Confession: when I have to pack for a weekend with my husband – piece of cake. When I have to pack for a weekend with a group of fashion bloggers – total stress mode. You already know everyone is going to look amazing so coming up with different looks can be quite the task. I used to freak out and buy new pieces for weekends or events like this but now I try to re-create looks that I already have. I.e. shop my own closet!  I take different pieces that are really versatile and try to make them more “artistic.” So if I wore a dress with a long necklace I will put a shirt under it and a chain around my neck or throw a sweater over a dress to create multiple layers. Doing this type of packing forces me to stay creative, save money, and actually wear all of the items in my closet! This was my exact plan when packing for my girls trip in Charleston a few weeks ago.

I must admit, this Cuyana Alpaca cape is just about the most creative item I have in my closet. I first saw Molly wearing it and knew I needed it. I thought it would be perfect to throw on for travel – bundle up when the air gets freezing on the plane. But when it came in I literally thought of a million+ different ways to style it. For this evening I wanted to create a twisted look so I took one side of the cape and threw it over my shoulder. I then took the remaining corner of the other opposite side and threw it over the other shoulder, thus creating a layered/twisted look. I can’t wait to show you all of the other ways to style this piece so you can see just why you need it in your closet and just how versatile it is! Stay tuned…