Cropped Sweaters & Pencil Skirts

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If you had told me five months ago that I would be able to rock a crop top I would have told you that you were crazy. You have to like your stomach to wear a crop top, and I have never liked my stomach. Granted it can be just a sliver of skin, but even that amount was scary for me. Even as an 8 year old kid I preferred wearing one pieces to a bikini. My stomach is whiter than white even though I have olive skin and can tan in a second. So, this fall trend of cropped sweaters was scary, but I decided to try it. blog shoot 2_11web

I think I'm hooked on this fashion forward peekaboo trend. I found this striped cropped sweater at ZARA on sale the other day, and decided it would be so fun to pair it with my Agnes & Dora floral pencil skirt. Mixing patterns can be tricky, but trusty stripes won't steer you wrong, and they almost always go with floral prints.

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Tomorrow I'll show you another cropped sweater version of this trend, but for now I want to know if you are intimidated by this trend. If you are, I'm challenge you to try it. You can always put it over a maxi dress if you don't want to bare your midriff.

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Get the look: Pencil skirt, cropped sweater (ZARA no longer sells the one I'm wearing, but Nordstrom has a great one that is similar), shoes

Photos by Michelle Herrick

Culottes

Culottes are coming back-not really in the 18th century nobleman wearing blousy breeches way, but in the silhouetted shorts kind of way. We saw some serious culottes in resort '13 collections from Céline and Acne, but a more accessible way to wear culottes is in a shorter silhouette. These pleated ones are my favorite from Asos, they have a leather appearance but seem lighter and easier for summer. Another way to wear culottes is paired with a crop top, I love the way Topshop styles these brightly colored ones with a printed top: 14E01DFLP_4_large

I like these printed ones, also from Topshop:

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