Creative Fashionista Spotlight: Cheryl of Oh To Be a Muse

Our featured Creative Fashionista for today is a glamourous journalist, a talented fashion stylist and an inspiring fashion blogger. She finds love in putting up fashion pieces together and creating a look, the same love that fuels her with inspirations in teaching women how to live like a muse. Learn some fashion tricks from Cheryl of Oh to be a Muse.

Hello Cheryl! Tell us a little about you and your blog.

My blog is called Oh to Be a Muse because I want the people who read my blog to be inspired by it. I generally write about fashion, accessories and makeup, but I also have sections that feature other bloggers and review sections. Oh and I currently live in California and am married. People usually find it odd that I’m married.

What inspired you to start a fashion blog?

I started the Muse because I am a journalist who loves online media and fashion so it was a great way to blend my loves together.

You´re a fashion stylist. Can you tell us how it´s like to be a stylist? What are some of the projects that
you had worked with/for?

Yes, I have worked as a fashion stylist working with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Phoenix Fashion Week and local designers. It’s actually pretty fun to style because you get to put different pieces together to see what works and what doesn’t work. Styling is a lot about experimenting and not playing it too safe.

You´ve mentioned in your blog that if you can do blogging full-time, you would love to. Do you plan to work on this, like saving for a six-month-survival while doing blogging full-time?

Currently, I’m fortunate enough to be able to work from home so I do spend a good deal of my time blogging without having to worry about getting a “real job,” but I would love to be able to seriously pursue the Muse as a full-time venture, which I am working on. But I’m always open to other potential ideas.

What´s your signature style?

I’m not sure I have a signature style. I do like to be comfortable and chic so you’ll catch me in skinny jeans and leggings, but I will usually pair them with a more excitable top or layers or a cute fedora or wicked boots. A style that still looks stylish without taking a lot of effort.

What is your best-kept personal style secret?

Knowing how to accessorize I suppose. It’s so easy to glam up a look by adding a hat or a unique belt or some awesome jewelry. Also, I almost always have my leather jacket around because it tends to make any outfit look more chic.

What are the five fashion essentials every well-dressed woman must have?

A leather jacket, a form-fitting dress (doesn’t have to be black), great heels that accentuate your legs, a wonderful pair of jeans and great eye makeup whether that by mascara or liner.

Which three shops do you love (the most) to shop?

I’m always changing my mind on this one. I do enjoy shopping at H&M, but I am a total online shopping fanatic. I love Asos.com and have been very into Free People lately.

How does living in your area affect your style?

My area affects my style because I used to live in south Florida and Arizona, and it is very hot in both of those places. So it was easy to just put on sandals and call it a day. Living in those areas forced me to dress up. Now I live in a colder part of California and it seems like dressing up comes a bit easier. Layering is more essential as well.

What advice would you give to those fashionistas wanting to become a stylist?

If you want to be a fashion stylist then I would say you should go through the clothes in your closet and simply start styling them in ways that you wouldn’t normally do so. Working at a retail store (although I never did) is also a great way because you are able to pick and choose various looks for customers. Volunteering for local designers or at local fashion shows is how I started out so that’s a great way to get your foot in the door as well. Don’t overthink it or worry too much. Just dive right in.

Enough talk! Show us some of the most creative outfits you´ve worn.

Look1: This is one of my favorite looks ever. The top is from Asos, the skirt is from Free People and the heels are from Charlotte Russe. I put this look together because I really wanted a high-low or mullet skirt and this one was just perfect. I thought the best way to style it was by going with a brightly colored top because I usually wear muted tones. The leopard-print heels just added an extra edge to the outfit.

Look2: I wasn’t certain I would be able to pull off this look until I saw the pictures. I love styling leggings with shorts and incorporating the H&M striped blazer really made the look pop. I added this Forever 21 Star Wars tank because I thought it would look pretty cool wearing a Star Wars top with a blazer. The polka dot headband was a last-minute accessory that just worked.

Look3: Basically, my goal was to find a way to wear these pieces that I’d never worn before. Floppy hats were very in at the time so I wanted a look that would work with it. My gold and black H&M blazer is actually quite hard to style because it’s so unique and distinct so I knew I wanted to go with this black ruffle dress. The scarf and hard metal clutch were both gifted. I think the blazer is what really does it for this look.

Look4: My top is Marc Jacobs and the leather shorts are Lauren Conrad. I really wanted to own a pair of nice leather shorts, and I just loved that these were in brown and not black. It makes it easier to pair leggings or tights with the look. The wedges are my old H&M wedge booties with a new DIY glitter ribbon and studs twist. A good way to style is by reinventing old pieces. I wore the leather shorts high-waisted and layered with this wrap cardigan.

Look5: I call this one Cobalt and Coral. I immediately fell in love with these cobalt blue heels when I saw them in Charlotte Russe. The cobalt heels have a zipper design on them that I just adored. I added a cobalt belt that matched up perfectly. Adding a bold print like the one in this H&M shirt dress might seem a bit scary at first, but sometimes you just have to take chances when it comes to fashion. The sunnies are Michael Kors and the jewelry is Towne & Reese.

And finally, if you could whisper a fail-safe style tip to every woman´s ears, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to forget about the fashion rules. Wear what looks good on you whether or not it’s in style or on trend.

Have a great week, Cheryl! Thank you so much for your helpful tips.

Have Your Say

So tell me Creative fashionistas, what do you think of Cheryl´s style? Which of her outfits above inspires you the most?