Last week, I was shopping with a friend, when I spotted the cropped sweater from Anthropologie.  “That’s a total blogger special,” she said. 

“A what?”  I asked.

“A blogger special, a piece of clothing that fashion bloggers love and regular women can’t wear.  Like a turban or silk pants.” 

It was a fair point, but CHS isn’t the kind of site that indulges in “blogger specials.”  If real women can’t wear it, then it has no place here.  So I thought that I would try to style the cropped sweater Three Ways.

Polyvore Set Here.

I think the easiest way to wear a cropped sweater is with high-waisted bottoms. Here, we have a pair of high-waisted trousers and a basic button-up.  Simple enough, but this outfit is really about the accessories.

The necklace works as an extension of the collar and blends in a hint of texture and color.  Coordinating with the aqua in the necklace, I added a dark teal hobo with gold hardwear.  Lastly, I added a basic grey pump with a little detail on the front.

I’d also wear my hair up to show off the necklace a bit.  If you want to go for a real “blogger special,” try a high top bun.  Kidding.  Okay, half-kidding.

Polyvore Set Here.

For a chic, dinner date ensemble, I added a high-waisted teal skirt.  This is the kind of look that you could wear to the office with different jewels and shoes and then swap them out for a night on the town.

I love the way the color and shape of the House of Harlow earrings play with the skirt and also modernize the outfit.  The earrings and sweater are trendy, but not over-the-top. Add an easy gold clutch and a pair of evening pumps, and you’re all set. 

Best hairstyle for this look?  A wavy, half-up/half-down hairdo.

Polyvore Set Here.

This dress is a bit of a 70s throwback, but it has some great colors in the pattern.  If you have a summer dress like this that you’d like to wear into the autumn, a cropped sweater is a great way to show off the pattern while staying warm. To complete this look, I added a leather jacket in a coordinating shade, a strappy (and inexpensive) pump and a teal clutch. 

I’d wear this to an afternoon event or a birthday party.  I’d also wear it on a first date if I was going somewhere trendy and young like Masa 14 or Lincoln. 

Also, if you lose the jacket, you can swap out the sandals for grey tights and grey flat boots and wear the look to brunch.  If you have suede boots, you can keep the jacket, but I don’t approve of leather tall boots with leather jackets.  You wouldn’t wear a denim jacket with jeans would you?  Of course not.