By Ahlia Bethea ’13, Fashion Columnist

Hello my lovelies! For those of you that don’t know, my name is Ahlia Bethea and I am entering my final year here at Newark Academy. Last year I started reporting on all things fashion related: from the latest trends to how to look stunning at prom. I’ve been here for it all and I’m back again for another year of making you look wonderful!

Imagine that you are a new student whose outfit is out of dress code on the first day. Before you can even introduce yourself to your third period teacher, you’ve placed yourself on Ms. Galvin’s radar. The rest of your year is filled with robes, cleavage bibs, and detentions. I know there are some fashion daredevils out there, willing to push the limits of the dress code until they can’t anymore. I’m here to tell you that it’s not worth it! I’ve worn a cleavage bib and a robe once and let me tell you, it’s not as thrilling as you may think it will be. On the other hand, if you look absolutely fabulous you’ll be on my radar, and that’s a place you definitely want to be. When you look great, you’ll get to hear me say three of the greatest words ever, “Wanna be featured?”

Now I know there are some newbies reading this article that have no idea what I’m talking about, so let me explain. I run a fashion blog alongside my good friend, Asia Lugo, also a senior. Our blog’s name is Fabulous & Featured, so naturally if you’re outfit is fabulous enough, you’ll be featured. Students like Christian Pinto ‘13, Sydney Feinberg ‘14, and Jalen Smith ’13 are repeat features who truly know the power of a good outfit. Being stopped in the hallway, and asked to step outside for a photo can be a much needed confidence booster to help get you through the day. When asked how being featured makes him feel, Pinto responded, “I feel like I have mass amounts of [style]”. Sydney is hoping to go from getting her photo taken to writing weekly posts for the blog. Getting featured isn’t that difficult, you just need to have a few key pieces in your wardrobe that you know how to put together. Looking to celebrities, trends, and runway reports is a great way to find constant inspiration.

Summer is officially over and fashion is finally relevant again. No more of the sandals and short-short catastrophes, we are entering a season where the clothes have a bit more fabric to work with! Fall is hands down my favorite season because the layering possibilities are endless and we can experiment with different textures, while adding fun pops of color.

I’d rather not overwhelm you with a list of all of the latest trends, so I’ll share some of my runway obsessions that can easily enhance your wardrobe. My three favorite fall pieces for guys would definitely be turtlenecks, leather jackets, and double breasted suits. These pieces have been modeled in quite a few couture showrooms but can easily be integrated into casual, everyday looks. There happen to be a lot of man-purses and envelope clutches as well, but I get the feeling that a limited number of even the classiest Newark Academy gentlemen would be willing to pull those off. As for the ladies, my favorite fall trends are velvet ensembles, vintage inspired shoes and lots of gold. Don’t let trend alerts overwhelm you though; just use them as starting points to build an outfit that is true to your individual fashion personality.

Have a great school year everyone, and remember to check back for more fabulous fashion news! If you need some fashion inspiration before my next article is published, head over to www.fabulousandfeatured.com.

Stay Fabulous,

Ahlia