Name: Maureen Denino
Age: 26
Major: M.A. in French
Hometown: Smithtown, N.Y.
Occupation: Teaching Assistant
Maureen Denino, Master's student in French, shows off her fashion for the CUI's Alaina Ambrosio. (CU Independent/Alaina Ambrosio)
The Breton T-shirt became popular in the 1930s, worn by the fashionable elite on the French Riviera. This week’s Fashion Forward subject, Maureen Denino, demonstrates that the stripes still reign supreme.
Today she dons a chunky knit sweater that works perfectly with her sailor T-shirt. On the bottom, she sports a pair of well-fitting, dark-wash jeans tucked into short black boots. Completing the look, Denino goes for a natural face, wearing only mascara and ChapStick.
Her look today affirms Denino’s personal style.
“I know it sounds cliche, but I like things that look French,” Denino says. “I really like clothes that look vintage, especially styles from the 1940’s. Oh and of course I always look for comfort!”
Judging from her Breton T-shirt, her style philosophy and her major, it seemed likely that Denino had spent some time in France. It turns out that this graduate student has inconsequently spent a total of two-and-a-half years in l’Hexagone, an appellation of France that refers to the country’s shape.
While living in France, Denino spent the majority of her time living in Paris, as well as Burgundy and Lorraine regions. During her stay, Denino inevitably learned many things regarding the culture and language, but most importantly she mastered their coveted fashion secrets. She learned the rules to achieving that elusive quality every French girl seems to have, that certain je ne sais quoi .
The rules are straightforward:
1.) Keep it simple.
2.) Not too many accessories.
3.) Buy classic pieces, not trends.
In the end, it seems that French style isn’t as unobtainable as it seems. Thanks to Denino, we can also master the French art of tying a scarf, a necessary skill when it’s this cold out!
A graduate student in French, Maureen Denino, expertly demonstrates how to tie a winter scarf in a French style (CU Independent/Alaina Ambrosio)
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alaina Ambrosio at Alaina.ambrosio@colorado.edu.
