IDENTITY THROUGH FASHION

by: eliza cardillo | design: samantha fuss

Syracuse winters are notorious for a reason; we all get tired from the cold, dark winter months. That being said, sometimes a break is needed. However, with transportation to-and-from, overnight stays, and food, this can get expensive. Here are a few hacks that can make a spontaneous weekend away fun and affordable.

The first step in planning your trip is finding a location. Before you rule out flights, start by browsing the prices in the general area you are thinking,i.e. Florida or California. If you’re feeling spontaneous, or are simply lacking inspiration, Google Flights is your best friend. Simply leave the “Where to?” box open, and find the cheapest prices on the internet. If you don’t have any luck, some great destinations within driving distance are Montreal, Toronto, Burlington, VT, NYC, Boston, or Philadelphia.

Next is transportation. Like we explained earlier, Google Flights has the software to find you the best deals out of the majority of airfare sites—especially if you are a bit flexible with dates/timing. It directs you to the cheapest flights posted online, often on sights like Kayak.com and studentuniverse. com (specifically for college kids!) Trains also can be a really affordable, comfortable option, however Syracuse is not the most convenient location for train travel. For driving: If you have a car on campus, by all means, use it. If you don’t though, you’re in luck. ZipCar is a great option if you’re traveling semi-close to campus, but if you’re going over a couple hundred miles away, Turo.com is your best bet–it’s like Airbnb for cars. Coach buses are also an option if you are unable to rent a car or would simply prefer to relax during your travels. CoachUSA.com will help you find the best bus company/route for your trip, or you can go directly to a company site like Greyhound.com. If your chosen destination is a city, we highly recommend that you use its respective public transportation/ metro system. It may seem scary at first, but most folks living there will be willing to help you. Most major cities also have apps for their transportation systems nowadays that spell it all out for you.

Now it’s time to find somewhere to stay. We highly recommend using Airbnb and VRBO- they are oftentimes the cheapest, most convenient places to stay. If you would prefer to stay at a hotel, browse myunidays.com. This is a rare financial perk of being a college student-–they have student discounts on sites like Booking.com and Expedia, so be sure to check out their deals before settling on a place. If you still find yourself out of luck, this is when you should start to peruse sites like travelocity.com and agoda.com.

Lastly, once you actually arrive at your destination, you have to find some things to do—or not! A warm queen sized bed and a bath are sometimes a vacation in itself. If not though, Groupon is a super helpful source for finding deals on tours and museum tickets in cities. Although most cities have self-guided tour maps on their websites if you just want to go on a stroll and see the main tourist sites. If you want to go see a sports game, most professional teams have some variation of “student 9s”, discounted tickets for college students in the area. Also, many ski resorts also have discounts for students nearby! If you’re going somewhere warm, be sure to research the best and safest public beaches (if your hotel/rental has one, even better!) and hiking trails. Eating at restaurants every meal of your trip can get expensive. We recommend you research the best, most authentic spots in your destination, visit a few of your top picks, and then eat affordably for the rest of the trip. This means maybe grocery shopping at local shops and stands, making your own dinners, and picnicking at the beach or on your outdoor adventures. This way you get your time to wine and dine but have the majority of your meals be cost-friendly.

We’re sure you love the content in your 8am lecture. But honestly, sometimes the best way to learn about the world, and yourself, is to go out and explore a new area. A change of scenery is a healthy way to raise your spirits during the cold, sometimes depressing winter months. And it’s even better when you go with friends! Girls’ trips are good for the soul. Safe travels <3

by: ellie batten | design: samantha fuss

I have loved traveling ever since I was a little girl, and although I can’t really pinpoint where this love stemmed from, I know it runs deep. Everything about the journey is magical in its own way–I'm not talking about the actual act of arriving at a destination, either. No, I love the entire process.

I know this is weird, but I love the airport (come to think of it, maybe this is where my love for traveling came from). Some of my earliest and best childhood memories were waking up at 3 a.m., watching my dad load luggage into the car, driving down an empty interstate, and savoring the buzz of energy that everyone in the airport seemed to have–it’s the feeling you get when you know you’re about to go on an adventure. The question ‘what has traveling taught me?’ is complicated. I don’t think there’s a singular answer because, the truth is, seeing and experiencing the world has shaped me into the person I am. Answering that question would be like trying to explain my entire personality. I don’t think there’s room on this page for that, but I’ll try anyway.

1The first real life lesson I learned from traveling is how to be brave. When I was younger, I had terrible anxiety, to the point where the thought of leaving the house would send me into a full-blown panic. When I was 13, my family took a trip to Tulum; I left home anxious and honestly terrified, but I came back knowing that I was better than everything that was dragging me down. I have ziplining, scuba diving, and a friend to thank for that. By forcing myself hundreds of feet above the ground, literally swimming with sharks, and asking a stranger to get virgin strawberry daiquiris with me, I realized that the world isn’t so scary and even when it is, I have what it takes to face it. 2Lesson number two is cliché, but there’s a reason for that–it’s true. Traveling has taught me to appreciate the little things, the small (and oftentimes un-glamorous) moments that will become core memories. When I was 16, I spent 3 weeks in Australia with my family. Near the end of the trip, we were significantly less afraid of the wildlife and ready to take on the outdoors, so we decided to take a hike. We rolled out of bed and into an ancient Land Rover with a tour guide that was too happy considering the sun hadn’t come up yet. By noon, we made it to a small waterfall. We were caked in mud and sore from what had been a mostly uphill hike, so swimming in the basin was a no-brainer. As we lay on the warm rocks and listened to the rush of water, we ate little lemon coconut cakes. It was a small moment from a long trip, but it was the best day of my life.

3The third lesson is a recent one. Traveling has taught me how to appreciate my family in a way that I didn’t think was possible. As I’ve traveled with my family since going to college, every trip seems to bring us closer together. My siblings have gone from just being siblings to being my best friends. I know our lives will take us in different directions, but I also know that I’ll treasure every adventure I get to have with them until then.

The most important thing traveling has taught me is that we can only learn these things about ourselves and the world if we actually experience it. Reading “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” won’t pull out an inner strength you didn’t know you had, it won’t put into perspective small, yet beautiful moments, and it won’t teach you about those closest to you. The only way to let the world teach you is to see it for yourself.

by: fiona hurless | design: kate bartoletti

Traveling to new places can often feel like a whole new episode in your life. New characters, plots, and settings can be hard to connect to the life you’ve built up. Whether you’re leaving for college, studying abroad, or just going on that family trip, travel has an undeniable excitement surrounding it. But the romanticism doesn’t last forever - even if it is a place you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’ve lived in the same place your whole life, you know how different it is to move somewhere completely new. Not only is getting settled a process, but being apart from all you’ve ever known and having to establish yourself is a whole different kind of procedure. Feeling the separation between both your physical home and previous lifestyle can be hard, and going back and forth between can be even more straining. Sometimes as little as talking to your friends in a new place about your friends back home can help merge your two worlds.

Going abroad increases the distanceby a significant 8 hours or so. Despite its glorification, abroad can be an uncomfortable experience. Your in a foreign land where you independence must emerge. Its here when that one phone call home goes a long way. Hearing someone’s voice on the phone goes an incredibly long way whether you realize it or not. There’s pressure to experience new things, throw yourself in a new culture, and meet all the new people you can. However, nothing about this involves throwing away your old life. Just because you want to experience the culture of a different city doesn’t mean getting rid of the traditions you hold in your everyday life. On those rainy days when you miss your parents, siblings, or friends, do the things that remind you of them. It may make you ache for them a little more, but the comfort of ordering your friends’ favorite drink, throwing on your Mom’s favorite song, or reading that book you loved as a teenager can bring you back to a state of comfort you may not even have known you were missing.

In the theme of getting back to your roots, journaling can be another way to ground yourself when you’re not home in the surroundings that automatically do it for you. Break out that diary you may have had back in middle school, because now is the time to use it again. But this time- don’t just blog out your days. Write it all, the feelings, the people you miss, the hopes and goals and dreams you have. Journaling should be more than trending; it should be a place for you to pour out your soul and bring with you no matter the landscape.

You don’t need a time difference or a college degree to know that a new place creates changes. Missing home cooked meals, your favorite restaurant and even just your morning coffee the way your local Starbucks used to make it isn’t easy. But your favorite book, movie, and pictures can act as your sources of stability.

Taking comfort in organizations can help as well. If you’re involved with religious or cultural organizations, finding those in the new places you live are ways to connect with similar people and your values.

by: bibiana snyder | design: julia thack

My whole life, I have dreamed of the college experience. More specifically, the American college experience. Dorms. Tailgates. Bars. A collection of things you can’t exactly find where I’m from.

Coming to Syracuse all the way from Costa Rica was one of the best and worst decisions I’ve ever made. During the college application process, I knew two things: I wanted to go somewhere big and I wanted to go somewhere far. After going to an extremely small school where my graduating class was only 20 students, I was longing for something different. I wanted to be able to meet new people, study subjects I’d never heard of, and attend those massive sports games I only saw on TV.

Since I had missed out on the typical high school experience, I desperately wanted the typical college one. Syracuse had all of this and more. I remember looking over each tab on their website three times a day, anxiously awaiting my acceptance letter. I had never been so sure about anything in my life as I was about this school–and I hadn’t even stepped foot on campus.

I feel that nothing truly prepared me for leaving home. One day, I just did it. Some people move an hour away, some move a plane ride away, and others never leave their hometown. I chose to move countries away. I came to college not knowing a single soul and having never visited Upstate NY. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared. I felt confident in my decision and knew that I would figure it out along the way.

The first few weeks of college are so busy that you forget to miss home. It wasn’t until I was finally alone in my small room watching videos of my friends back home that I realized how much I missed it.

Having grown up in Costa Rica, my experiences are very different from most of the people I’ve met in college. I grew up watching telenovelas with my mom every morning, forcing my sister to drive me to the beach every other weekend, and sneaking out to nightclubs at 16. There was a large amount of culture shock I went through after moving here. This was the first time I really felt I was struggling to connect with others.

When I’m with my friends here, I often find myself laughing a little too hard at social references I don’t understand or pretending to be much more “American” than I am. I’m used to kissing people on the cheek to say hello. You can imagine the strange looks I got when I first did that here. Spanish is engraved into my culture, yet I only speak it on phone calls with my mom twice a week or when I forget the English word for “cariñoso.” Sometimes, it feels like I’m not being true to myself. Missing out on the typical high school experience has made the typical college experience a lot harder to experience…but I did it. I hated my freshman-year roommate. I went to Castle before the Duke game. I’ve been to every bar near campus a million times over.

I’ve attended interesting classes, I’ve made lifelong friendships, and I have had fun while doing it.

But no matter what, I still feel like a stranger in someone else’s home.

Food tastes a little blander, music sounds a little slower, and the weather is much much colder.

Living in Costa Rica and attending Syracuse University has been an interesting experience, but one I wouldn’t change for the world. It has given me opportunities I never could have imagined.

I may miss home sometimes, but who doesn’t? It makes going back and forth all the more valuable.

by: celia salita and haley segal | design: samantha fuss

When exploring the world, there is so much to see and experience. Come with us to explore the seven wonders of the world, and no, not the Great Pyramid or the Great Wall, but the actual seven wonders, the seven fashion capitals of the world, where fashion was born and raised.

We’d be awful historians if we didn’t begin with Paris. Paris is the home to some of the greatest fashion designers in the world, including Coco Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent…icons. When talking about fashion in Paris, we would be incredibly remiss to exclude the fact that Vogue itself was founded in Paris. Wow! Paris remains generally acknowledged as the most important fashion city (as it should be). When walking down the Parisian streets, exploring the Lourve or possibly wandering around the Eiffel Tower, you will see a collection of very chic and sophisticated styles. For a little bit of history, from the 1960s until today fashion in France returned (post war) to prominence through Christian Dior's famous "New Look'' collection in 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices. This shape of dress and clothing items coincide completely with the fashion of today's world…accentuating curves and doing so, in a notably elegant and French way. Au revoir and on to the next!

Staying in Europe, our next stop is the beautiful italian city Milan! Remember when Roxanne from the movie Grown Ups just HAD to get to Milan for her job as a fashion designer? Well.. now we understand why. It's jaw dropping to realize how many prominent fashion designers are from Milan including, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Moschino, Prada, Versace, and Giorgio Armani. How can all of these people be from one place? We are actually left speechless. But…maybe we shouldn't be? Milan fashion is the exemplary style upon which western fashion was built. Today, Milan features over 12,000 fashion houses, 800 showrooms and 6,000 sales outlets. Milan style is similar to that of Paris as it is still very chic and sophisticated but has a bit of an Italian edge to it with some more grungy details and additions. Italian models are almost the pinnacle of perfection, managing to look sexy and elegant, yet relaxed and carefree at the same time. Monica Bellucci, Sophia Loren, and Isabella Rossellini are not only stunning models from Milan, but renowned as some of the best around the world. And that's Milan fashion. Oooo got to go…can't miss our flight…kisses!

On our next top we will be trying to get the London look—and no, that does not mean embodying a “chav.” The streets of London aren’t only filled with classic red telephone booths, but with walking creativity and unique designs. London is the fashion hub for aspiring designers who want to showcase fresh, new looks to the fashion world; that explains why we see such iconic designs from Vivienne Westwood, Alexander Mcqueen and Burberry–all London based designers. These looks that grew up in London—Hunter Boots and Burberry (as well as many others)—have migrated and now live in the states, where everyone can enjoy. Whether it's sporting a long trench coat, loafers or a button down shirt, everyone in London is different, so their clothes should be too. Now, we got that London look.

Moving on from our ~European~ exploration, we will now be visiting the city that never sleeps (especially on fashion)...New York City! You can wear anything in New York and call it fashion, the Sex and the City icon herself, Carrie Bradshaw, taught us just that. The streets are the hub of all American trends, constantly keeping up with everything and anything new. From streetwear, Adidas Samba, vintage Bella Hadid look to an Upper East Side, Blair Waldorf sophisticated yet delicate, designer look; you name it, you’ll see it. New York is the place where you strut the street in what you want to wear, not what society wants you to wear. So many prominent American designers are based out of NYC such as Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger (just to name a few), and SoHo is the home to many of these stores. It’s a city that accepts any trend, and helps popularize it for any season, for anyone. It’s a city that supports collected chaos. It’s the city where fashion lovers come to play.

The next trip on our exploration will take us to a completely different continent…let's talk about fashion in Tokyo! Tokyo style is characterized by quirkiness, colors and above all else, kitsch (art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way). Think pairing neon platform boots with a tutu, a statement shirt and a crazy hair bow. Tokyo is considered as the Asian style capital, known for its vibrant youth fashion culture and incredibly trendy street style. It’s a city that combines the past, the present and the future all in one place. The recognizable brand Comme De Garcons is exactly what Tokyo fashion is…the big red smiley heart on a classic white sneaker, is just absolutely the pinnacle of fun. As Tokyo is such a flourishing city, its ever so popular streetwear style is becoming more and more prominent throughout the rest of the world. Streetwear (not just outfits you wear on the street), encompasses elements of hip-hop fashion, modern high fashion and haute couture. It is characterized by comfortable, often oversized clothing and bold graphic designs. If you're looking to embody this growing style anywhere in the world, looking to the streets of Tokyo would be a great place to start! Alright…let's stay in this continent..the jet lag is starting to set in…

On our next stop we will be visiting Shanghai! Shanghai has long been considered a cosmopolitan city as it is China’s hub of Eastmeets-West cultural exchange. This means that in Shanghai, people are very open to new and foreign ideas, inventions, and in our case… clothing. China has quickly developed on the international economic scene and Shanghai on the scene of fashion and haute couture (expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses). Indeed, Shanghai is really the main event for all Chinese fashion lovers as most of the luxury brands in China choose to establish their headquarters in this populous and diverse city. Some famous brands from Shanghai include: Anta, JNBY, EP (Elegant Prosper) and Ochirly. Ok…we love fashion but we are getting tired. Let's wrap this up!

Our final stop on our exploration takes us back to Europe and visits the capital city of Germany, Berlin. Berlin is punky, playful and has a special vibe that people say is indescribable. Berlin is a city where fashion is an open minded invitation for everyone to come as they are and wear what they want. The beautiful city streets are the runway, while the passersby are the models… strutting their stuff. Although lesser known for a particular clothing style or trend, Germany as a whole still draws the attention of fashion lovers through designers like Karl Lagerfeld and famous brands including, the starting years of Off White, MCM, Hugo Boss, Adidas, PUMA, and Triumph. Models, Heidi Klum, Claudia Schiffer and Julia Stegner additionally, are all great representations of the talent and beauty that Berlin has to offer the fashion world. When it comes to a vacation..shopping is a must and when it comes to shopping in Berlin you won't be disappointed. Berlin is the home to some amazing vintage shops where you can get unique pieces to perfect your Berlin style.

by: katie hill | design: samantha fuss

White girl from Westchester who now attends Syracuse University. Did I just describe you to a T? Well, don’t worry, bestie, that’s me too. When people ask me where I’m from, I try to diffuse the basicness of Westchester by adding “oh, but I was born in Queens.” I add in the Queens because even though I only lived there for a total of 14 months, I like to think it makes me a little different. I don’t want to be that basic white girl from Westchester, but news flash, that’s exactly who I am. Sure, I’ve traveled abroad to London, Italy, France, and Costa Rica, and even made my way down to Texas, but there is a lack of exploration present in my life that I would love to rectify.

The concept of the “Westchester bubble” hits close to home for a lot of us. While everyone has their version of it, us girls from Westchester grew up in the three or fourbedroom house, with the white-picket fence, the large yard, and maybe a dog or two sitting on the oversized porch. The concept of money didn’t worry us, unless our mom denied us a new cami from Justice when we were 10, and explained for the millionth time that “money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Now, we’ve made the move to Syracuse. We’re four hours away from the limits of this bubble, yet it seems to have followed us here. Every other person we talk to says they’re from Westchester, or New Jersey, or Long Island, it’s all the same. So how do we escape this confinement; how do we pop the bubble?

For me, it’s always been the prospect of studying abroad. The thought of truly immersing myself in a completely different culture, in a completely different country, on a completely different continent seems like the cure. A psychic once told me (believe what you will) that I was somehow spiritually connected to England, and I don’t know how to justify it, I just know she’s right. To escape my bubble, I need to move halfway across the world, but maybe that’s not the solution for everyone. Maybe you already studied abroad and it didn’t change you, or maybe you’ll never have the chance, or you simply don’t want to. So how else can us Westchester girlies escape our stigma? How else can we escape our all too similar simulation of a life?

I think this journey to finally explore, to rid ourselves of this lack of exploration, is a personal one. As long as you can acknowledge that up until this point you have been stuck in the bubble and you want to do something about it, you’re already on the right track. If something feels scary, jump head first into it. If someone you meet is different than the people you usually surround yourself with, get to know them. Through these initial explorations and changes, you will find what other parts of the world, or other parts of others, interest you and what you want to explore further.

That being said, the exploration of yourself is just as important, if not more, than the world around you. You need to discover who you are, or who you truly want to be, outside of what they assume you are. These past couple of months, I have explored my independence by living alone for the first time in my life. I am exploring the world of cooking (pretty much chicken and salmon on a rotation, but it still counts), as well as the unfamiliarity of being alone for multiple hours of my day. And while I’m still changing and learning to become the best version of myself, I think I am on the right track.

With your newfound passion to explore yourself and explore the world outside of the bubble, keep in mind that who you were as a kid and where you came from is nothing to be ashamed of. While a lot of us have felt stuck for the majority of our lives, there is no denying that this feeling and how we’ve been raised have taught us valuable lessons and shaped us into the wonderful women we are today; the women who are ready to explore and who can’t wait to pop their bubble.

by: rachel musman | design: samantha fuss

In a world of “slut,” “whore,” “hoe,” and “prude,” being thrown around like your situationship’s dirty pong ball, thinking about sex has gone from “with who” to “when?” Everyone knows about the classic sex after the third date rule, or “make them wait for it if you want to seem like Girlfriend Material.” What everybody needs to know: that it’s absolutely okay to sleep with somebody on the first date, but it’s also totally fine to wait.

Let’s be honest: just as much as we all get hungry, we all get horny. Our minds are constantly consumed with flashbacks from past sexual experiences, and the media is just full of images that only feed into our desires. So why is acting on that bad? Our physical needs are just as valid as our emotional needs. An orgasm has biological benefits, ranging from happy hormones to stress reduction to strengthening your immune system.

There is an expectation that women are less sexual than men. But if the “celibacy club” Glee episode taught us anything, that is totally false. Follow your body and your mind, and go about things in a way that makes you and your partner comfortable; don’t think about what anybody else might say. Sex is a huge part of daily life, and there should be no shame for being a normal human being. If a potential partner doesn’t want to get more serious with you because “you put out on the first date” then that person is not worth your time. Intimacy should have no rules, other than that it needs to happen at the pace you and your partner are comfortable with. Consent goes two ways and is the most important factor of any sexual interaction. “Sex” can mean a wide range of things. Do whatever, whenever. Not one thing needs to come before or after the other. Sex is not just penetration. There are many other ways to feel pleasure. I may not know much about sports, but home base isn’t the only base to exist. Sorry baseball boys, but sometimes running the bases out of order can lead to more fun.

Physical aspects of a relationship play a huge role in things. Learning each other’s bodies and desires can happen at different paces. If the sex is good on the first date: amazing! It’s great that the chemistry is there from the start. If the sex isn’t good on the first date: don’t loose hope. It takes time to learn what feels good and pleases the both of you.

However; if you aren’t ready to sleep with someone after the first date (or even smooch, let’s be real here) that is NORMAL, OKAY, AND EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. Just do you. Not to please society and its rules. Like Samantha Jones once said, “If I worried what every bitch in New York was saying about me, I’d never leave the house.”