at brandy... Please, be true to your values. Another thing to consider: why support European clothing companies when you could be supporting American ones? Price difference aside, buying from American companies is going to help our American economy. In San Diego, we are living in the United States, right?

Best: Sprinkles cupcakes and Madewell,

These cupcakes are not your average supermarket nasty frosting no flavor cupcakes. They are absolutely delicious and come in a wide variety of flavors. I think I tried red velvet and Reese's and both times the frosting was amazing (cream cheese frosting on red velvet and peanut butter frosting on Reese's). They taste like homemade cupcakes and since I love baking and make cupcakes all the time, these really helped curb the craving when I was living in the dorms and couldn't go bake cupcakes myself.

A brand baby of J. Crew, Madewell is effortlessly put together while still maintaining that rugged "I live out in the boonies" feel that I absolutely love. From camo ball caps, cozy flannels, baggy ripped up jeans, and polka dot socks to pleated mini skirts and silk blouses, this brand has a distinct mix of styles that makes it stand out from the array of high end clothing stores at San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall. It is expensive, but I'll definitely be splurging here when I save up the extra cash!

Now that I'm back home, I hope to spend some more time writing for this blog so my posts aren't spaced out two years apart. Haha! So if anyone actually reads this, hope you enjoy it and there WILL be more to come! :)

-Camille