how to style your odd purchases.

styling is hard. especially when it involves a crew neck cat sweater.

here are my top three tips and tricks for making weird purchases that you just had to have worth it.

one// decide what you love about it? is it the fit, the graphic (ahem, a cat), or the comfort of the garment? highlight that factor when putting together the ensemble. if you love the fit, in my opinion you have hit the jackpot. clothing that is flattering is all about the fit. i do not care if you are in a kate spade dress (one can dream) or one from goodwill-- if it does not work well with your body it is a no-go. if the graphic is what drew your eye (like my obsession with anything and everything cat-related), make that aspect the attention getter. nothing is better when you see a person's head cock sideways with that curious grin (or smirk) wondering why the heck you have *insert odd item here* on your shirt. as for comfort goes, i am all for wearing pajamas out of the house. you know the skinny sweatpants (chic word: joggers) that are all the rage right now? yep, right up my ally. however, if you are talking about your prized snowman pajama bottoms that grandma made for you, i suggest you leave those at home. sorry, grandma. 

two// what do you dislike about it? again, is it the fit, graphic, or comfort of it? as for fit, if it does not fit correctly, we will compensate! add layers (i.e. a freaking awesome moto jacket) to make the baggy-ness of a sweater less.... well, baggy. or belt it, cut it, tie it, the list goes on. life tip: most clothes are made for the "model" prototype. do not let that discourage you, but encourage you to work around unrealistic standards for what fits best for you! the quick fix for a graphic disaster is to hide it. what you do not see on the outside is not really there, right? right. (well-- clothes talking, yes. life talking, no.) add a scarf, necklace, or even add a thin layer. and, if it is not comfortable, you have two choices-- put your big girl panties on and deal with it or trash it (i mean, donate). 

oh no, is the word "panties" really on my blog? ew. sorry, boys. please send help.

three// do not listen to your mom and/or twitter followers when you mention that you bought a cat sweater. if something catches your eye, buy it! unless it is too much money or a has no purpose. those are the two rules for when not to buy things. 

other than those, buy the dang cat sweater, ya freak! 

yours truly,

cate