Cheryl Shops

Within the last year or so, being a fashion blogger has become a hot commodity, so much that designers, beauty companies, and a host of other entities now hold special events just for bloggers. After years of toiling in anonymity, I must say, it's pretty nice to be wined, dined, and swagged. Of all the events that I attend, however, my favorite tend to involve getting the chance to style looks. It's like playing dress-up in someone else's closet, and my ego likes taking a fashion brand's wares and putting my own stamp on it. So of course I jumped at the chance to assemble a few looks from Converse One Star's spring 2011 collection last week. As you may or may not know, Converse One Star is sold exclusively at Target, and has a ton of casual, urban-cool basics that are perfect for the weekend. Below are the looks I created (and, yes, they had me pose with them, so while I'm normally not a post-pictures-of-myself blogger, well, here I am); the best part is that you can shop them right now on Target.com.

Look 1: Kristen Stewart runs errands
Don't laugh, but I saw this trench coat and thought of Kristen Stewart in various paparazzi photos, where she looks boyish but cute, like she's borrowing Robert Pattinson's clothes. I wanted to contrast the tailored but low-key look of the trench coat with slouchier sweatpants. As a nod to the Forks, Washington weather, I layered the look with a lace-trim tank underneath a button-down. I also added a fashion-y wide belt on top of the trench, because adding a random belt instantly gives you a fashiony look, and it prevents everything from looking too relaxed.

Isla Trench Coat, $49.99
3/4 Sleeve Sport Shirt, $22.99
Lace Trim Tank, $12.99
Leisure Cropped Pant, $22.99
Accessories unavailable online.


Look 2: Rick Owens lite
This photograph does not do this jacket justice (It also doesn't do me justice, but let's ignore that for now)--it's super-soft, super-lightweight, and it looks way more expensive than it is. It has that biker-lite vibe that's been happening for a few seasons now, so I decided to take a cue from Rick Owens and layer it with two tank tops and a drapey jersey vest (also a great piece, but sadly not yet available online). The skinny jeans have motocross-inspired stitching details, continuing the vaguely outlaw-ish vibe. I finished with a big shoulder bag and several strands of snake-like silver necklaces to dress it up a little. Again, this is a pretty casual look, but it's my favorite of the three.



Roxie Jacket, $34.99
Lace Trim Tank Tops, $12.99 each
Skinny Jeans, Dark Wash, $29.99
Vest and accessories unavailable online.

Look 3: mixing it up
I decided to get a little crazy on my third and final look (as evidenced by my pensive expression here), so I pulled one of my favorite tricks, which is mixing patterns. This is actually a peasant top over a dress, and I added a belt to create a waist. For some reason, I feel like mixing patterns is easier with warm-weather clothes; the key is to 1) pair a larger-scale pattern with a smaller one, and 2) to keep it all in the same color family. I think you could wear this to work, but it would also be a cute weekend brunch outfit. I'll have eggs benedict and a bellini.

Plaid Miriam Top, $24.99
Dress and accessories unavailable online.





FTC disclosure: I was compensated for my mad styling skillz with a Target gift card, although I had so much fun, I would've done it for free.