Lauren McParland

Meet Lauren McParland

This week we are featuring members from Alpa Phi Omega, a community service fraternity on JMU's campus. Lauren has eclectic taste and is fearless in choosing accessories.

Year: Senior

Major: Business Management and a minor in Communications Studies

Personal style in one word: Comfort and classic with a touch of free-spiritedness.

Why is personal style important to you: I think it’s important to express yourself and even though you may not see yourself as an artist or creative person, I think that we’re all able to show our creativity through what we wear.

Style icon: Blake Lively

Dream vacation: I really, really, really want to backpack through South American and go through Patagonia and hike all that and the coffee plantations.

Favorite stores to shop at: I like to classify them as teacher stores aka Loft. I am a Maxxonista so TJMaxx. Sometimes, H&M if I’m looking for a lil pizzaz to through into the mix.

First date outfit: Jeans, a t-shirt and my green utility jacket. And Keds.

Style inspiration: Just from what other people wear my age, especially my friends. And then just magazines and online. I’m not someone to really outwardly search.

What's your favorite thing about what you're wearing: So, I really love this elephant scarf but I wasn’t sure if it was acceptable in the winter but I decided to wing it and pull it out today.

What do you feel most comfortable in: I bought a pair of Lucky Jeans from TJ Maxx and it was the best day of my life. So proud. It feels like I’m wearing pajamas, they’re so soft.

Daily makeup routine: Five minutes. Mascara is a must and then powder foundation. I just slap that on there and then a little eye shadow and Vaseline is my go-to lip balm. They have a mini tub with cocoa butter and it’s so cute. It’s pretty low-maintenance.

What's your favorite part of APO: APO is the first home that I found at JMU. It changed the track of my life and made me realize that service is something I want to do in my career path and after graduation. The opportunities that APO has given me is the best part but also the friends, but with those friends, the thoughts and values that they’ve been able to share with me has been so eye-opening. Any day I see someone from APO, I can expect to have a really thoughtful conversation about a social issue but then we can turn around and be absolutely ridiculous.