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I was sitting down with my friend, Brittany...

(who heads up all influencer strategy at Hearst -- you all should give her a follow, she has AMAZING advice), when the topic of the infamous "jacket cape" came up. You know the one. Where fashion folk (this girl included) take a perfectly good jacket or coat, with perfectly acceptable sleeves and decide to drape it over their shoulders instead, as if to shrug off the outside weather as not warranting a proper outer layer. They key thing to note here is that many times, the outside weather DOES warrant a proper outer layer and this draping effect usually just leads to a.) awkward hugs because you can't lift your shoulders above a certain height and b.) a few uncomfortable swinging moments when you're attempting to look cool while you put on your new cape, but instead, you just hit people in the face with the sleeves.

Ah, I wish I could say fashion makes sense sometimes -- and don't get me wrong, a lot of the time it does -- but there are other times when I think to myself, "Really? We're doing that now?" In the spirit of not taking things too seriously though, I usually indulge in said styling tricks, if for nothing else, other than to have a good giggle at myself years down the road. And after flipping through many street style galleries from NYFW, and speaking to a fashion designer in NY, I wanted to share 6 of the standout styling tricks I noticed. All of which, don't require a single new item or designer label. Simply take what you have from your closet and try a few of these out! If you're stumped, be sure to check out the photo examples I've linked below, to see how a few street style stars made it their own.

1. The "jacket shawl": I'm not sure if that name will stick, but it makes the most sense to me. The biggest thing I noticed at every show I went to, is that the "jacket cape" is out -- the "jacket shawl" is IN. Essentially, folks would have both arms in their sleeves this time (we're making progress people!), but instead of pulling the jacket up on their shoulders as you would normally wear a jacket, they instead left it draped at the crooks of their arms, or sometimes askew, with one shoulder on, the other dipped off -- kind of like how you wear an evening shawl. I mentioned this to Nora when we were shooting this very look you see here, so we decided to document this mini sartorial moment in time with my rendition of it. Need more examples? Check out my friend Thania out for further reference.

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OUTFIT DETAILS: Hellessy top (borrowed, similar style here) // Ba&sh coat (sold out, similar style here)// Sezane skirt (gifted, similar style here) // & Other Stories boots (gifted) // Cafune bag (gifted)

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2. Shoulder bags as crossbody bags/crossbody bags as waist bags: Again, none of this requires a new bag. Simple take your go to shoulder bag of choice and wear it across your body, like you would a crossbody bag -- it should sit high and across your chest almost, like a sash. On a related note, take your crossbody bag (ideally one with an adjustable strap of sorts) and wear it as a waist belt, either securing it by tying it or looping it onto belt loops. I did something similar in this post with my Chanel but check out this gal for a bit more inspo.

3. Monochromatic moments: There were so many pops of color this NYFW -- and not just solitary pops, we're talking full on head to toe red or yellow or white looks. This one is easy to test drive yourself, just grab a few pieces of the same color and start mixing and matching. The tones and shades of whatever color you decide tend to be the trickiest, but I think after a few rounds of mixing, you'll eventually find the combination that works. Want more? See this red look.

4. Wear two different earrings: This one is my favorite as of late and SO EASY. Statement earrings made a big splash this season (the newest "arm party" if you will), and my go-to spin on the trend is to take two different statement earrings and wear them together. See this look of mine for further reference.

5. Socks with heels and/or tights with heels: I saw a lot of this at the shows this season and there's a ton of different ways you can put your own spin on this. Dainty heels with ladylike mid calf socks, perhaps with a pattern or fun color. Fishnet socks. Socks of the same color as the shoe, which then make it look like a sock boot. Or, if you're looking for more coverage and warmth, bring out those tights in fun colors -- I saw lots of white actually and even a few dramatic colors that matched the heels, again making it look like a thigh high boot. Since we still have a few more months of winter, this trick is fun and practical. WIN, WIN. See this look for further reference.

6. Dresses over jeans: This trick I like to call the "it was too cold to wear this dress by itself look so I left my jeans on underneath it." Sometimes, serendipitous styling like this just works. My advice for pulling this off would be to use one of your midi length, slip dresses and a pair of your straight leg jeans, ideal for wearing ankle boots with -- but again, mix and match what's in your closet to see what makes you feel comfortable! See this look for further reference.

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Photos by Nora Varcho