Thursday, November 14, 2013

How To Style: Sweaters

Today I decided to do a How To Style post. I haven't done one since July (How To Style: Plain White Tee's) so I'm definitely overdue. This fall, sweaters are a really big trend, and there's so many different kinds and possibilities that it can get overwhelming. I thought I'd try to clear some of the confusion (hopefully) for you all, and in the mean time get some outfit inspiration for myself :).

I hope you like it! Sorry in advance...this post is really long :/
The Embellished Sweater




1. The Embellished Sweater With embellished sweaters such as this beauty from J. Crew, the key is to not over-accessorize. The embellishments on the sweater almost act as accessories of their own, so when adding these final touches keep it minimal and simple, and try to stay away from a ton of sparklies. Here, I paired it with a classic grey skinny to direct attention to the sweater, then chose orange as my statement color. I put an orange lip, heel, and clutch as some statement accents (notice: no sparklies), but encorporated a few pastel colors from the sweater (pink and blue) in to tie it all together. While statement pieces always add a beautiful dynamic to a look, keep it grounded by also incorporating colors from the outfit into your accessories.

The Cropped Sweater




2. The Cropped Sweater I'm usually very wary of different color combinations and black tends to find its way into almost all of my looks. For this look however, I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and pair two bright colors together. I also wouldn't normally think of blue and pink as colors that go extremely well together, but it actually turned out really well. Since both the skirt and the sweater don't have much going on, this is the time to break out your super outlandish statement necklaces. Opt for ones in solid metallics (gold, silver, bronze, etc.) or one with transparent or opaque jewels (not this, but rather something like this) as to not add too much pigmentation to the look. The same goes for bracelets and rings, and if you do a jeweled bracelet like I did, I would go for simple metallic rings, and vice versa so it doesn't get too bling-y. Continuing my quest to not make everything so black, I decided to take advantage of the awesome holographic trend for the finishing touches of the heels, clutch and sunnies. The more I see it, the more I start to realize that black accessories can be replaced with holographic ones a lot of the time.

The Draped Cardigan




3. The Draped Cardigan With this look, I kept the main outfit super simple. This way, most of the attention is still going to that beautiul sweater, but it gives you freedom to load up on statement accessories! With this kind of neutral background, you can do basically anything, but I chose a gorgeous blue necklace with a huge blue ring and jeweled gold bracelet to match, then a (relatively) simple embellished loafer, to keep with the black and gold trend I unintentionally started. To go even further with this black and gold, I added a gold clutch with black tassels. Finally, I put those adorable red cat-eyes just because it is unexpected.

The Turtleneck Sweater


4. The Turtleneck Sweater My no-black intentions can only go so far. I mean, who can resist those pants? The burgundy turtleneck gives it a bit of an interesting dynamic, but it would also be an amazing 100% monochrome look. With these printed pants, I kept the accessories pretty basic. Everyone's favorite quilted Chanel bag adds to the sophistication of the look, and the black bootie is a nice simple touch. The emerald earrings were more of an impulse thing...kind of second guessing the style now, but I think the color goes beautifully with the burgundy on the sweater. I added these circle glasses because, well, you just can't ever go wrong with these guys.
The Crew Neck Cardi




5. The Crewneck Cardi This look I'm particularly proud of. I have a particular distaste for these kinds of cardigans, and although they look cute on my English teacher, I thought that these cardigans must be good for something else too. I did take some inspiration from the look I'm used to seeing it in, but I definitely added a few personal touches. I think the key to making this look less ultra-prep and more ultra-chic is adding lots of trendy and modern pieces to the look. The famous structured Celine bag, the bright pumps, and pleated pants all add very modern, trendy, and sophisticated dimensions to the outfit. The half rim sunnies and knit turban dress it down a bit, making the outfit more transferable from office to night.

Patterned Sweater




6. The Patterned Sweater The graphic sweater is definitely the biggest fall trend for 2013. With this bold Tibi printed jumper, I made a chic all black look (I had to. There's only so long i can go without black). The leather pants and aviators give it an edgy, modern look while the pumps and earrings add a touch of sophistication. I then found a matching yellow statement clutch, and voila! A perfect fall look.

The Chunky Cable Knit




7. The Chunky Cable Knit This oatmeal color is pretty much made for fall. Even just looking at it, doesn't it seem so cozy? Like something you'd wear at Thanksgiving or while sipping cocoa by the fire? Maybe not, but you get my point. These cable knit sweaters look the best when they're super oversized. Buy an oversized style, or just get a regular one from the men's section or a couple of sizes too big. The button-down underneath can also be oversized, for a fresh spin on this preppy classic. Pair these with a burgundy jean (or any deep, warm color for that matter) for an extra autumn-ish touch, and accessorize with browns and turquoise for that rustic and homey feel.


For more sweaters and styling ideas, check out the collection on Polyvore!


To make this extremely lengthy (sorry!) post 3 minutes lengthier, I thought I'd play one of my favorite songs which also happens to be very fall-themed. It's called Another Rainy Day and it's sung by the fabulous Corrine Bailey Rae. Although it's not raining here in the Bay, this is like the perfect fall song and is great for those of you who are in rainy places right now.

I'm done now, I swear! Thanks for reading this SUPER long post, if you've made it this far you deserve a prize :)

xo

Audrey

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