Gainesville weather can be, without a doubt, real tricky to dress up for. When one Fall day ranges from the cool mid-60’s to hot and sticky right after class, the adaptability of one’s outfit becomes so much more than a sartorial concern: it’s a hard-fought battle for comfort.
UF Honors sophomore, Olivia Meadows, has learned to tackle on both casual Gainesville fashion and dressing for optimal comfort in a way that impressed me from the start. Check out the interview below, and you too will be swapping out your unloved looks for boxy green dresses and expertly manicured nails!Name: Olivia Meadows
Age: 19
Year: Sophomore
Major: Anthropology and philosophy, with a minor in French
Her Campus: What are you wearing and where is it from?
Olivia Meadows: “The shoes are from Steve Madden. And the dress I got from this really small, cute store in my hometown. The ring is from a collection called Dana and David (also designers from my hometown).”
HC: Who are your style icons?
OM: “Okay, there’s this French actress—hold on, let me find this girl’s name! Lea Seydoux. Also, Joan Watson from Elementary has great style too: I try to model everything like her.”
HC: How would you describe your personal style as?
OM: “Really casual, all the time! But also free-flowing clothes. I don’t like things that are tight or require a lot of extra care. Convenient fashion, pretty things I can wear out and about, is more of what I go for.”
HC: Where do you love to shop at?
OM: “I really like small boutiques in general. I can find clothes there that are higher quality and not as expensive as a big department store. If I had to pick a big one, though, it would probably be Forever 21 or H&M. Or Francesca’s at the Oaks Mall—it always has a really great selection.”
HC: What’s your favorite wardrobe piece at the moment?
OM: “It’s either my maroon hat or a black dress I just bought that has quarter length sleeves and flows out. I’m really into boxy dresses right now because they’re so easy to walk around in and you can dress them up with a simple accessory (like a necklace) or just wear them to campus. So I have the dress I’m wearing now and the black dress for that purpose.”
HC: Favorite season to dress up for?
OM: “Fall. Summer in Florida is way too hot, and you’re stuck being sticky in whatever you’re in. Spring is also really hot, and winter, for some reason, is really cold! So, definitely Fall. You can show off long sleeves, and you don’t have to be bundled up into a jacket.”
HC: Okay, last question of the day! What’s your style advice for Gator gals reading this?
OM: “Always buy things that you’re comfortable in. If you think that it looks good on you but it isn’t actually comfortable, don’t buy it because you probably won’t end up wearing it. There was this one dress that I didn’t wear for two years because it had a really open back, which I was insecure about at the time. I think that your comfort and what you wear shows through more than anything.”
Photo Credit: Anna Burbano