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By Emily Farra

Despite the ageless appeal of crazy floral prints, ridiculous silhouettes, and the ever-present cheetah-print bootie, sometimes you just want something simple.  I often remind myself of this when I toy with my closet too much and end up looking … well, not like me.  I then resort to my go-to outftit consisting of Genetic skinnies, a loose tee, and a wrist stacked with bracelets — but this spring, I want to branch out more.

The new simplicity I’m going for includes simple shapes (like I talked about in this previous post) plus the newest mod inspiration: color-blocking.

Color-blocking adds a sharp, geometric edge to your outfit with literally no effort; when paired with streamlined pieces like dark skinny jeans and solid flats, color-blocking helps you make a bold statement that isn’t fussy or overly-trendy.

Designer Phillip Lim featured color-blocked neutrals in angular shapes for his Spring 2011 RTW show; beige, white, and black combine with sharp contrast for the utmost minimalist effect.

On the other hand, Issa showed a looser interpretation of the trend –  soft and fluid shapes with bright jewel-tone colors.

While complete opposites, both Lim’s and Issa’s executions are perfect examples of this minimalist-mod color block trend – but there are much cheaper (and more realistic) lookalikes for your everyday life.

The Forever 21 top below is perfect for the color-blocking rookie: it’s loose and comfy, and the colors are soft and complementary.  This tee looks easy and stylish paired with your skinniest jeans and a pair of flat sandals!  Bold jewelry elevates the casual look, so try this oversized gold cuff.

If you would rather control which colors you use, try combining solids, like the citron tank and mushroom skirt below, both from Nasty Gal. The neutral gray anchors the electric yellow shade so that the overall effect is both bold and subtle.

Add this multimedia wedge for even more color-blocking!  In neutral tan and black, they’re the perfect shoe to anchor your colorful spring wardrobe — and at $100, they’re hard to pass up!

By Kara Goldfarb > Junior > Writing > Ithaca College

Rome is disorganized. The buses come late, the people don’t show up for work, there are no such things as lines, parking spaces or red lights. Essentially, it can sometimes feel like the city is being controlled by a kindergartener. And if that is the case, then London is controlled by a kindergarten teacher. Yes, I was in London this weekend. I got in late at night and automatically expected the public transportation to be what I’m used to in Rome–that is, not stopping at every stop, not showing up on time, etc. Instead I found that you never have to wait more than three minutes for the “tube” to come, and it stops where it’s supposed to while announcing every upcoming stop. The subway system also has nice charts and maps (all color coded). This was something I could get used to. Of course, hearing everything in English made things much easier as well.

I spent two days in London, each one jam-packed with things I wanted to do. My friends and I went to all the main tourist destinations, like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Parliament building. We ate the typical food (such as fish and chips, which consists of an entire fried fish and French fries), checked out museums and even had time to walk across Abbey Road (a more embarrassing feat than you would think considering it’s a particularly busy road and you have to literally stop traffic to walk).

My favorite part of the whole trip, though, was the little town of Notting Hill. The name may remind you of the Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts romantic comedy, but the actual place is much cooler. Lined with little shops and colorful houses, I imagine that this is what the streets look like in Candy Land. The entire sidewalk is taken up by a huge vintage market selling everything from clothes to jewelry to old records to furniture. Notting Hill is also home to Hummingbird Bakery, known for their delicious cupcakes. Maybe it’s not as sophisticated a pastry as Italy’s cannoli, but I have always had a slight obsession with cupcakes and this pink frosted treat went perfectly with the sweetness of the Town.

To be honest, by the end of the weekend the incessant politeness of the voice on the tube telling me every stop was starting to drive me crazy. Rome may be disorganized and wild, but that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much. (I also missed the coffee; Londoners just don’t get it). Taking a cupcake for the road, I said “goodbye” (in English!) to the red double-decker buses and the crowded pubs, and hopped on my plane back home.

By Nolan DiFrancesco > Junior > International Studies > Johns Hopkins University

Yesterday, it rained. This was apparently a big deal. The nation of Lebanon was terrified. In this country of unabated rumors, people were convinced that the rain was dangerously radioactive due to the Japanese nuclear problem. (News Flash: it wasn’t.) But the rumor mill churned, and throughout the day multiple professors warned me of the impending danger. Finally the president of the university was forced to send out an email telling people to chill out.

It’s always a fun part of traveling to learn the silly little rumors or old wives’ tales prevalent in a country. Here is just a taste of what can be overheard in Lebanon:

• One delicious dish found on any restaurant’s menu is Tabouleh, a chopped parsley salad. But people are convinced that due to the inherent dirtiness of parsley, this salad can make you ill. The only way to counter it? By drinking a very strong local variety of alcohol called Arak. So then you can eat a healthy salad AND get plastered…
• In Beirut and greater Lebanon the power tends to go out multiple times a day, sometimes for hours at a time. The reason? It couldn’t possibly be years of mismanaged public utilities and a lack of infrastructure development. You’re a thousand times more likely to hear people blame it on the Jews.
• If you are a former artist or masseuse trying to gain a visa into Lebanon, watch out – the government thinks you’re a prostitute and is likely to reject your application (Oh wait, turns out this one is actually true!).

And these are just the silly ones. Be prepared for a deadly serious argument if you discuss the Freemason’s planning 9/11 and controlling the world, which terrorists are monitoring your phone calls and how best to avoid Israeli spy sharks.  I’d like to see that segment of Shark Week…