Fashion Forward Fridays

In this edition of Fashion Forward Fridays, we examine the geekiest, yet most convenient accessory EVER:

The Rolling Backpack

I know, I know. Do I really want to go here? Here's the thing: I noticed a rip in the bottom of my trusty five and a half year old backpack today. Apparently the huge law books are murdering it. So the decision is finally before me: Do I give up and get the rolling backpack?

Pros:

• My vertebrae won't feel collapsed at the end of the day. Books are HEAVY. And carrying four books, a legal pad, my macbook, and a heavy water bottle all day is bad for your back. Apparently you're not supposed to carry more than 10% of your body weight on your back. But I'm not 300 pounds, so you can see how my bag is getting a little uncomfortable.
• I'll have more space. Apparently rolling backpacks are much bigger than they look, and have lots of compartments. So I won't have to dig through my bag as much, and I'll actually be able to carry MORE than I do now, which means less trips between home and school.

Cons:

• They look pretty dorky. It's like you're saying, "I'm so serious, I need a SERIOUS backpack." I don't WANT to be the dorky kid. I want a cute side bag that I can carry with pride.
• They're pricey. The one pictured here retails for $169.95 at the company website. (It's only $101 at Overstock.com, though.) A decent backpack is only $30. Will it last long enough to make it worth the price? (I would appreciate some feedback on this.)

I can't decide what I want to do, but I need to decide before my Macbook falls out of my backpack while I'm walking down State Street.

Fashion Forward Fridays

It's time for another installment of Fashion Forward Fridays! This week: The Headband. This is definitely just a girl thing, so next week I'll do something boy-centric.

No, headbands are not specific to law school. In fact, headbands are pretty much a thing everywhere. But professionalism demands small, non-eyecatching jewelry for the most part. It's simple look, and there's not much you can do to dress it up. That's why headbands are the way of the future.

The boho scarf look is NOT what you're going for. Everyone say it with me now, "Silk printing is BAD." You also want to avoid the little girl look, so if your mom would have used it to hold your bangs out of your eyes when you were five, it's a no. Also, no cute little bows for the most part. Unless you can get it in a solid color and a boring fabric, just avoid it.

What is in? Jeweled, shaped, anything that has a touch of glamor without being overdone.

Some of the things I see a lot of?

Love the geometrically shaped jewels! When most of your clothing is one-color boring, this is beautifully eyecatching. But it's not so eyecatching that it would steal the attention from your equally gorgeous resume. I'd tell you where to find it, but I think it's homemade. Which is annoying, but for crafty people, it's AWESOME.

The metallic is probably the most versatile of all three, imo. You can wear it in a professional setting to add a little bit of interesting to everything else your wearing, if you wanted to wear it out at night, you could still go wild with your makeup and it wouldn't clash, and as you can tell from the photo, it looks great with a t-shirt and jeans. No complaints here! (Urban Outfitters, $18)

The last one is really popular for day-to-day wear, even though it's not something I would personally wear. It's a little too big for me, but it works on a LOT of people. Cute and made of chiffon, it definitely adds a little bit of whimsy to whatever you're wearing. (J.Crew 26.50)

In other words, headbands are more than just a headpiece that your mom makes you wear to avoid chewing on your hair now! Yay childhood do-overs!!

Fashion Forward Fridays

This is something I've been wanting to do for a while now. Law school has a specific dress code that you wouldn't even be able to guess at until your first day. The very first day of orientation, they tell you to dress professionally so that you make a good impression on your future gods...er, professors.

So every week I plan to pick one item of clothing and expound upon its virtues. This week, I pick the most fundamental of clothing options:

THE SUIT

Believe me, you're going to want a suit, or something to approximate it. Eventually, you're going to do an interview with SOMEONE (hopefully) and you'll need the suit to be appropriately dressed. Here are five reasons the suit is awesome:

#5: As I mentioned, that interview. If appropriately tailored and colored, you should look impressive.

#4: Versatility. I know. It's a SUIT. It's not THAT versatile. Au contraire. Personally, I own an all-black suit that without a splash of color makes me look like an undertaker. So I like matching it with grass green button downs and creamy silk shells. Also, for women there's the skirt/pants choice. Personally, I'm a fan of the skirt. My legs are too long to find suitpants that fit. But hey, there are other things to explore. Pinstripes, color, wide lapels. The suit IS versatile.

#3: Exploiting jealousy. Give yourself a leg up on the competition. Seriously, when your classmates see you wearing a suit, they wonder what kind of awesome opportunity you've found that means you get to wear a suit. Take that aura of mystery and turn it into confidence.

#2: SHOES. I'm all about the chance to buy shoes. And before you roll your eyes and call this a girl thing, a guy I know is CONSTANTLY looking up Italian leather shoes to wear with his suits. A great suit just gives you a chance to wear great shoes. Who can pass that up?

#1: It just feels good! Is there anything better than walking through downtown feeling like you fit in? No. there is not. Don't lie to yourself. Confidence is something that isn't always readily available in the world of law school, so you've gotta take it wear you can find it.

So, in the words of my favorite sitcome character: SUIT UP!