I’ve been swamped in the office for the past three days. I haven’t had time to share what I’ve worn, but decided I needed to today.

So here’s “three of me” and the common theme this week is my variety in cardigans.

No. 1 Cargo cute – I’ve had this green cargo skirt for years, as well as the black faux wrap top and black cardigan. I accessorized with the wide brown belt (yard sale, $.25, 2010,) brown sandals (gifted) and wood jewelry.

No. 2 Lavender sweet — I purchase this satin/silk dress two years ago from Marshall’s for $9.99. I’ve only worn it twice and typically in the summer when it’s hot. It’s sleeveless so it’s cool. I thought my lavender cardigan (thrifted new with tags, $6, original price $30,) large floral coral colored pin (Lane Bryant, free with $10 coupon,) pearls (long strand, Kohl’s clearance, $7 and short strand with pendant, yard sale $.50) pearl earrings (yard sale, $.25,) large floral ring (Target, $8,) and shoes Anne Klein, (thrifted, $6) which highlight the floral colors in the dress.

No. 3 Green and blue hue — I last wore this two-toned Inc. International Concepts dress back in December. I received it as a Christmas gift. I like the island sea flower pattern and I thought to brighten things up I would wear the line green cardigan. What pulls the outfit together is the blue and green beaded necklace I picked up on clearance at Kohl’s last year. The blue Cato patent slingback (clearance, $8) go nicely too.

Although I work in an office where the attire is more business casual, I still like to look nice and professional so that means I more than likely will not be going sleeveless. The only exception is when I have to stand outside and cover an event in 90 degree weather.

Cardigans are one of the more versatile clothing pieces. If you don’t have any get one or two and here’s why:

They add color and interest to any outfit. Bright colors are good for this.

Dress them up or down. Cardigans work with jeans as well as with a party dress.

You will be prepared for the outside/inside elements. Carry a cardigan and you’ll never get cold. During the summer months often times it can be just as chilly outdoors as it is during the fall.

Wear summer tanks year round. A cardigan through over a bright colored top looks great.

I would rather wear a cardigan than any other type of sweater. Why? The piece can change the look of any outfit in the time that it takes to change your sweater. A cardigan is class piece every woman should have in her closet.

Do you wear cardigans?

Classic cardigan is a post from: Original Cyn

I don’t know much about geometry, but every now and again I seem to make the grade when I put on a particular print.

I have various styles  in my closet. Some of the patterns are  global, some are artsy and others have that retro vibe like the top I wore today.

I don’t remember when I got this blouse, except I know it came from Value City (Oh, how I miss that store where there were bargains galore.) I decided to pair it with my black capris and a black tank underneath. I picked gold jewelry and a pair of black and white kitten-heeled sandals.

Geometric prints can be daring, but since theses colors aren’t too bold I feel like I was able to pull it off.

There are lots of options to choose from when it comes to geometric prints and the good news is that these designs are so easy to wear and match. I usually like to combine colorful patterns on tops with a neutral bottom and some fun accessories that compliment the outfit. I picked black as my neutral color, but I could easily do white or even tan. I think it just depends on my mood. Actually this top reminds me of a bumble bee and summer.

Remember to have some fun with your wardrobe and every now and then be a little bold and go with a geometric print.

What’s your equation when it comes to style?

Fashion equation is a post from: Original Cyn

This week I got a $10 gift card/coupon sent to me in the mail by Kohls. I always love it when they send me one, because it usually doesn’t take me long to go and spend it.

Basically it’s a coupon. I love coupons, especially if they have to do with fashion and I could possibly get something at signifigant discount or possibly free.

I headed to the retail store during one of my lunch hours and happily searched for an item I could spend my money on. Voila! I was tickled pink by what I got.

I found this Chaps San Miguel dip-dyed tiered skirt marked down to $12 from $60. With my Kohls gift I ended up spending only $2 for this pretty pink piece.

I paired it with pink and white tanks, my denim jacket (yard sale, fall 2010) a white belt (gifted Christmas 2010) and my white American Eagle wedges (thrifted.) I accessorized with a white flower pin in my hair and pink jewelry.

This skirt is basically a prairie skirt with some pinache. The ombre effect, which is a gradual change in shade from light to dark, gives the skirt a fiesta feel.

Lately I’ve been attracted to pink. I always think girls look “pretty in pink.” The color can look great on nearly anyone, it’s all a matter of picking the right hue.

There are a few tricks though to wearing it so that you don’t look like a bottle of Pepto.

Do wear pink with a neutral shade – white, cream, chocolate, khaki and denim

Do go bold with combos like hot pink and grass green for preppy freshness

Don’t pair icy pastel together like pink and baby blue. A hot pink and turquoise though would look smashing.

Pink can be a very complimentary color, but it can also be hard to pull off without pulling it together with the right pieces. Too much and you’ll look like a school girl and well most of us are past the age of trying to be cutesy in clothes.

Most people associate pink with babies, little girls, and feminine energies (possibly why it was selected as the color for breast cancer awareness) but did you know that when wearing it the color conveys compassion and an open heart. When you wear pink you appear approachable and capable of loving others.

The association of girls wearing pink and boys wearing blue wasn’t always the case. At one time it was just the opposite. The two colors were not promoted as gender signifiers until just before World War I.

What do you think of my look? Do you wear pink? What hue looks good on you?

Pretty in pink is a post from: Original Cyn

One of my morning routines is looking at my Glamour iPhone app. Although I don’t read the magazine on my phone (I still like the print version) I do look at the blogs to get some great fashion ideas. Yesterday I actually was inspired by a look I saw because I knew that I already had the pieces in my closet.

Basically the idea is to take a winter piece and make it work for spring. (Here’s my look from last December.)The execution is all in the shoes. A dark color would keep the outfit dark, so go for nude. The color, or rather absence of color helps elongate your legs. What’s cool is that the shoes make the dress look less heavy in color.

I got my dress last fall on clearance at Lane Bryant ($23) and the shoes came from Kohls on clearance ($6.99, fall 2008.) I accessorized with Jewels by Park Lane.

Until I saw the picture on Glamour I never really thought about nude shoes with this dress. I like it the way it looks. What do you think?

Would you go nude? What do you do to make a winter look transfer to spring?

Click the bird to follow me on Twitter.

Going nude is a post from: Original Cyn

I didn’t get a chance to blog yesterday about my attire – crazy day. Besides working I spent most of my night at Busch Stadium watching the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals.

I knew when I left for work yesterday though I wanted something that I could easily adapt for a night out.  So here are my two looks.

The looks are basically the same except for the switch from the skirt to jeans. I wanted easy because I knew I didn’t have time after work to really change into something entirely different.

No. 1 – I’ve always likes this Issac Mizrahi skirt for Target. I got it several years ago on clearance. I figured it would look great with my Cato satin top,  red Avenue cardigan, Coach wedges (recently thrifted, $34.50) and red jewelry. I also added the satin belt for an additional touch.

No. 2- For this all I did was change out my skirt for my Cato jeans and black studded belt. Everything else remained the same.

I’m not a huge fan of T-shirts as you may know. I have a few, but I really don’t have any St. Louis Cardinals apparel. I think my look however shows I had the sports spirit and style.

An added bonus was that I wore a colorful scarf, as well as an extra sweater to the game.

I went to the game with a group of girlfriends – Sara, Rhee and Heather. We had a great time. I only wish it hadn’t been so cold.  We had a great view of the ballpark from left field though.

Recently I got this app for my iPhone. It takes panoramic views. I think this shot shows a cool view of where we sat.

I’m not a huge sports fan, but there is something to be said about going to a game.  I had a great time and what’s even better is that I stuck to my style. My motto is “wear what makes you feel good.”

Do you wear anything special to a sporting event? Or do you just put on a T-shirt and tennis shoes and go or do you stick to your style?

Sports spirit and style is a post from: Original Cyn

So often I’m inspired by vintage looks. I don’t know what it is about the clothes of yesteryear that are so appealing. I believe classic cuts and pieces really never go out of style.

Today’s look is vintage inspired.

I like this A-line dress because I feel it has a flattering cut along with an added bonus of feminine charm. I purchased it last spring at Target on clearance ($14.99.) I paired it with my brown cardigan and brown and gold buckle peep toe pumps (Cato, clearance, $2.99.) I accessorized with my Jewels by Park Lane jewelry. (I have quite a few pieces because I held a home party last fall.)

The Mad Men style may be in, but I didn’t want to look as if  I was wearing a Halloween costume. I’m not wearing my hair high like they do (no beehives) and I’ve added a cardigan to cover the sleeveless style for the office.

For dresses similar in style to this television era hit visit Modcloth.

I call this my vintage vixen attire. At the end of the day if I want to change my appearance all I have to do is remove my cardigan.

So do you like vintage looks? What era do you prefer? Or do wear whatever feels good and flatters you?

Vintage vixen is a post from: Original Cyn

Last week was one of those weeks. By the end of the week I didn’t know the exact day. I guess because I’ve had so many meetings lately and I’ve been immersed in Twitter and Facebook the days seemed to get jumbled together. Actually  I’m not playing around, part of being online is my new responsibility at work as social media coordinator for The Telegraph.

With all that said at least I’ve not spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to wear.

No. 1 – I wore a black capped sleeve top under my palm print dress (Kohls clearance, $4.99, fall 2010) and topped it with a vest (JcPenney, clearance $3.99, fall 2009.) I accessorized with some copper and brown jewelry.

No. 2 – I call this my Havana look. I picked this fedora up from Wal-Mart ($7) and felt it was my statement piece for the outfit. I went with a geometric print satin tank (Cato, summer 2010), black shrug and black capris (Apt. 9, Kohls clearance, $4.99.)  I wore Dana Buchman python wedges  (Kohls, clearance, summer 2010.)

No. 3 – I once again wore my espadrilles I picked up from my recent yard sale day. The colors from the shoe I think compliment the varying colors in the top, which I’ve had for a few years and carpis. I accessorized with a large blue shell necklace and turquoise ring and bracelet.

No. 4 – This linen Charter Club top paired with Cato walking shorts reminds me of the Resort Wear look. I wore on my American Eagle white wedges (thrifted, $3) and carried my white handbag, which I thrifted last year at Riverbend Resale in Wood River.

No. 5 – I went with a black and blue theme to highlight the colors from the print in this skirt, which I’ve had for around eight years. Instead of a white top I chose a black sleeveless one instead and added color by pairing it with this White Stag cardigan (Wal-Mart, spring 2010.) I accessorized with black jewelry and my Anne Klein peep-toe pumps (thrifted.)

Sometimes we get caught up in work and other responsibilities that trying to get dressed in the morning can be  crazy task in itself. Our brains are on overload and we are so tired of making decisions that we simply don’t have to to think about what to wear. I’ve eliminated much of this problem by having a “roadmap” for fashion.

In order to achieve this direction I typically plan most of what I’m going to wear for the week during the weekend. I take a little time and go through my closet and look for inspiration and then I pull out a “look book.” Taking the time to go through the material before I get dressed helps eliminate trying on numerous outfits in the morning. I simply do it the day before the start of my work week and that way I’m not trying to figure out at the last minute what to wear. Of course there are some days I may change my mind and pick something different – it’s kind of like picking  a new direction, but you still have the map in case you get lost.

How do you pick out your clothes for the week? Do  you wait until the last  minute or do you plan what you want to wear ahead of time?

Roadmap for fashion is a post from: Original Cyn

I decided to wear one of my other yard sale finds today. I also wore it this past weekend and realized I could wear it again and in a totally new way.

I love the pattern in the piece. It’s kind of tribal/Moroccan print.

The first day I decided to pull it up and wear a tank underneath, similar to a strapless dress (I can’t actually go strapless) and then wear a black vest (Target clearance,  fall 2009)  over the top. I paired it with a new Fedora hat (Wal-Mart, $7) and flip flops (yard sale, 2010). Accessories, gold and bronze jewelry.

Today’s look I decided to go long. I picked a faux wrap sleeveless top, white tank and cropped denim jacket (Cato, 2009) and gladiator sandals (thrifted new, 2008.) Accessories: belt (yard sale, $.25, 2010) and gold and bronze jewelry.

Just when I was getting comfortable with the idea of a maxi dress, the fashion gods threw me a bone with the skirt and found this one.

The maxi skirt is having a major moment on the fashion scene and is becoming a style staple for spring.  I think the look of the maxi skirt is appealing for many reasons, including comfort and versatility.  The skirts are easy to throw on with any items and easy to move in.  I splurged on this Notations tiered skirt.

Really, I spent a whole $.25 cents. It’s the best quarter I’ve ever spent. So far I’ve got two looks out of it and have lots more to go. I think I was able to make it work. What do you think?

Do you have a maxi skirt or dress? If so, what’s your favorite way to wear one?

Maximum skirt style is a post from: Original Cyn

So I went to my  first yard sale of the season this past weekend. I’m actually kind of excited because I was able to find a few things. My total for the day was $15.25 and $10 of that was for a Pampered Chef server.

Anyway I decided today I would wear the espredrilles I found for $3.

Since they are brown and blue, I thought it fun to wear the same color hue.

I thrifted these aqua blue linen capris several years ago and the necklace is a yard sale find from last year $.25. I like my white Tee and brown cardigan as well. Of course I topped it off with jewelry gifted to me by my son.

The shoes were new and I guess you could say I “walked” into a bargain.

Do you yard sale? What do you look for and what’s your best find?

Walking into a bargain is a post from: Original Cyn

Spring is in the air and even though it’s not quite the temperature I’m looking for outside, I’m tired of waiting to wear my “sunny” style. Today, I picked something bright.

I’ve had this linen skirt for years. I purchased it when Famous-Barr was still in town. I like varying orange colors as well as the print. I’ve typically have worn a white linen top with it. It wasn’t until I de-winterized my closet and brought my spring/summer style back out that I realized how nice this yellow faux sweater vest looked with it.

With the chill still in the air I’m really at the point I don’t care and opted to wear my nude slides. I accessorized with a big floral ring (orange of course) and a butterfly pin I’ve had for years. I’m also sporting pink toes.

I like the color combo because it brightens my mood and hopefully those around me.

So what colors or spring style do you like to wear? What look enhances your mood?

Sunny Style is a post from: Original Cyn