Economy of Style
A notebook on evolving trends, fashion sense and cents

How to Balance The Oversized Sweater Trend

I love the idea of losing yourself in a cozy, oversized sweater. But, you can quite literally lose yourself in one depending on how you style it. When that’s not the goal, I rely on 3 styling approaches when rocking the very popular super-sized sweater look. I’m sharing them (and wearing a combination of 2 of them) below.

Oversized sweater

What I’m wearing:

Sweater | Faux leather leggings | H&M fedora (similar) | Trench coat | Booties

Lip: Pat McGrath ‘Elson 013’

1. Half tuck it

An easy and chic way to keep the size of your sweater in check is to half tuck it into your bottoms. And excuse to half tuck, right?

Oversized sweater Oversized sweater

2. Show a little shoulder

Draping a slouchy, oversized sweater off your shoulders (when the weather permits, of course) instantly adds balance. My style has a beautiful button detail on the high neck that can be unbuttoned. It’s such a chic finish.

Oversized sweater

3. Choose a cropped sweater

One of my favorite oversized sweaters this season is the cropped version (like this and this). When paired with high-waist bottoms, the result is a stylish and balanced ensemble.

Location: Country Club Plaza, Kansas City

Want more? See how I’m styling another oversized sweater here and an oversized sweater dress here.

How To Style And Restyle A Sweatshirt Dress

I can’t find a single thing I don’t love about my soft, cozy, oversized sweatshirt dress. It’s the kind of one-piece wonder that you can throw on and forget about it. As if that wasn’t enough, this dress is also versatile. I’m sharing how I’m dressing mine up today.

sweatshirt dress

What I’m wearing:

Dress (option, option, option, designer version) | Trench coat

Booties (neutral alternative) | Luggage (similar) | Wool fedora | Kendra Scott earrings

sweatshirt dress

The last time I shared this sweatshirt dress, I wore it with tall cognac boots. It was a look. See that outfit here. On my recent trip to Kansas City, I took the dress, but I wanted a fresh look that was jazzier. So, I relied on monochromatic styling to create just that.

sweatshirt dress

My new trench coat (now on sale) turned out to be the perfect topper for creating a monochromatic outfit. Its golden beige color pairs stylishly with the light beige dress. If you’re on the market for a classic trench coat that looks and feels luxurious, I highly recommend this one. It fits true to size. The fabric is from a world-renowned mill in Italy. But, the price point? Totally affordable (especially on sale).

To complete my monochromatic ensemble, I could wear some cognac boots. But, I reached for my leopard sock booties because they’re so much sassier.

sweatshirt dress

Location: Courtyard by Marriott Kansas City Country Club Plaza

Take Me To The Country Club Plaza

This post is sponsored by the Country Club Plaza.

As a shopping and vacation destination, the Country Club Plaza  offers some of my favorite things–old world architecture, top-notch shopping, and amazing food. I spent the weekend there, after a quick road trip from St. Louis. Today, I’m sharing 8 memorable experiences from my visit to the plaza. If you’re nearby, you might want to follow suit.

Country Club Plaza

1. Shopping My Favorite Stores In One Location

The Country Club Plaza is home to 150 shops and fine restaurants. So, you already know that some of our favorites stores are at the plaza. From Anthropologie to Kendra Scott to Madewell to H&M…our go-tos are nestled in the beautiful plaza.

Country Club Plaza Country Club Plaza

2. One-of-a-kind Stores in the Region

I think it’s special that the plaza gives access to unique-to-this-region stores. BLDWN, for example, a modern American fashion brand, has only 5 stores across the country. You can shop one of them at the BLDWN Market at the Country Club Plaza. And, it’s a must-visit! I fell in love with EVERYTHING there.

Country Club Plaza

3. Shop Local

The Country Club Plaza makes it so convenient to shop and support locally-owned shops and locally-made merchandise. And, the options are good. Re:Emporium, for example, an award-winning home decor and furnishings company, is a mecca for unique finds for every aesthetic. I could spend a day in this store scouting items for my home and handmade jewelry.

4. Refuel Your Way

The food options are plentiful at the plaza. And, I feel confident saying that no matter what your dietary requirements are, you can eat well here. As a vegan, I was happy and well-fed. My personal favorites are T.Loft and True Food Kitchen, both clean eats restaurants offering tasty food that makes you feel amazing. The meals I enjoyed at both restaurants warrant a drive from St. Louis any day.

5. Refresh and Return

The Country Club Plaza is less than 4 hours away from St. Louis. Spending 2 nights there was the perfect getaway. I got to rest and refuel to be in the best position to soak up all the culture. There are a few hotels conveniently located at the plaza making the accommodation choice easy. I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott with its super spacious, cozy rooms, just steps away from all the shopping at the plaza.

6. Tip: Strategize Your Visit

This was my first visit to the Country Club Plaza. And, I did mention that it has 150 shops and restaurants, right? There’s a lot to explore. So, I relied on store lists and maps to devise a plan to conquer the expansive space. That helped a lot! Of course, I couldn’t visit everything on my list, but that just gives me more reasons to plan another trip really soon. Come with?

Some of the restaurants get really busy at peak times, so I recommend making reservations. I loved being able to strut into my favorite spots, right passed all the people waiting for tables, and get seated immediately.

For more information about the Country Club Plaza, go here. Want to see more from trip, like the festive Evergy Plaza Lights, my favorite finds, and favorite eats? Check out the ‘KC Plaza’ highlight on my Instagram page.

The Best Sweater Dresses To Stay Cozy And Chic

If you caught my post on sweatshirt dresses (see it here), you already know that I love cozy, warm, yet chic one pieces this fall and winter. Sweater weather calls for comfy styles, right? Talking about sweater weather, that doesn’t only apply to sweaters but their dress counterparts as well. I’m sharing how I’m wearing one of my all-time favorite sweater dresses today. I’ve also rounded up some fabulous, affordable options at the end of the post.

sweater dresses

What I’m wearing:

Express sweater dress (option, option, option) | Stuart Weitzman Booties (similar)

Earrings | Watch (similar, similar)

sweater dresses

So, my dress is an oldie from Express (see it worn 2 years ago here). It has a striking mauve color, but of course, the option to wear it off the shoulder is the detail I love most. I usually wear it with my burgundy suede booties. The color combination is pretty.

sweater dresses

I wore this dress recently to photograph a social media campaign. By the way, if you don’t follow me on my social channels, I wanted to make sure you were aware of the Beauty Brands discount I shared in that campaign. Get this. You can get 20% off any salon & spa service at Beauty Brands through 12/27. Grab the coupon here.

I’ve been getting my gel manicures done at Beauty Brands. This blue is a new OPI color. See another color I’m loving in this post.

Location: The Sweet Divine, St. Louis

sweater dresses

Shop Sweater Dresses:

The Best Sweatshirt Dresses To Rock This Fall

Hands down, sweatshirt dresses are the coolest way to wear sweats this fall. They’re cozy, warm, and the options this season are quite fly. I’m featuring a very designer-inspired style (see the designer version here) by H&M today, and there are several equally fabulous options at the end of the post.

sweatshirt dresses

What I’m wearing:

Dress (Designer version) | Boots c/o | Bag | Hoops (similar, similar)

My light beige sweatshirt dress is such a striking piece because of the folded detail at the shoulders. It takes this dress from basic to fashion. At only $49.99, the dress is made so impeccably well. It has a great weight, shaping seams on the sleeves, and ribbing at the neckline, cuffs, and hem. It looks and feels expensive. No surprise, it’s been selling out, but there have been a couple restocks.

Sizing? The dress has an oversized fit. I’m wearing a size small, which fits perfectly.

sweatshirt dresses

To round out the sweatshirt vibe, I added a pair of slouchy boots from Lifestride. Slouch boots have made a comeback this fall. I was instantly drawn to this particular pair because of its “Walnut” color. They add something fresh to my overall wardrobe. And, of course, since these are Lifestride shoes, they’re built with an all-day comfort system.

sweatshirt dresses

Location: Soulard, St. Louis

Shop sweatshirt dresses: