The weather in Amherst has been temperamental. Cold mornings transition into muggy afternoons, only to return to chilly evenings. The fluctuating temperature can make choosing a practical— let alone fashionable— outfit somewhat tricky.

Meet Alex Karkos, a senior anthropology major who seemed just as comfortable in the cooler lecture hall as she was outside in the bright sun while being photographed. Her outfit was composed of a loose-fitting, lightweight blouse and shorts with a pair of flat sandals. Despite its simple white color, the blouse had detailed, lace sleeves. The lightness of the top’s material balanced out its long sleeves, which Alex chose to cuff and secure.

Additionally, Alex wore a standard ribbed tank top underneath to compensate for the sheerness of the blouse, which also provided some needed warmth for the cold morning weather. She paired the shirt with a pair of cobalt blue cotton shorts, another great choice. The shorts added a great pop of color that works beautifully with Alex’s red hair, and will keep her legs cool when the day heats up.

Accessories can sometimes get lost in the frenzy of figuring out what to wear, but Alex carefully paired a tiered necklace with simple gold hoop earrings. The necklace, while flashy in structure, is constructed of subdued pink stones that peeked out from the open collar of her blouse. The gold earrings gave a classic touch and did not overwhelm the rest of her look. Finding a balance between clothing and accessories is enough to deter many people from even trying to mix the two, but Alex worked both to her advantage.

A large number of the spring/ summer 2014 collections displayed at New York Fashion Week featured shorts as a key piece for the season. Band of Outsiders and Rachel Zoe showed the flexibility of shorts, each pairing the staple item with loosely structured tops and highlighting how a great pair of shorts can look both put-together and effortless.

The ease of Alex’s outfit is exemplary of this season’s fashions, and her gravitation toward solid colors is a great way of interpreting the minimalism in many of the collections. However, she scored her look at low-cost stores like Marshall’s and Forever 21. To create a similar look, learn more at dailycollegianfashion.tumblr.com.

XiaoXiao Lederer can be reached at [email protected].