February 2018

MODMuze Volume 1, Issue 1 February 2018

CONTENTS 10

14

Fitness: Fit Fashionista

Shop Local: Jo & Co

18

20

Recipes: Dinner for Two

Eat Local: Tokyo Pot

24

28

Interior Style

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Weekend Getaway

16

Fashion Flashback: Loafer Loving

Featuring...

06

Street Style: Big City Style in Small Town Campus

22

Designer Kara Rainey 12

Beauty: How to Get That Perfect Valentine’s Day Look

30

Style: Good for Planet

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r e t t e L

From the Editors

W

Welcome to MOD Muze!

We wanted to take a moment of your time to introduce ourselves and thank you for taking a chance on MOD Muze. Our team started this magazine because we wanted to showcase a love for fashion that each of us share. We each have different styles, likes and dislikes, and they all came together to create this magazine. We are so excited to share our hard work from the past few months with you.

Each issue, we want to showcase different fashion, beauty, health, food and lifestyle items that we see around Stillwater, and highlight the trends that are taking

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off nationwide. We want to explore these topics because we see them as important to our friends and classmates, and because our team feels strongly about them.

We would like to thank Barbara Allen and Dr. Cosette Armstrong for their guidance in creating this magazine, and to our whole team for putting in many hours of work and their dedication to creating something worth sharing with others. We hope that you enjoy what you see in this issue of MOD Muze, and we would love to hear feedback from you about this issue, and about things that you would like to see in future issues.

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Lauren Atherton & Madison Jones

MODMuze EDITORIAL TEAM CO-EDITORS Lauren Atherton, SC Madison Jones, SC LAYOUT Natalie Berg, DHM Chelsey Hoch, DHM CONTRIBUTERS Rachel Baker, DHM Emily Bruner, DHM Jill Cope, DHM Jessica Hoover, DHM Kaelen McIntire, DHM Kira Petersons Courtney Unruh, DHM Sezanna Wallace, DHM Kendall Williams, DHM FACULTY ADVISORS Barbara Allen Director of Student Media O’Colly Cosette Joyner Armstrong Associate Professor Design, Housing & Merchandising

Student Media in partnership with the Department of Design, Housing & Merchandising present MODMuze, a magazine produced entirely by OSU students. The goal of this project is to permit students to put their classroom learning and passion for fashion into practice in a real-world setting.

COLLEGE OF

Human Sciences

Design, Housing & Merchandising

CONNECT WITH US Twitter: @modmuzemag Instagram: @modmuzemag Email: modmuzemag@okstate.edu Website: modmuzemag.com

FASHION

from the street Big City Style in Small Town Campus

When roaming the streets of New York every person has a distinct style that represents who they are to the outside world. In Stillwater the stylish stand out as they present their personalities to the world. A few of the trends we see on campus include warm winter coats and cold-wear accessories. Denim has been a trend for several years and has not lost its ultra-cool status. Our personal fave? Pairing denim with denim. Other trends we see include urban, hip, and preppy vibes each carried out in unique ways. If you ever need style insporation go to Chi-O Clock and people watch, you may be surprised to find how easy it is to show off your own personal aesthetic.

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FASHION

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from the street

FASHION is a way to say

who you are

without having to speak.

- Rachel Zoe

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FitnessSTYLE Fit Fashionista If you are looking for a fitness class tr y Taylor Vanmeter ’s Barre or Hip-Hop classes offered at the Colvin. This stylish instructor has a wardrobe to match the intensity of her workouts.

Getting back into a fitness routine after the holiday’s can be a hard and dreaded adjustment. Many have found that working out with a group led by an instructor can help motivate and hold them accountable for getting that good workout in every week. Lots of gyms offer classes ranging from yoga to kickboxing. The Department of Wellness at Oklahoma State University offers numerous classes to allow members to choose from a wide variety of workouts throughout the day.

We had the opportunity to speak with Taylor VanMeter who teaches Barre and Hip-Hop on Wednesday’s at the Colvin Recreation Center. Taylor has been teaching both classes since her freshman year in college.

She has been a competitive dancer her whole life, which led to her interest in instructing these fun dancebased classes. While she’s not teaching at the Colvin she is an instructor at Thriller Dance Studio in Stillwater.

If you’re looking for a new class to try, these two classes are worth checking out. Barre focuses on core strength and high repetitions of small intense movements and holds’; stretching is also an important aspect of the class to help generate a toned and flexible body.

Taylor said she hopes everyone who comes to her Barre class gets a good work out in, and also asks questions! She wants to be sure people are doing the exercise correctly so that they are working the right muscles and getting the most out of their workout.

“Don’t be timid, Barre is a different stye of workout. Come IN, Don’t Be shy.”

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Her advice to beginners coming to Barre is “don’t be timid, Barre is a very different style of workout,” Taylor says. “Come in, don’t be shy and try the workouts to the best of your ability. Once you get started it’s not so bad!”

Another option to get your heart rate up on a Wednesday night is Taylor’s Hip-hop class. “In Hiphop, all I’m focused on is having a good time,” she says. You can think of it as a big dance party.

Even if you have no dance experience Hip-hop is a great way to just have some fun after a long day and get a good workout in while doing it. Taylor’s Hip-hop class is an hour and fifteen minutes of fun.

“Stay focused and present,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you get the combo right, just have fun!”

Taylor usually works out five days a week and says her best workouts are on Wednesday when she is teaching Barre and Hip-hop. Her best advice to those just getting started with a workout routine is to stay focused and always ask questions!

PHOTOGRAPHER: Emily Bruner

by Jessica Hoover

Here Taylor is pictured wearing Lululemon leggings, she says this brand is her favorite. This fit fashionista wears a Forever 21 crop top to complete her fresh look. Chic Adidas complete her workout ensemble.

Barre & Hip-Hop Class

Check out some of her class techniques and dance moves.

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ValentineBEAUTY When it comes to Valentine’s Day, the pressure to do you makeup perfectly can be overwhelming.

Whether you are going out with bae or hitting the town with the girls, below are four product categories that you absolutely need to slay this holiday.

by Kendall Williams

SPLURGE

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner

$22.00

Anastasia Beverly Hills Too Faced Melted Modern Renaissance Matte Liquified Long Palette Wear Lipstick in Lady Balls $42.00 $21.00

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Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop $38.00

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kendall Williams MAKEUP ARTIST: Kendall Willliams MODELS: Jill Cope and Sezanna Wallace

How To Get That Perfect Valentine’s Day Look

This makeup look truly emphasizes the eye. I know the price of the Anstasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette is a little steep, but from personal experience I cannot hype this up enough. The colors are super rich, the pigmentation is amazing, and it is so versatile.

However, if you are not a person that wears a lot of makeup, then I would highly recommend this NYX palette. It provides the same romantic aesthetics as the ABH one, but in a more neutral tone, and for under half the price. Another Important aspect of this look is the highlighter.

To me, highlighter is an absolute must, especially for a going out look. If you are obsessed with highlight then you probably need this Becca highlighter in Champagne Pop. But if you prefer a more natural shimmer, if any at all, then this E.L.F. dupe is for you.

Try this look out, I promise it give you the confidence to let your inner girly gal out. Worried about executing the muze? Get your friends together to practice before the big night! This makeup will make your S.O., or best gal pals, unable to look away from you!

SAVE

Loreal Infallible Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner

NYX Warm Neutrals Ultimate Shadow Palette

NYX Lip Lingerie in Exotic

E.L.F Cosmetics Baked Highlighter in Blush Gems

$8.99

$17.00

$6.99

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ShopLOCAL you could, of course, assume the college age girl would This sweet boutique caters to any spunky gal wanting be her primary shopper, but her answer surprised me. to create a closet that lets her to be confident and Hannah describes her “girl” (or her target market audience) as anyone from their teens to their 60s/70s! allows her to express her inner personality.

“I have a pretty funky girl!” she said.

She explained that she wanted to cater to a wider audience because of her own personal

by Emily Bruner experience shopping with her mom.

She says she hates when they go Two years ago, a new boutique shop together and only one of popped up in Stillwater. I got them is finding pieces they to sit down with the owner of like. She wants shopping at Jo & Co. Hannah Thompson, Jo & Co. to be fun for both and chat about everything daughters and moms. “The from life, the business whole purpose behind and, of course, fashion.

Jo & Co. is really to help Hannah, a Design Housing and women feel comfortable…

Merchandising alumna from to find something they can Oklahoma State University work in or play in and know always knew she wanted to they look great,” Hannah open her own store. She caught said. When asked what her the entrepreneurial bug from her favorite part about running parents, who she had watched start her own business was, it was several businesses while growing up. no surprise when her answer was After taking courses such as Retail enthusiastically her customers! She Math and Allocations she had made up said she loves chatting with and her mind about opening a boutique, getting to know her customers. and wasted no time in doing so.

They’ve even help dictate some Hannah opened Jo & Co. in of her buying decisions!

2016 shortly after graduating

To wrap up our time the previous December. together, I asked her to “So, why stay in Stillwater?” give her best advice to I asked. She said her and aspiring entrepreneurs. her husband had just “Your ‘Plan A’ is never fallen in love with the going to be as good as your community over their time ‘Plan Z’! Don’t be afraid of as OSU students and couldn’t trial and error. If something imagine living elsewhere. doesn’t work, try something “It just feels like home,” she said. else. It’s all a part of learning.”

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Emily Bruner

Jo & Co

Favorite pieces in store right now?

Q

Hannah pulled a fun off-the-shoulder floral top and paired it with a black, sleeveless jumpsuit (pictured). She also pointed out a pair of navy, cigarette style dress pants. “They are so classic and fit like a glove!”

A

Q A

Where did the name Jo&Co come from?

“My name is Hannah Jo, and my company is me, my mother, my husband…it’s really a group effort,” she said laughing.

What are some key trends you are looking forward to this upcoming season?

Q A

“Millennial pink, olive green and lavender seem to be big this spring.” Hannah also said she always looks forward to game day fashion!

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FASHION

Flash Back Loafer Loving

Many trends from the past are coming back into style, including the beloved loafer.

by Jill Cope and Courtney Unruh

SOCKS From the Sperry we can see the creation of many different types of loafers. The backless loafer, known as the mule, has come back into style, along with the original Sperry type shoe. Many of these shoes can be worn with or without socks. The most original look is ankles showing with bare feet. There are socks specifically made to satisfy the sock wearers so they can still achieve the barefoot look. These are loafer socks are also known as no-show socks.

CURRENT FASHION In current fashion, there is a noticeable shift to clogs with the same structure design as moccasins and loafers present. In fact, an example of this was seen at fashion week.

ON CAMPUS TRENDS From 1948 to 1970, loafers have been worn on Oklahoma State’s campus. An obvious reason for this being because of the association students have with dressing like an academic or of course the usual comfort seeking nature of college students.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Courtney Unruh and Jill Cope

HISTORY Some wear them for the style, some for the comfort, but many do not know the true origin of the loafer trend. As seen in the photos above, we can see the same shoes from the 1970’s making their way back down the streets. We see the first popular design known as the Sperry boat shoe thanks to Paul A. Sperry. Inspired by the pads of his canine’s paws he noticed a, now famous, herringbone structure that helped his furry friend’s feet grab icy surfaces with great traction. As a sailor he mimicked this same herringbone structure on the soles of his own shoes to achieve the same traction as his dog.

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RECIPES Dinner For Two: A Guide to Pleasing Your Valentine and Wallet Being on a college budget makes going out on nice dates hard, especially after the holidays have come to a close. Celebrating Valentine’s Day can become even more stressful when you and your date are fighting the crowds at restaurants, movie theatres and everywhere else in town.

What’s the solution? Make a romantic dinner for two at home!! This is an easy way to spend quality time together while not spending a crazy amount on dinner, dessert and a movie on the town!

What’s cooking?

by Lauren Atherton

SIDE: Roasted Potatoes with Parmesan This is a recipe that I learned from my mom, and it is one that has truly stuck with me because it is so tasty. For this recipe, I start by preheating the oven to 400°. Take a dark glass pan (or whatever you have) and cut red potatoes in half. After they are cut, cover them in olive oil and seasoning. I like to use a chipotle and roasted garlic seasoning that I found at Food Pyramid. Once the oven is heated to 400°, place the potatoes in the oven for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they are slightly crisp on the skin, take them out of the oven and add some shredded parmesan for taste.

Cost: Potatoes: $3.97, Parmesan: $2.47, Seasoning: $2.73

SIDE: Steamed Squash This was the easiest part of the whole meal! I purchase two, large yellow squash and washed them. After, I cut and seasoned with a dash of garlic, salt and pepper.

Once they are seasoned, I steam them until they are soft.

Cost: Squash: $2* *depending on if you purchase organic or not, price can change

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ENTREE: Steak For the steak, I went to Walmart and purchased a pack that had two bacon wrapped filets that were 8 ounces each. I used olive oil infused with garlic to cook the steak. Before cooking, I seasoned the them with garlic powder, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

I cooked them on my stovetop, so once the pan had heated up, I added the olive oil and put the steak in the pan. I cooked them until they were done all the way through. (For my date and me, done is slightly pink in the center).

I also made sure that the bacon was cooked all the way through by searing it on all sides. After it was done, I let it rest for 10 minutes before serving it.

Cost of Steak: Around $8

EXTRAS: To add something special, I picked up a salad kit for around $5 and strawberries and dipping chocolate for around $11.

In total, this meal cost me around $35. While this is a bit more than I would want to spend on a typical dinner, it is Valentine’s Day. Steak dinners with salad typically run between $15 and $20 a person at restaurants, add in desert, and you are looking at a $50 plus meal before the tip. This meal is perfect for saving some money and spending quality time cooking with your significant other at home!

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EatLOCAL Tokyo Pot Reinvents the Approach to Asian Dining

by Natalie Berg W.

10th

Ave.,

Stillwater,

Oklahoma.

This is the location of your next favorite meal.

Tokyo Pot, owned by Dean Chen, brings a new definition to the phrase “Asian dining.”

Chen was inspired to open the restaurant by to his passion for reinventing the approach of dining claiming “I strive for Tokyo Pot to stick out like a sore thumb” in the food industry. Individuality is one of the key factors that make Tokyo Pot a location you cannot miss. Combining the new way to eat with the delectable menu offerings produces a fresh way to eat. The food process is different than anywhere in Stillwater and offers an exciting new experience to any customer. He believes that there is a balance to everything. One must either be very bad or, in his case, very good at what they do.

While the menu offers a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts, Chen mentions that traditionally, Asian restaurants offer one specialty dish. At Tokyo Pot, you have several varieties of a meal, called “shabu-shabu.”

This dish is thought to have originated centuries ago with the Chinese Mongol horsemen who only carried their shields as means to make dishes. Today, this dish has developed into a flavorful blend of broth, meat or veggies and sauce. Today this dish is commonly referred to as Hot Pot Dining.

The restaurant offers a range of appetizer such as seaweed salad and edamame. Choosing the entree is where the fun begins. Every meal you are presented with three broth options including

“I strive for Tokyo Pot to Stick out like a sore thumb ”

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Dean Chen is the owner of Tokyo Pot, a trendy restaurant in downtown Stillwater. sweet, spicy or a combination. Several sauces, rice and a raw egg will shortly follow. As for the main dish, there are numerous options like sliced lamb, shrimp, chicken, pork and the must-try prime ribeye. With these come vegetables, tofu and noodles to place in the broth for longer cooking.

Now starts the part that requires imagination.

Your meal is flexible from here because you are the cook. Each bite offers a completely new taste as you mix the meat with a variety of sauces and the egg. Afraid you may not know how to find the best flavors? Have no fear! One of Chen’s charms is his ability to improve your experience by demonstrating new ways of mixing the sauces, egg, and broth with any of the main food items.

Tokyo Pot is open daily from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which is one of the reasons Chen truly enjoys what he does. By keeping operating hours lower, he can savor each moment spent on his hobby of running a brilliant restaurant.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jordan Wiley

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The restaurant has a rating of 4.8 stars on google reviews.

This achievement draws from the restaurant’s distinctive atmosphere you enjoy while eating your delicious meal.

Chen focuses on creating a place where people can get great, reasonably-priced food, with a dose of honesty. While enjoying a meal, you can find him conversing with many of the tables, introducing each to a new way of eating the Hot Pot meal. This allows him to create relationships with his customers, as well as share his honest points of view. The demographic of Stillwater also encourages the success of Tokyo Pot, something that Chen finds very important.

If I had to summarize Tokyo Pot in three words; sensational, imaginative and tasty would hardly describe just how infatuated I am with this restaurant.

Tokyo Pot is a cook-your-own food restaurant with success driven by interesting, tasty flavors and an inimitable atmosphere. Next time you want to try a meal you will not easily forget, call Tokyo Pot as the first step to contentment.

According to Chen, “you’ll never stop eating, not because of me, but because of the food.”

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FASHION Designer Designer Kara Rainey: OSU Alumna Oklahoma State graduate tells her story of becoming a designer, giving insight to her past, present, and future.

Kara Rainey has been thinking about her career in fashion since she was 9 years old.

Kara believed that fashion was “art on a body” and fell in love with it. Whenever she got her allowance she would save up her quarters to buy fashion magazines.

As a child she would tell everyone she was going to be an artist when she grows up, painting and things like that. When she started looking at clothing magazines she didn’t see it as something to wear, she saw it as art on a body, and she fell in love with that idea.

At the age of 10, she shifted her focus from painting to fashion and Alexander McQueen became her icon. Kara went from wanting to be an artist to wanting to be a designer and to create the intricate pieces more resemble artwork. Kara, herself, wears unique-styled clothes. When she was growing up she didn’t have a lot of money so she would always shop at thrift stores. She continues that today, she can always find something that is one-of-a-kind, unique,, and no one else was going to be wearing that style.

“I don’t try to stand out but, I like to,” Kara says.

Those are the styles of the clothing which Kara creates. Kara doesn’t design her clothing for herself but she creates items that she would like to wear too.

Back to McQueen being her inspiration: Kara is awed by the time it takes to create each piece. She loves the design, the patience that was practiced to include every detail in the work. “He never tried to fit into what other people were doing, he was always very much in his own head,” Kara said. McQueen is what got her started at the young age of 10 and what kept her going throughout high school and college. Iris van Herpen is another inspiration to Kara. Van Herpen uses different modern practices for the looks she creates. She uses 22 MODMuze FEB

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kara Rainey

by Maddy Jones

A piece from Kara’s senior collection

“Bold. Intricate. Feminine.”

-Kara Rainey

A piece from Kara’s senior collection.

Kara’s 3rd place awarded, dress of matches.

The woman behind the work.

3D printed items to enhance pieces and has made a name for herself with the esteemed “water dress.”

The apparel design and production program at Oklahoma State University is different from other universities; other design schools focus on the traditional sketching and thinking outside the box.

OSU gets you ready for the actual industry. “They teach you real-life applications and technology that real industries are using,” Kara says. “A lot of the problems with students in design, they think that it’s so neat and so glamorous but in reality, it’s a lot of hard work.” This program at OSU helps students work with the realities of design and production.

Kara’s senior collection was made up of 18 individual pieces. She made each piece on top of the school work that was already required and it was to be

A Kara Rainey original completed outside of the classroom. She had to find the time to create all of the pieces that she showed at the end of the year; she would use any and all of her freetime to create her non-textile piece and then she would find uses to recycle the pieces of fabric that she had cut to create another piece. In her senior show she won the top _. She also got third place for her non-textile piece (the dress of matches, pictured).

Kara was also a top five finalist for a company in Los Angeles. They flew her out to the city and they paid for her hotel. She won “fan favorite” for her coat (pictured somewhere). She since has moved back to Tulsa and is working two jobs, both in the fashion industry. Her goal is to save up enough money to move to a city where her dream job is located.

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Interior Inspiration Sorority Room Style: 70’s Modern Decorating the sorority house, or dorm room, can be difficult due to the challenges that the dorm room materials and space offer. The first step is to create a vision for what you want the space to look and feel like. Should you choose edgy or floral, homey or modern? Cara Rich decided 70’s. Here is her process on how she developed a cozy cute room.

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by Rachel Baker

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rachel Baker

Nothing is more exhilarating than the moment you walk into your empty dorm room for the first time.

Those beige, cement walls, the metal-framed, extra long twin-sized bed, the cold, white floor and the teeny tiny dresser all sit there, waiting to be spruced up with design elements that portray your “aesthetic.”

Cara Rich, a sophomore graphic design student had this experience when she first moved into the Delta Delta Delta sorority house.

A talented artist herself, Cara’s 70’s modern room showcases her love of art, music and movies.

Each piece in Cara’s room has a story behind it, exuding a personal representation of who she truly is. Featuring the polaroid pictures of her friends and favorite places, surrealist posters inspired by her love of Salvador Dali and the Grateful Dead, and some vinyl records which have been passed down from her father, Cara’s walls are anything but bare.

In order to feel as comfortable as possible, Cara fills her space with plants and books. She tells me also about one of her pillows, which was sewn and given to her by her roommate during a time when she needed a little extra comfort. In order to achieve her 70’s modern inspired bedroom, Cara’s decor was discovered throughout the years in local shops, art galleries, and at local festivals in Oklahoma City including the Paseo Arts Festival, the DNA galleries. While this may seem like a lot of work, some of her favorite pieces have also been acquired at the local Dollar Tree and antique mall.

She gives this tip to anyone who wants to decorate their room but doesn’t know where to begin.

“Find things that you like,” Cara Rich said. “Don’t care what other people may like.

Use something you like, and base it off of that one thing. Then find things to base it off of that.”

“Don’t care what other people may like. Use something you like, and base it off of that one thing. Then find things to base it off of that.”

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Kaelen McINtre

Interior Inspirations: Off Campus Living Looking for inspiration? Check out this cute & cozy college home! These three Juniors have created the perfect off campus oasis with lots of DIY projects to make it unique.

Living on campus can be fun and convenient, but when it comes to decorating space is often limited and there is much less freedom to make the space your own. Living off campus allows you to have a much more personalized space that is unique to your style.

After having a sneak peek into the home of Taylor Lukasek (Interior Design), Abigail Evans (Strategic Communications), and Allie Gallagher (Speech Pathology) you will definitely be dreaming of moving off campus. I mean seriously, these girls know how to decorate a room. Although all three have unique personal styles, they all have a similar love for the farmhouse style as reflected in their cozy, charming living room. In fact, when I asked each of them to describe their dream home they all answered farmhouse. Taylor loves the use of barn wood in her décor. She has actually made quite a few of the pieces in their home herself. The coffee bar in the kitchen, her headboard, and the coffee sign featured in this article are just a few of her personal designs.

Her decorating advice for readers on how to make your off campus home unique? “DIY projects! Go out and find inspiration, find what you like then make it your own”. Abigail’s style is very light and elegant as you can see in her room décor. She loves the use of ambience to make her room feel light and airy. Allie has a very relaxed, minimalistic style. Her room shows off her love of neutrals and simplicity. Each of their rooms are styled to perfection, however, at the end of the day all three girls favor the living room because it is the best place to gather and hang out together.

by Kaelen McIntire

“Go out and find inspiration, find what you like then make it your own”

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WeekendGETAWAY Weekend Destinations: A Splendid Street in Stillwater | 120 E 9th Ave, Stillwater, OK 74074

by Jill Cope & Courtney Unruh

Balanced Coffee Co.: This single street in Stillwater has an abundance of eclectic and inspiring destinations to escape from hours of studying, demanding jobs, and the stressors of everyday life. Balanced Coffee Co. is a place to explore and put away your todo list. From a cozy cup of coffee to delicious pastries, Balanced Coffee Co. is a fun groovy place to discover.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Jill Cope and Courtney Unruh

Antique Mall | Bliss Books & Bindery | Balanced Coffee Co

Bliss Books and Bindery: For a great places to be at peace head to Downtown Stillwater to unwind, kick your feet up, and immerse yourself in a good book. Bliss Books & Bindery is the place to be. One of the nice features about this book store is that they will buy back your old books in return for credit to one of the used books on the shelf. If you are looking for a welcoming spot to look for your next novel of choice, Bliss Books and Bindery is the perfect place for you.

Antique Mall: Inside the Antique Mall you will find an assortment of every item you could ever dream of. From of vintage records, books, and furniture, no matter your interest once inside it’s easy to get carried away looking around and finding tiny unique treasures.

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Sustainable Style Fast Fashion Why your clothes mean more than you think.

These days, we are addicted to a thing called “fast fashion”. What is fast fashion you may ask? It is the trendy, $15.90 crop top you ordered online from Forever 21 that was seen on the runways no more than a couple weeks ago. Fast fashion enables shoppers to buy trendy pieces at affordable prices, and while this seems to be the best deal for college students, when it comes to shopping for clothes, there are huge disadvantages to the act.

We don’t often think of the adorable jean skirt we bought from Zara to be harmful to the environment, but the retail industry is actually the second largest polluter in the world next to big oil.

The fashion chain, and all the steps it takes to turn a single piece of cotton into your new t-shirt, involves a tremendous amount of water, machinery, shipping and toxic chemicals for your shirt to ultimately end up in your closet. Not to mention the poor working conditions and sweatshops that are used by most of these fast fashion retailers.

At the end of their life, fast fashion pieces are often thrown away in landfills due to their poor quality, and inability to withstand more than a few washes.

Most fabrics, such as polyester, are man-made and are basically plastic, therefore they don’t decompose.

That being said, it’s imperative to remember the importance of donating or recycling worn out garments to your local Goodwill or thrift store.

While it may be nearly impossible to cut out buying

“It’s time to be aware and understand the importance of our decisions when it comes to buying clothes”

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fast fashion pieces all together, there are personal actions that can be made to help diminish the harmful effects (and addiction) of buying new items.

One simple step involves loving the pieces in your closet that you already own. We all have those pieces: the jeans that hug you the best, that one top that flatters you just right, your favorite basics etc. Anything in your closet that fits you well and makes you feel beautiful will always bring you joy when you wear them.

Changing your “I have nothing to wear” mentality starts with recognizing the garments that you’ve kept around for a few years because of how much you adore them on you. Embrace the way they make you feel and your personal style will be noticed, guaranteed.

As they say, confidence never goes out of style.

Thrifting also never goes out of style. Sure, it takes a little more effort to sift through racks of clothing, and you may not think it’s the most glamorous thing in the world, but neither is panning for gold. Thrifting gives clothes another chance at life, instead of ending up in landfills. Most of the items found in thrift stores are excellent quality, so they will last longer, and you will honestly gain an edge since no one will be wearing what you are. Plus,

PHOTOGRAPHER: Courtney Unruh

by Rachel Baker

the amount of money you will save is astonishing.

Many amazing items can be found at Goodwill, the antique mall or our local resale clothing gem, The Thrifty Butterfly. The Thrifty Butterfly not only provides trendy pieces at very affordable prices, but they help fund the local nonprofit Wings of Hope Family Crisis Service, which provides safe services to individuals and families who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse or neglect.

It’s time to be aware and understand the importance of our decisions when it comes to buying clothes. What we wear tells the story of who we are,

so why not have a positive story behind the pieces on our backs? What we buy affects what we waste, so why not buy things which will last? Sure, the Forever 21’s and H&M’s of the world will always be around, so you may question how much you as an individual can really affect any form of change for these big retailers. By loving the items you already own, buying recycled garments from thrift stores and purchasing quality items instead of cheap items, you can, and will, make a long-term difference for yourself and the world, whether you can see it or not.

FEB MODMuze 31

Expect another issue: April 2018!

Want to work for MODMuze?

We are seeking a variety of additions to the team for the Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 academic year.

Editor Oversees all operations and issue planning.

Art Director Assistant Art Director Responsible for graphic content.

Content Director Assistant Content Director Responsible for written content.

Social Media & Web Director Assistant Social Media & Web Director Responsible for magazine promotion.

Photographers Staff Writers Copy Editors Send resume and letter of interest to modmuzemag@okstate.edu