Embroidered Cardigan Holiday Style

Sometimes inspiration only serves as a template. A.k.a. my original plan completely falls through. I am not too big to admit that this happens to me. When I got this burgundy embroidered cardigan from Grace Karin I was so exciting to style it against the inspiration drawing below. I ordered a few different options, but nothing was working. Realizing it just wasn’t going to happen I decided to draw on the inspiration’s general types of pieces to make this embroidered cardigan holiday style outfit happen.

Inspiration photo:

I choose this Pendleton advertisement mainly for the fact that she was wearing a similarly shaped cardigan and the general outfit had some of the same colors as my cardigan.

Where my eye was drawn:

• Headband
• Cardigan
• Shell
• Pencil skirt

Trick: Use the image as a template

When I either don’t have anything in my closet to match the inspiration photo or am not having any luck finding similar pieces I look at the inspiration as a template. I look at what the general pieces the subject in the inspiration is wearing and I use them as a guide.

Using the elements to put this embroidered cardigan holiday style outfit together:

• Cardigan: The first thing I decided was that the cardigan would be the centerpiece of the outfit.
• Shell: Finding a top inspired by the bright red shell in the drawing was the major barrier I faced in realizing trying to match the inspiration was not going to happen. I tired on several bright red tops and just really was not feeling anything I tried. I wound up just buttoning the cardigan, which truthfully I thought looked better.

• Headband: In the mood for holiday pizazz I opted for my velvet emerald knotted headband.
• Pencil skirt: With the length of the cardigan, and not successfully finding a pencil skirt I liked, I went with my black skater skirt.

The truth

To be quite honest I had a hard time accepting that this outfit was not going to work how I had planned it. I was so excited when I ordered the items to match the inspiration drawing. I was so sure that they were going to work. Feeling frustrated I even considered trying to find a new source of inspiration.

But then I remembered that this isn’t the first time I have had this happen. Being real is very important to me. I don’t really like influencers who put on a sparkly show of perfection. I decided to just own the situation show how I make due when things don’t workout.

Outfit Details:

• Cardigan; Grace Karin 2020; Gifted
• Headband; Forever 21 2020
• Skater Skirt; H&M 2015
• Tights; Manzi 2020
• Black Pumps; Abella 2020

Photos by Allie Provost; pretaprovost.com