Monthly Archives: October 2020

9 Sweater Trends For the Season

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Snow softly falling outside in the diffused light of a overcast sky always makes me want to get cozy. And there is nothing like putting on a warm sweater to get me in the mood for colder days and hot cups of cider. Our cold snap last week made me crawl up to the top most shelf of my closet where I have my sweaters folded and pull the first one down for the season. It truly is one of the best parts of living in a colder climate. Maybe you also found yourself surveying your sweater collection. It might be time to retire some older styles and replace them with some of the fresh new trends in sweaters. This week, my “Picks of the Week” are some of the new sweaters for the season and a brief discussion of the most important sweater trends.

1. Chenille: Top left
There is nothing softer than Chenille and the fabric makes the coziest of sweaters. The only downside is that it can sometimes be bulky, so I loved this Chenille mock neck sweater that can be layered under a blazer or jean jacket. I also loved the color, as soft pink is still a significant color trend.

2. Cowl Necks: Top Middle
You’ll be seeing lots of wide necks on sweaters this season, as the “cowl” neck is making a huge comeback. This drapy style softens the face with folds of fabric that help draw attention upward. It is also very good for women who are busty, as it works well to visually minimize.

3. Abstract Prints: Top Right
I am loving all the beautiful abstract prints this season. It is a season for dip dyes, variegated yarns, and lovely colors that flow one into the other. I’ve also noticed that while there are some chunky knit trends happening right now, many of the sweaters are very light weight, almost meeting in the middle between a sweater and knit top. These types of fabrics are great if you run hot or are a little chunkier because they don’t add bulk.

4. Long Sweater Cardigans: Middle Left
Sweaters worn as jackets or as a substitute for more tailored blazers are a great addition to your wardrobe. The length makes them classy enough to wear to the office when you pair them with a blouse and slack. You can also style them casually with colored jeans and a turtle neck.

5. Nordic Sweaters: Middle Middle
Sweaters with prints that remind you of a ski challet are everywhere this season. These classic Nordic patterns almost feel retro, but designers have freshened them up with new colors and yarns.

6. Sweater Dresses: Middle Right
The classic sweater dress is always a great choice, and I love the versatility of wearing them with leggings and shoe boots or tights and tall boots. This style is a great look for the office, as it is easy to dress up, but you can easily pair a sweater dress with skinny jeans for a more casual style.

7. Sweater Tunics: Bottom Left and Middle
The season’s printed skinny jeans are perfect paired with a solid sweater tunic, and its fun to make the color combination a little surprising like pairing wine with grey. Light weight tunic sweaters also work great with your yoga wear and an added layer that can keep you warm in-between the car and studio.

8. The Classic Crew Neck: Bottom Right
Another blast from the past is the Pointelle crew neck sweater, which is making a huge comeback this season. Crew neck sweaters are perfect with collared blouses, providing a layered look that is classy and versatile matched up with printed slacks or skirts for a great office style.

9. Cropped: Bottom
The high rise “mom jeans” of the season work perfectly with a cropped sweater that is designed to just graze the top of the waist band of the jeans. This shorter style is also good with paper bag waist bands or tie front palazzo pants as well.

Maybe knowing the latest sweater trends has inspired you to unbox or, like me, bring down your own favorite sweaters. When you do, be sure to enjoy the feeling of wearing your first sweater of the season!

All of these sweaters can be found in Fashion Crossroads or on our online store in the Kyleen’s Picks Of The Week Collection.

If The Shoe Fits….

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Looking your best doesn’t just mean you pay attention only to your top and bottom; accessories really matter too! In fact, the right shoe can take an outfit from amazing to BOING!  Conversely, the wrong shoe, can make a great outfit fall flat.  For instance, knowing how to wear a shoe boot with a cuffed or ankle jean matters.  Small details can be the difference between making it work and having it be all wrong. 

My store has just received our fall shipment of these lovely shoes from L’Artiste by Spring Step. What I love about these shoes is the artistry; they are anything by ordinary, and wearing a shoe like this can really add dimension and interest to your outfit. The combination of multiple fabrics, blended colors, and exquisite details, take them to a whole new level. And, why shouldn’t your shoe be as interesting as the other elements of your style?

But, wearing a great shoe does take a little more thought, so here are my 5 tips for how to wear a great shoe like these correctly:

  1. Balance the details: If you are wearing a beautiful shoe like these with lots of embellishment and details, you can let the shoe be the star of your style, and good style dictates that you don’t have more than one or two items that are really eye catching. If you combine too many pieces with too many details, your look can begin to be a bit over done. For example, if you have a great shoe like these, choose a simple, clean bottom without any embellishments. Then, maybe add another accessory such as a great pair of earrings, a scarf or a handbag as your second “star,” keeping your top simple.
  2. Wear the style correctly: Nothing can ruin a look faster than wearing a shoe the wrong way. For example, with the shoe boot trend, you have three options: you can wear them with a skirt, you can wear them with leggings or you can wear them with a cuffed bottom that hits right at the top of the boot. You don’t want two inches of skin showing between the hemline and the boot. You also don’t want an overly large cuff. Also, don’t let your socks show!
  3. Match the colors: Wearing a multi-colored shoe just requires that you match the colors in the shoe with the colors in your outfit. Take the shoe boot on the bottom right at the top of the page as an example. This shoe combines several key colors of the season, including navy, wine, lavender and gold. This boot is going to work well with any denim, but you would want to choose a top in the same tones as the shoe. Wine, blue and purple tones will work best. You don’t have to match the shoe exactly, just stay in the same color family to keep your style pulled together.
  4. Match the metals: I have never been a fan of mixing metals in your outfits. If you shoe has silver buckles, for instance, make sure that the rest of your jewelry is also silver. The same goes for gold.
  5. Enjoy the attention: When you wear an eye catching shoe, you will….well…catch eyes! You might even have a stranger stop you and compliment you. When this happens, enjoy the attention! When you’ve worked hard to put a great look together, you deserve the praise! And, it feels good to feel great about your style!

These shoes are available on our online store in our “Kyleen’s Picks Of The Week” Collection.

Denim Trends For Fall/Winter 2020

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1. Mom Jeans: Top left
Wear those shorter tops with high rise jeans to get the latest mom jean look. This style doesn’t have to be distressed and blown out. It can be toned down with high rise jeans that are cleaner, like these new ones from Jag.

2. Colored Denim: Tobacco, Mustard, Distressed Black and Black jeans styles
This is the season to embrace colored denim. From the more conservative Tobacco brown to the trendiest Mustard, this trend is hot, hot, hot. Many of these styles are selling out fast, an indication that this trend has fully taken hold, so don’t wait to grab your favorite color!

3. Raw edge hems: Bottom Left
What makes these jeans special is their un-hemed bottom, known in the industry as a “raw edge.” These also have a “clipped hem” which means they are shorter in the front and longer in the back. This is a fashionable jean trend that is on its second season in popularity.

4. Dark, clean denim: Bottom Right

The best way to dress up denim is to choose a dark wash that is “clean,” meaning it has minimal distressing, seam detailing or embellishment. These are your best choice for pulling off the dressed up casual looks of the season like blazers and dressy tanks paired with jeans.

You can find all of these styles in store or on our online store here:

https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/colored-denim