Student Stylista of the Week: Ciara Sherlock

Hello and welcome to the very first "Student Stylista of the Week" in which we celebrate the ordinary girls and guys around campus who really know how to dress themselves! To get the ball rolling, I have chosen a good friend of mine, Ms. Ciara Sherlock, as our first Student Stylista.

Ciara, 20, is a 1st year student in DIT studying Event Management. The great thing about Ciaras sense of style is that she always looks effortlessly great. She knows exactly what colours and shapes suit her well and uses this to her advantage, without ever looking try-hard. I caught up with Ciara during the week to ask her about her personal style.

Well Ciara! Tell us a little bit about your personal style!

It’s so hard to describe my style, because i’ve never thought of myself as a stylish person at all! So this is a massive compliment.

I like to be comfortable, that's the truth! I can’t concentrate or enjoy myself if im in something I dont feel comfortable in, so maybe that’s why people say I ‘dress for my body’. I’m really small and petite and know what I can and can’t wear. I love going casual.

I like chilled out clothes, big comfy cardigans with skinny jeans, shorts and tights with baggy shirts or tops.

I think my favourite pieces of clothing I own would be my dad’s levi denim shirt from when he was a hippy haha. I would wear it to a music festival, to college, chilling in the sun in summer, and even over a dress to a nightclub!

I also love a pair of jeans I got almost a year ago, they are from an american shop in blanchardstown, i wish i could remember the name of the shop! They are high waisted blue denim fit so well. They are perfect for any outfit, whether it be just wearing with a baggy top and runners, or dressing it up and wearing a classy top and super high heels.

I don’t think people appreciate plain, skin tight tank tops enough! They can work for any occasion and you can wear them with anything. Its handy to have them in a few different colours too.

I’m not very girly, and I don’t like being cold. When i go out to town i rarely wear a tiny dress and bare legs... It’s Ireland, it’s freezing balls!

Usually I go for a nice top, heels and jeans or leggings. If I’m getting the pins out i would go for shorts. I love my high waisted black shorts from river island, they weren’t cheap, but i’ve gotten such a good wear out of them!

Where do you do most of your shopping?

To be honest i try and stay away from shopping haha! I would mainly stick to New Look because they have great student discounts and always have nice clothes. Pennys has really stepped it up too, recently they have such nice clothes. I also like catch, the have good quality stylish clothes. I stay away from the more expensive places like river island and topshop, i can’t bare to pay that much money for clothes!

Have you any opinions on today’s fashion industry?

I think that people listen to what they are told looks good, too much. A lot of shops all stock the same clothes recently, and everyone is wearing the same thing!

Don’t get me wrong, I really do like some of it. I like the no sleeved baggy tops, and I love the light shirts that button to the top, they are great!

I also think it’s great that no one cares about being too skinny anymore. That bothered me. Now there is loads more options and it’s better to have a bit of meat on ya!

Any tips for students struggling to look good on a budget?

I would say buy smart. Don’t spend €80 on a dress that you will wear only a handful of times. Buy one or two great pairs of shorts or skirts. Invest in nice tights so you can change it up easily. No need to spend loads, pennys does the job!

Have one unreal pair of jeans that can be versatile, that you feel comfortable in but look great too, and then some leggings for when you’re in college.

I would love if people werent afraid to re-invent things more. Steal you grannys old jumpers and your dads old shirts. They are back in fashion now!

And which celebrities style do you admire and why?