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

How To Make Your Old Winter Coat Feel New Again

I kid you not. Today’s featured winter coat is over 7 years old. It remains a favorite that I reach for often. It’s such a standout coat, though, that I like to make sure that I’m making it look and feel fresh every time I wear it. Today, I’m sharing 3 tricks for making that happen.

Coat

What I’m wearing:

Sweater tank (under $30) | Pants | Pumps (option, option) | Tracy Reese Coat (old, option)

1. Play with color

As you can imagine, I was drawn to this particular coat because of its colorful stripes. It’s especially fun, then, to play with color when rocking this topper. In this look, I’m teasing out the fuchsia color in the coat with my color blocked fuchsia and purple ensemble.

Talking about playing with color, this entire week on the blog will be dedicated to fun color combinations, so come back to check out all the posts.

2. Skip the scarf

Scarves are sometimes necessary, but they potentially draw attention away from a fab coat. My coat, in particular, has a striking funnel neck I like to show off. Turtlenecks are great options, then, when you plan to go sans scarf. By the way, this gorgeous mock neck sweater is only $29! I’m wearing it in a size small, but I think I could get an even better fit by sizing down to the extra small. It’s very stretchy.

3. Cape it

Why wear it when you can drape it? Draping your coat over your shoulders, when it’s warm enough to do some comfortably, makes any coat (and outfit) look infinitely cooler.

For more tips on giving new life to an old favorite winter coat, see 6 super chic ways to style your coat.

Shop this look:

A Cheerful Color Combination To Wear Now

I had to accept something recently. We’re about a month away from spring. That’s not great news when you’re already over winter. To push through these few weeks, I’m relying heavily on color therapy to keep those winter blues at bay. Today, then, I’m sharing another favorite cheerful color combination.

cheerful color combination

Cardigan (similar, option, option, option) | Pants

Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette | Lips: Mac “Flat Out Fabulous”

By the way, these pants are the Madie pants I raved about in a recent post (see that post here). These pants are everything because of they’re flattering and comfortable fit and the assortment of prints and colors they’re available in.

One of my favorite thing about brights is that they pair well with brights. Go bold or go home, right?

P.S. Big shout out to Nevis, my little Havanese sweetie, who insisted on photo bombing me. I think that he was also mesmerized by the brightness of the pants. Have a wonderful weekend!

Shop this cheerful color combination:

How To Transition Your Winter Wardrobe For Spring

This post is sponsored by Kindred, a collective boutique located at West County Center.

Feeling the urge to adorn yourself in spring attire but still facing dreadful winter weather? I feel you. Me too. There are cool ways to ease spring flavor into your winter style though. And, I’m rounding up my top 3 in this post.

1. Mix spring hues with your favorite winter colors

I was so thrilled to see all the new spring arrivals when I visited Kindred recently. Do yourself a favor and stop by. I was drawn to the bright pink, orange, and yellow items throughout the store. I was also smitten by the rich jewel tones of the winter items in stock. So, I decided to experiment by blending a beautiful rust sweater I found from Addi & Ains, one of 7 featured boutiques at Kindred, with a brighter pair of pants, also available at Kindred.

Ready to ease into Spring? Try blending a bright with a winter hue.

What I’m wearing:

Wide collar sweater via Kindred (only $54) | Pleated trousers via Kindred (only $44.99)

Fendi wrappy scarf (exact style here) | Eyes: Urban Decay “Naked Cherry” palette | Nails: Essie

2. Ease spring accessories into your style

The twilly/wrappy/neckerchief is one of spring’s IT accessories. And, since scarves and winter go together, you might as well start rocking one with your winter style. It’s totally appropriate and adds a little spring flavor.

3. Play with textures

I love how warm and cozy this wide collar sweater from Kindred boutique is. The pants, on the other hand, have a lightweight, silky fabric that balances the weight of the top. So, the overall look is a little bit spring and a little bit winter.

Location: Cafe Ventana, St. Louis

Be sure to support local STL by shopping right-on-trend styles at Kindred boutique at West County Center. See more of my Kindred finds here, here, and here.

Colorblocking In The Selfie Room, A New Selfie Museum

Last Thursday, I got a sneak peek at the newly opened selfie museum in downtown St. Louis–The Selfie Room. It’s a museum filled with whimsical backdrops that are perfect for taking photos. There are currently 12 themed rooms that’ll change every quarter. I went in hoping to find colorful spaces that spark joy, and I got just that.

The Selfie Room

What I’m wearing:

Coat c/o (similar, similar) | Sweater (similar, option) | Jeans | Bag

It was freezing cold last Thursday, so I decided on an outfit that incorporated my coat. As luck would have it, my combination–cobalt and yellow–was a perfect complement for the bathtub room. Get this, it’s a bright yellow room with rubber duckies adorning the wall and a bathtub filled with blue plastic balls. Of course, I had to get in.

I’m excited that the Selfie Room is here. It’s a fun place for anyone to take photos. I think it’ll be a great asset for fellow influencers in need of a rad backdrop, especially when the weather outside is frightful.

Want more inspiration for 2019’s must-try colorblocking trend? Go here, here, and here.

Disclosure: Thank you to The Selfie Room for inviting me to preview the space free of charge.

How To Spice Up Your Style With A Winter Scarf

When the temperatures dip, layering becomes more important than ever. Scarves, then, become essential style accessories. Honestly, I can’t think of a winter outfit that can’t be improved by wrapping a fabulous scarf around your neck. They keep our necks (and even our faces) warm, and they can easily refresh our outfits. To demonstrate, I’m taking a basic sweater and giving it new life with a bright scarf.

winter scarf

What I’m wearing:

Sweater (on sale) | Scarf (similar, similar) | Boyfriend jeans | Booties c/o

Lip: Mac “Ambrosial” | Nails: Essie “Aruba Blue”

Okay, this sweater isn’t totally basic. It’s a bright fuchsia sweater with a sassy back slit. From the front, though, it looks a tad basic. To give it new life, though, I added a chunky yellow scarf. This scarf is the perfect complementary hue to create a fun color blocked vibe.

For the rest of winter, I’m challenging myself to have fun with scarves. I’m going to let them transform my winter style. Whether I’m using a scarf to mix prints or block colors, I’ll be allowing my scarves do more than keep me warm. You too?

Location: Michaels, Brentwood, St. Louis

Find a new winter scarf:

Need a colorful sweater to go with your favorite scarf? Shop my favorites here.