Hey hey hey! I hope everyone is have a fabulous weekend so far!

Just a quick clarification, the title of this post is pronounced as “FO real”, not “FOX real”. I can promise you that this sweater is NOT made out of fox fur. In fact, it is completely all fake and artificial.

I’m going to be really honest with y’all for a second … for the longest time I thought “faux” was “fox”, as in the animal 😂 I’ve been pronouncing it that way over a million times until my sister Lauren finally told me that it was pronounced “fo”, and I was like, “Wait, seriously?!” As a fashion merchandising major and fashion blogger, you can imagine how silly I felt. And it’s not even hard to pronounce!

Oh well, you learn something new every day.

Speaking of new, my cousin Emmy got me this super chic faux fur sweater from Zara for Christmas. Y’all, words cannot even express how OBSESSED I am with it. I’ve worn it so much ever since I unwrapped the gift! I’ve been wearing it to work, to classes, to nights on the town with my friends, you name it. I love the extremely soft material and how it’s not real fur, but still super chic. The only thing though is that the inside material is more crisp unlike the outside material, but it’s still very cozy to wear. Plus, I’ve gotten so many compliments on it! People want to feel the texture and how soft it is 😂

You can style basically anything with this sweater and it’ll look super cute. My go-to pairings with it are my black ripped leggings from American Eagle, black high-knee boots by Steve Madden, coin rhinestone necklace from Francesca’s, and spiked gold hoops also from Francesca’s. I think the whole outfit together looks so spunky and glamorous.

Words to live by: life is never perfect … but you’re outfit can be!

SHOP THE LOOK

Sweater: Zara

Jeans: American Eagle - similar jeans

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: Francesca’s - similar necklace

Earrings: Francesca’s

What do you think about faux fur material? Have you also mistakenly pronounced the term as “fox” instead of “fo”? There’s no one I can be the only one. Comment below and share with me!

Happy Monday! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I can’t believe that it’s almost 2020, this year flew by so fast! I would also say that I’m sad that Christmas is over, but technically it’s not because the Epiphany goes from December 26-January 6 (the days in which the wise men traveled to meet Jesus). So we still have a little bit of Christmas left! And plus, there’s only 360 days till next Christmas, so it’ll be here again before we know it!

Unfortunately, the only downfall at this time of year is that it’s winter and it’s only going to get colder from here. Until spring, I would honestly say that January and February are the two longest and most depressing months, at least here in the Midwest. And in order to survive these two freezing cold months, the best thing that you can do is bundle up as much as possible. Lately, I’ve had a huge obsession with ponchos. Since the beginning of autumn, I’ve been ponchos at least once or twice a week. No joke, I love them so much! And even though winter will be much colder, I’m still going to be wearing them on a frequent basis, whether going to class, work or a fun outing. So if you’re getting prepared for winter and need more warm yet stylish ideas, here are a few of my favorite ponchos in my wardrobe as of right now!

Poncho #1 - The Attached Sleeves

This is one of the first new ponchos that I bought this past fall from Francesca’s (with my discount!). I saw a girl come in one day and try it on for a football tailgate she was going to, and I just loved how flowy, simple and chic it looked. It‘s a cozy and chic fashion piece, and not just for tailgates. I’ve been wearing it so much throughout the fall and winter season and I’m in love with it. I love the cream color (it comes in other colors as well), the texture is so soft, and it comes with sleeves. I’ve been getting so many compliments on it. My mom even asked to borrow it for work sometime!

The only thing is that it doesn’t have a shirt underneath it, despite the attached sleeves. So you’d have to wear a shirt or tank if you don’t want to show off everything when lifting up your arms. But it’s still very classy and goes with everything, from jeans to skirts and boots to sneakers!

Poncho #2 - The Plaid Kimono

Also another splurge from Francesca’s, and I got this pretty item as soon as it came in the shipment boxes! Plaid has been a very big trend in the fashion industry lately, and I’m all for it! I especially love that this one in particular is red and black plaid. It definitely has a strong Christmas vibe, and I wore it quite often over the holiday season. However, it’s still perfect for even after the holidays and throughout the remaining days of winter. It looks great with denim or black jeans, black long-sleeve dresses, black long-sleeve shirts, black high knee boots and black booties! Pretty much anything black 🖤 😂

Poncho #3 - The Reversible Cape

Unlike the other ponchos, this is from BB Dakota, not Francesca’s. Plus, I’ve had this one for a longer time. I actually got it as a part of a FabFitFun seasonal box quite some time ago. I really do love it though, and I still wear it quite often. I love how easy it is to put on like a cape. It’s great if you’re in a rush and need to throw something cute on as quickly as possible! I l also love the grey shades as they look very classy and calming, as well as go with everything. And better yet, it’s reversible! So you can wear it on either side! It’s honestly perfect for anything and anyone. My sister loves it and has borrowed it numerous of times!

Ironic enough, my friend/roomie in the first picture of this post is wearing it as well, along with the floppy hat I’m wearing in the picture below! And she looks fabulous AF in it 🔥

I’ve been pretty occupied with the holidays, family and taking as much time to rest over winter break, and I have two weeks left till the spring semester starts. I haven’t been blogging as much as I would like to lately, but I promise I have a few fun posts coming up that I’m currently brainstorming and drafting at the moment. So stayed tuned!

Lots of love,

Caroline XOXO

SHOP THE PONCHOS