Category Archives: product review

3 Ways To Style A Blazer

Posted in fall fashion trends, fashion trends, how to, How to wear the trends when you are over 40, product review, tips and tricks, Trendy at any age by

Have you ever found yourself in a style rut where you can’t seem to think outside of the box? We all have! I think this is especially true when a style that has been popular in the past has a resurgence. If you’ve worn it once before, you tend to style in your mind the way you wore it before.

I love blazers, and, as an 80’s girl, this is not my first go around with them, but what I am loving is the fresh new ways to wear them that change up the look and keep it trendy.

If you are in a blazer rut, these ideas may get you out:

  1. Style your blazer over a graphic tee: this is definitely a throw back style that is fresh and trendy again. Pair your favorite blazer over a graphic tee in a contrasting, but complimentary color or pair it over a graphic tee that compliments the colors in the blazer. For example, if you had a tweed blazer in browns, pair it over a light brown tee with gold foil lettering, or, for a splash, pair it over a mustard tee. Finish your look with jeans and tall leather boots.
  2. Style your blazer over a glitzy top. You can never go wrong with pairing opposites when you are looking for a trendy style. Try taking a sequined top or tank top and pair your blazer over the top. In the example above, take that same tweed blazer and pair it over a cream top with gold sequins. Finish your look with jeans and some brown leather shoe boots.
  3. Style your blazer under a vest and over a sweater. Layering is always a great way to style up a blazer. In this look, you treat your blazer almost as light weight outer wear. In the tweed example, pair the blazer over a light weight taupe sweater and then put a fun metallic copper puffy vest over the top. Wear some cream, brown or tan colored denim and a shoe boot to complete the look.

Of course, you also always have the traditional pairing of a blazer and a button up blouse or basic layering tank or turtle neck. These old school looks never wear out, but I hope I have inspired you to try some new looks to up your style game this fall and winter!!

To see examples of the pairings I have mentioned here, watch my live Wednesday Night Wardrobing Video for 11/2/22. Check out this and other blog posts on our website here. https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/blogs/news/10-steps-to-being-a-smart-shopper

Gifts for a Grinch: Easy Gift Ideas When You Don’t Know What To Buy

Posted in Buying the perfect gift, how to, Jewelry, product review by

Sometimes, the struggle of not knowing what to buy someone makes us a little Grinch like. It isn’t that we don’t want to spoil someone or we are cheap, it may just be that we have no idea what to buy and hate the idea of having our gifts just returned after the holidays are over. As a business owner of a women’s clothing store for the last twenty-two years, I have some experience with helping men at Christmas time! Here are my top 5 suggestions for making a great gift choice and getting you out of your Grinchish mindset.

  1. Dressy Jewelry: Most women that I know love beautiful things, like sparkly earrings or, even better, a whole necklace set. The downside with buying precious gem jewelry is that not only is it expensive, but it limits you. That’s why I love our convertible jewelry line called Myka from Canada. This jewelry line offers lovely detachable pendants, chains and matching earrings so your special gal can add to it over time and build her collection. All of the crystals, pearls and elements are genuine Swarovski, which is unsurpassed for quality and sparkle. All of the chains, pendants and earrings are plated in Rhodium that won’t ever tarnish or fade or needs polishing. Additionally, I love jewelry as a gift because every time she wears it, she will think of you!
These Myka pendant, earring and necklaces are available in store or online: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/accessories-1

2. Jewelry with a story: A gift is also special when it has a story, and buying it makes us feel like we are doing something good for the planet and to help those in need. For this reason, I also like our Tagua jewelry. It is much more earthy than the Myka pictured above because it is made from the Tagua fruit, which is found primarily in the Ecuadorian forest. The fruit falls from the tree and hardens into a Tagua nut that is very similar in look and feel to ivory. In fact, the Tagua nut is sometimes referred to as vegetable ivory. These nuts are carved, died, tumbled an assembled by Ecuadorian artisans. It is fair trade and sustainable. The other thing I love about this line is that each of the necklaces are adjustable so they can be worn at various lengths.

These Tagua necklaces are available in store or online: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/accessories-1

3. Exquisite Leather Goods: Women love their handbags, and they love them to not only be functional but also to make a statement. If she is a leather lover and appreciates quality, may I suggest a HOBO handbag. This third generation handbag maker uses premium leather produced in their own tanneries. This means that you will never see the leather on any other handbag besides a HOBO handbag. The quality of the leather is apparent immediately by the feel and smell of the bag. A HOBO handbag owner myself, I can tell you these bags are well designed and very user friendly. They are also always on trend with the latest handbag colors and style trends.

Check out our lovely Hobo Handbags in store or online here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/hobo-handbags

4. Limited Edition Leather Goods: We women love to have something unique that we know will some day be a collectors item so that when someone asks us where we got it, we can say, “Oh, this isn’t available any more.” So sad for you! This is why I love our Anuschka handbag line that is hand painted by artisans in India. Anuschka develops copyrighted art work each season for their handbags and then retires that artwork after a year of so of use. Since the art is never repeated, her handbag becomes a collectors item. It is truly a special gift. The high quality leather just gets softer and softer with use, and Anuschka puts a lot of thought into the design of their bags, always including handy pockets for the gal who likes to be organized. Each bag is hand signed by a member of the family.

Check out our lovely Anushka collection in store or online here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/anuschka-hand-painted-leather-handbags

5. Items That Connect To Lifestyle: Another sure fire way to make a great gift choice is to choose an item that supports or highlights a lifestyle. An example of this is our Vintage Addiction crossbody bags that are made from recycled military tent canvas. These handbags have repaired tears and stains that tell the story of the canvas that was used to shelter a member of the military. The art work on the front is all original, and the utilitarian and casual style makes them a great choice for every day use. These bags will be loved by anyone with a military connection.

See our great collection of Vintage Addiction crossbody handbags in store or online here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/vintage-addiction

What Is A Trapeze Dress

Posted in dressing your figure, fashion trends, how to, product review, tips and tricks, women's clothing tips by
Sympli Trapeze Dress Short

You may have heard about Trapeze or Trapezoid dresses being popular this season. Another term you may be more familiar with is “Baby Doll.” All three terms refer to a shape of dress that is characterized by a narrow and close fitting bodice that fits the shoulders and neck tightly but then flares out into a triangular shape. This sillouette traces its roots all the way back to the English court and has had periodic popularity throughout the centuries with major designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy highlighting the shape in their lines. For more about the history of this dress, check out this fascinating article.

To wear this dress correctly, the hemline should sit above the knee and the top of the dress should fit close to the neck and shoulders. Because the shape naturally shows off your legs, you should make them the featured body part and wear some great shoes; heels work especially well with this dress. Petite women should be careful the shape does not overwhelm them, and heels can be a big help with this. Taller women can choose any shoe they prefer.

As a style, this dress is particularly good for pear shaped women who have a small torso but are wider in the hips. It is also great for hiding a fuller middle area. As a shape, this dress is known to be flattering on just about any body type when worn correctly and with the right hem length and shoe.

In the picture above, I am modelling Sympli’s Trapeze Dress Short in Poppy Red. You can see how the elements that I described as important are represented here:

  1. Close fitting neck and bust
  2. Hemline just above the knee
  3. Wedge sandal (I am 5’3)

I also love that this dress has both sleeves and pockets and that it can be worn dressy or casual, depending on footwear and jewelry choices. Plus, Sympli’s patented fabric that won’t wrinkle, fade or shrink makes this dress a great choice for travelling, as it can be washed out in the sink and hung to dry for an easy and wrinkle free dress you can wear sightseeing or out to dinner.

If you are looking for a new dress style for this summer, I highly recommend considering a Trapeze Dress. The airy and floaty design makes it a great summer dress that allows plenty of air flow on a hot day, and the fact that the fabric sits away from the skin from the rib cage down keeps you from getting hot and sticky.

See our great selection of Trapeze Dresses from Sympli including styles with sleeves and without. You can also tune into our Wednesday Night Wardrobing Live Video series tonight at 6 p.m. MST for more information. Find this series on our Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas Facebook Page.

Tips and Ticks For Choosing The Best Jean For Your Body

Posted in dressing your figure, fall fashion trends, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends, women's clothing tips by

Of all the bottoms on the market, jeans are probably the most complicated to buy. Very few other pants offer so many choices in fit. Buying a single pair of jeans requires you to make a myriad of choices. Do you want a slim fit to loose fit like a boyfriend jean? Do you want a low, medium, high rise or the ultra high “mom jean?” What inseam length do you need? Do you want a skinny, straight or bootcut? Do you want an ankle jean, petite or regular? Do you want a light, medium or dark wash? And on and on….

Honestly, it reminds me of ordering coffee at Starbucks….”Can I please have a grande, vanilla, almond milk latte or would it be a grande, almond milk latte with a shot of vanilla? It gives me anxiety. I’ve seen customers get equally flummoxed at trying to tell me what they want in a jean, and I don’t blame them.

In this blog post, I will try to demystify jean buying and help walk you through making the best jean choice for your body.

  1. Let’s talk fit…Right now, jeans can be purchased in a variety of fits from slim fits that hug the body like a legging to looser fits that look like you are wearing your fella’s jeans. There are also wide legged, high waisted varieties that look like they stepped right out of the seventies. Choosing a fit is about your desired level of trendiness and your body shape. The trendiest jeans styles this season are slim legged ankle jeans, loose fitting and beat up boyfriend jeans, and wide legged culottes. If you are shorter, I would avoid the wider legged styles, as they are trickier to wear and can have a tendency to make shorter people look dumpy. If you have thicker legs, you may want to choose straight leg or wide leg styles with a little more room in the thigh and calf to avoid looking poured into your jeans. Boyfriend jeans work on anyone, but do take some know how in pairing them with tops and shoes. If you want a middle of the road fit, I recommend choosing a straight leg style with a slimmer fitting leg. This is a great look that keeps your jean trendy without requiring a lot of thought on how to wear it.
  2. So many rises….trendier jeans right now are high waisted, even higher than you would probably think of as a high rise jean. Generally, if you just want a great fitting jean, a regular rise is your best bet. These jeans will come just over your belly button and should fit right around the smallest part of your waist. Regular rise jeans are the most flattering because the high rise helps to hold in extra pounds around your middle. Lower rises that sit an inch below your belly button or lower don’t do much for helping your figure. Ultra high rises take some know how to pull them off, like a cropped top, as an example. Whatever you choose, just be sure to sit down in any jean you try on before you purchase it to make sure it doesn’t roll or continually slide down. A sign you have chosen the right rise for your body is that you won’t have a large gap in the waist.
  3. How do I figure out what inseam I need…one of the trickiest parts of jean buying is the multitude of inseam lengths out there. A typical regular length jean has a 33 inch inseam. A petite jean will be more like 29 inches. A typical ankle jean will have a 27 inch inseam. To figure out your inseam or to measure a jean, just use a tape measure from the crotch of the jean to the hemline or from your groin to your ankle. Your inseam will depend largely on whether you are short or long waisted, but generally, women under 5’2 will need a petite jean and women over 5’5 can do a regular rise jean. For us poor devils, me included, who are in that 5’3-5’5 height range, we are just stuck with cuffing a jean that is too long or getting one hemmed. It’s a huge bummer, but the good news is that the ankle jean works quite well for us. If you are particularly long legged or near 6 feet, you are unfortunately going to have to find tall jeans, which can be a TALL order, he he.
  4. Let’s chat about leg opening…you can readily find skinny, straight and bootcut styles in pretty much any jean brand you choose. A skinny jean is usually about 5 inches across at the hemline. A straight leg style will be more like 7 inches across. And, a bootcut style will be somewhere around 8 inches, depending upon the brand. Generally, women who have thicker legs will prefer a bootcut style because it will offer a roomier leg and thigh. The other option is a boyfriend cut jean that is meant to fit loose. If you have thin legs, you will probably like how you look in a skinny jean because it will show off your great legs. If you are somewhere in the middle, or, as I mentioned previously, just want a good all around jean, you will probably gravitate to a straight leg jean. A lot of it also depends on foot wear. If you like to tuck your jeans into tall boots or cuff your jeans, as an example, a skinny jean is what you want. If you want to wear your jeans over sturdier shoes, a bootcut will be a better choice.
  5. It’s all about the wash…from vintage washes that are light to dark denim washes that almost look black, you can buy jeans in just about any shade of blue you want. Vintage washes tend to lend themselves to summer and lighter colored tops. They do look lovely paired up with cream sweaters in the winter, however. Dark denim washes are usually dressier and can be worn from casual to dressed up casual. Medium blue washes are considered “go to” washes in the industry because they go with everything. Fading along the front of the leg can make a thick thigh appear thinner. Whiskering and distressing are all a means of adding eye-catching details to the jean or making them look already worn. There are many ways to create these effects including chemical washes, sandblasting, scraping using ruler-sized files, grinding with actual stones, and lasers. Right now, these elements along with colored washes in everything from wine to mustard, make a jean trendier. The cleaner, un-embellished jean, on the other hand, can be worn for years to come. What you choose is all dependent upon what you want out of your jean.
  6. Look at me….the bottom of your jeans is pretty important right now. From fringed hemlines to embroidery and sequins, the hemlines of jeans are taking center stage. You will find clipped hems which are shorter in the front and left unhemmed, multiple layers of fringe, bows, ribbons, and just about anything else you can imagine gracing the bottoms of jeans. These details add to the jean’s uniqueness and are a fresh twist on that basic of most basic items that we all love to love…the jean.

Happy jean shopping! Don’t get flummoxed. Now you can talk jeans like a BOSS! And, if you want to hear me talk about this in person, just join me on my VIP Facebook group called Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas tonight at 6 p.m. Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/events/884895962279917

5 Key Sweater Trends

Posted in clothing, dressing your best, fashion, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends, women's clothing tips by

It’s almost sweater season, and now is the time to grab some new styles to update your wardrobe. In my “Kyleen’s Picks” collection of the week, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite new sweaters and tell you a little about the sweater trends to be watching for this season.

1. Sweater ponchos: Top left
A true poncho is more like a cape, but designers have taken that basic style and adapted it this season to sweaters. While a typical poncho has open sleeves, many of the poncho sweaters I’m seeing are more sweater than poncho and have sewn in sleeves while maintaining that looser poncho feel. A great example of this is our new poncho sweater from Charlie B that has just arrived. With its rounded hemline and loose fit, it feels a bit like a mix between a poncho and a tunic sweater. I love the casual style that pairs beautifully with jeans. You can see more views of this sweater here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/products/charlie-b-funnel-neck-poncho

2. Reversible Sweaters: Top Middle
This new reversible sweater from Charlie B is such a great combination with its tobacco dominant side and grey dominant side. I love this trend because it gives so much value to the sweater because you can wear it both ways offering two color palates. And, the great thing about these two palates is one is warm and one is cool, giving you loads of pairing opportunities! You can see more views of this sweater here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/products/charlie-b-reversible-print-sweater

3. Long Sweater Cardigans: Top Right
We are still seeing the long sweater cardigans be a strong trend that has continued from last season. Long sweater cardigans work well as light weight coats in the fall and as warm and cozy sweaters in the dead of winter. They also are great for the office because they simulate a jacket and look professional. I’m loving this new black and white plaid that has just arrived because of its versatility. Take a closer look here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/products/charlie-b-pepper-hooded-cardigan

4. Tie Dye: Bottom Left
Tie dye prints are everywhere this season, so it is no surprise that we are seeing them on sweaters. While many tie dye prints I have seen are focusing on neon colors, I love that this one has a subtle grey and black print. Tie dye typifies casual, so this style may be best left for the weekend, but I think it could be easily paired with both jeans and leggings to change up the look and give it mileage in your wardrobe. Plus, it is just so darn stylish! Grab it here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/products/tribal-long-sleeve-tie-dye-top

5. Nordic: Bottom Right
Nordic inspired sweaters are a really strong trend for the season, and they feel fresh because we haven’t seen them in awhile. What makes a sweater “Nordic” is the diamond shaped prints that harken back to the classic ski chalet sweater. I think this new grey one is so pretty with its denim and cream accents. Get a closer look here: https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/products/charlie-b-grey-alpine-sweater

Every week, I choose some new arrivals that are my favorites. These sweaters are my “picks of the week” because they all offer a new trend that will keep your look trendy and stylish. You can see them all in my weekly collection here:
https://fashioncrossroadsinc.com/collections/kyleens-picks-for-the-week

How To Wear The Latest Short Trends

Posted in clothing, dressing for your age, dressing your best, fashion, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends, women's clothing tips by

Have you noticed the re-surgence of shorts in the market this season? The come back of shorts for all ages actually began last summer,  but this trend has truly taken hold here in Wyoming for summer 2020.  For some of you, this new trend will be a welcome change from the capris that have dominated the market for the last 5 years.  For others, it may have been awhile since you wore shorts, and you may be feeling a bit reluctant.  As a result, I thought it might be helpful to all of you for me to do a trend review on the latest short styles.

First of all, let me reassure you that I am seeing many lengths of shorts in the market this season from short ripped up denim styles all the way to the traditional longer Bermuda style that is pictured above. If you have been used to wearing capris and/or are reluctant to show your legs, the longer styles might be a good place to start.  Bermuda styles will hit just above the knee, leaving only the bottom half of the leg exposed.  If you are in for a shorter length, the mid thigh styles are very popular as well.  As a woman of almost 50, I’m going to leave the shorter, distressed jean styles to my 15 year old daughter, but the choice is totally up to you!

Capture

Just as with denim, the trendiest shorts are printed, colored or embroidered.  You’ll see everything from checkers to stripes and every kind of embroidery and embellishment you can imagine.  Take a look at the denim shorts in the picture above from Charlie B and notice the cute embroidered flowers.  These details add a flirty and youthful feeling to the short as well as make them distinctive.  As far as color goes, look for mustard, yellow, coral, and olive denim as well as a variety of regular denim from vintage wash to dark and even striped.

capture1

Another fun new trend are regular rise, fabric shorts with tie front waists like the one pictured above.  These make great dressy shorts and can be worn with wedges to casual weddings or other events that require dressed up casual.  Look for these in lots of checkered prints from black and white to coral and white.  Pair them with a tucked in top to show off the waist.

While many businesses allow capris, few will allow employees to wear shorts.  This is a downside to this trend, so if your employer won’t allow shorts, instead of sticking to your capris this season, go for slim, ankle length pants.  These are also very trendy and look amazing with a heel and dressy top.  To correctly pull off this style, the length is very important.  An ankle length pant should hit an inch above your ankle bone.

The good news about shorts is that I don’t see this trend going away anytime soon so you will be able to wear the ones you buy this season next summer as well.  And, let’s face it, when it gets hot, you want as little fabric on as possible.

 

 

How Do I Wear Raw Edge Jeans

Posted in clothing, dressing for your age, dressing your figure, fashion, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

IMG_5053

A new and important jean trend is raw edge jeans.  If you are unfamiliar with this term, it simply means the bottom edge of the jean where there would normally be a hem is left unhemmed and has a raw edge.  All of our jean companies are jumping on this trend band wagon, so to speak, from our young contemporary jeans like Silver Jeans (pictured above) to our more missy jeans like Jag Jeans and Not Your Daughter’s Jeans.

In fact, let me stop right here and digress a bit.  Ladies, here is a great fashion tip that will serve you well.  Every brand has a target demographic.  You can get a sense of this by looking at the age of the models that the company uses to picture their product.  The missy lines will generally target women aged 45 to 65.  You will see this reflected in both the way they picture their product and in the features.  For example, NYDJ and Jag Jeans make their jeans with a regular rise (comes all the way to the waist), something that appeals to women over 40 because of our tendency to have a muffin top.  So, if NYDJ and Jag are producing a trend like raw edge jeans and they target a missy customer, you can feel secure that you can wear the trend without looking like you are trying to be a teenager.  This is a great tip for age appropriate dressing.

Once you have determined if a trend is something you should wear, the next hurdle is to figure out how to wear it.  If a trend is new to me, I pay close attention at market to see how other buyers and vendors are wearing it.  If I want to see pictures of the trend in action, I will google “how do I wear….”  and then click the images tab.  A search like that will usually lead to a plethora of pictures answering my question.  In fact, a search like that just might lead you to this blog!

In the picture above, you can see me wearing my raw edge jeans from Silver Jeans.  All the raw edge jeans that we have in the store are cut to an ankle length (an inch above the ankle bone).  This length works great with ballerina flats or Converse tennis shoes in the summer and perfectly with shoe boots in the winter.  When wearing shoe boots, you want the raw edge of your jean to hit the top edge of your shoe boot.  If the jean goes inside the boot, you not see the edge, defeating the whole point of the trend.  If the jean goes outside the boot, it may be too long for you.  Getting the right length is one of the most challenging things about the ankle length trend, but it really matters, so hold out for the right length for you! Too short looks odd.  Too long looks like you are preparing for a flood.  Smile.

Get out there and try some raw edge jeans this season.  No telling how long the trend will last, but it’s a fun twist on your basic jean and will make you feel trendy, a confidence booster to be sure!

How To Wear Velvet In The Day

Posted in clothing, dressing for work and dressing for an interview, dressing for your age, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

One of things that trips us up sometimes is when a traditional way of looking at a fabric gets turned on its head by a new fashion trend.  This is the case with velvet this season.  Traditionally, velvet has been a dressy fabric, reserved for special occasions, holiday parties, and lounge lizards…smile.  (Don’t ask me why, but I just had an image of John Travolta singing “ah, ah, ah, ah…staying alive”).

Well this season, velvet has emerged as an every day fabric that can work for cozy weekend, work and date night.  Those of you who still think of  it as dressy only, may be struggling to figure out how in the world to wear this new trend.  The answer is really very simple: pair it with a casual fabric like denim.

Let’s face it, while the head to toe velvet active wear jogger is trendy right now, most of us (uh, um) older ladies are not going to go for that.  We can still do velvet, however, by toning it down and mixing it up.  For example, pair a velvet kimono with beat up boyfriend jeans and shoe boots.  Wear a velvet top with dark denim skinny jeans and boots.  Pair a velvet tailored jacket with a classic button down blouse, black slacks and heels.  Do you get the picture?  You have to re-think your old way of seeing velvet.

The truth is, this luxurious fabric is fun to wear.  What is not to like about velvet, unless you are like one of our employees who is wierded out by the fact that if you brush the velvet one way, it’s soft.  But, if you brush it the other way….yikes.  She is just skipping the trend all together.  If you have texture issues, you might want to join her.  For the rest of us, however, velvet is a wonderful fabric and should find a place in our wardrobes this season!

Discover Sympli – Easy Dressing For Every Body.

Posted in clothing, clothing, quality, value, dressing for your age, dressing your figure, personal style, product review, store event, travel, travel clothing, Uncategorized by

What do you get when a woman gets frustrated over the fact she can’t find a simple tee that really fits and flatters?  Well, you get Sympli.  Jan Stimpson’s quest to find a tee led to the creation of a company designed around women’s bodies and fit.  Indeed, the women behind Sympli “shape each garment on multiple women and spend countless hours designing, tucking, pinning and repinning…flattering fit is an evolution and [they] don’t cut corners.”  What is the result of all of this effort?  A garment that fits where you need it to and doesn’t cling where you don’t.  Honestly.

In fact, Sympli is so passionate about creating a product that any woman, no matter what body shape, can wear with confidence, they stand against the unreasonable expectations the fashion industry places on women.  Supporting a Canadian non-profit that helps women overcome eating disorders is just one of the many ways Sympli is taking a stand to encourage women to love their bodies.  The other is creating a product that really fits and flatters, from a size 2 to a size 24.

If you have never tried Sympli, I encourage you to come down to Fashion Crossroads this weekend for our trunk show.  Our Sympli Rep Charlotte has been with the company for over ten years, and will be in the store with the Spring 2018 Sympli samples as well as some in stock samples.  We have stocked the store with new Sympli in preparation for our event, so there are many new items to try!  Best of all, we are having a trunk show party on Sunday from 11-5 p.m. that will be catered by Grant Street Grocery.  Join us for great food, a little wine, and in store modelling from 12-4 p.m.  All in stock Sympli will be $10 off for the entire trunk show, and any Sympli purchase will get you registered to win one of two free Sympli tops to be given away on Sunday.

How Do I Wear Velvet Without Looking Retro?

Posted in how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

One of the biggest fashion trends for fall is velvet.  I have just returned from market in Las Vegas, and let me tell you, velvet was everywhere!  Some of you might be thinking, been there, done that, don’t want to do it again!  While I totally understand the strangeness of have a trend re-surface from a time when you were younger, there is a whole generation of young contemporary women who have never experienced velvet in their wardrobes.

You may be wondering how you wear the new velvet trend without looking like you stepped out of the seventies.  To keep it fresh and modern, manufacturers are doing fun things like pairing velvet with printed chiffon, especially florals.  The model on the right has a chiffon and velvet kimono with a floral print that is kept modern by pairing it with distressed jeans rolled to an ankle length and paired with shoe boots.  The velvet top on the left might have come straight out of the seventies, but it is presented in a new fresh way by pairing it with printed, skinny jeans.  Even though printed bottoms were also popular in the seventies, these are decidedly modern because of their animal printed theme, grey hue and skinny style.

These are both good examples of a fashion principle.  If you are wearing a retro trend like velvet, make sure everything else on your body represents a modern trend.  You would not, for example, want to pair a velvet top with high waisted, wide bottomed jeans unless you were intentionally going  for a seventies vibe in your clothing.  Instead, using on trend styles like boyfriend jeans, ankle length and skinny legged pants, and ankle boots, you can have a hint of retro without looking like you shopped from the thrift store.

Wearing velvet is a wonderful experience.  It feels amazing against your skin, and is a cozy fabric to put on in the dead of winter.  It does not need to be reserved for dressy occasions.  Velvet is a fabric you can wear any time by pairing it with the right bottoms.   If you have never had the pleasure of a velvet piece in your wardrobe, you are in for a treat!  Make sure you give one a try this season!