Cynthia Yang (44) is a full-time Mum of three girls in the Metro Detroit area who writes about fashion, food, fitness and everything in between on her blog My Rose Colored Shades. Our blogger loves skinnies, colour, pattern and heels, which she switches up with flats and sneakers. Her style is creative, fun, polished, practical and relatable. She enjoys mixing trends with Modern Classics, and likes to add a bit of urban edge here and there.
“It’s been a gradual process but I’ve learned to let go of silly fashion rules that have been ingrained in my head ever since fashion became part of my vocabulary. I’ve been able to break out of those constraints and take risks, more so in the last five years than ever before. In the process, I’ve realized that having a sense of style is not about following rules but about being comfortable enough in your skin that you are able to honestly understand what shapes and colors highlight your best features, inside and out. At the very core, my style has always been classic, minimalist and selectively trendy.”
A stylish and easy-to-throw-on outfit that gets its pizzazz from the fun colour combo and plaid scarf. Tucking the high-contrast chambray shirt into coated skinny jeans lengthens the leg line. Popping over a hip-length blazer with sleek lines also enhances the vertical integrity of this look. The camel colour looks chic against the light blue, and dresses up this casual outfit. The waxed skinnies add textural interest and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll. There’s some subtle pattern mixing going on with the plaid scarf and leopard print pumps. A simple, dark blue satchel and Cynthia’s trademark rose-coloured shades are the finishing touches.
Polish and hard edge-lite go together seamlessly in this monochromatic skirt look. The exposed asymmetric zipper, leather panel and cut-away detailing transform the Modern Classic skirt into a trendy hard-edged rendition. Cynthia further plays up the hard-edge vibe by accessorizing with a large black tote and sporting black caged wedge sandals with gold hardware. The cut-outs and shorter skirt length create a long lean line. Opting for a relatively unstructured popover shirt in a drapey fabric softens the outfit. The blue and white stripe adds a fun, preppy juxtaposition. Dainty jewellery and Cynthia’s hair worn down provide further feminine softness.
Cheeky Sporty Luxe with feminine charm. The slouchy navy cargo pants are the perfect length on our 5′ 4″ blogger. Together with the slim, sharp-shouldered schoolboy blazer and striped pullover they are the tomboy elements in this look. The moss green with white stripe sweater is unexpected against the navy. And don’t you just love the navy trim around the collar. Such a great touch. Throwing in a croc-embossed tomato red clutch and heels adds ladylike vivacity. Cynthia has an impressive shoe collection, and these red studded criss-cross ankle strap pumps work great with the elasticated pant hems. A simple lariat necklace and dainty bracelet echo the preppy gold buttons on the blazer.
Cynthia looks terrific in these denim-y shades of blue. For a relaxed weekend look she’s wearing distressed boyfriend jeans with a pale blue denim popover shirt. The dark trim on the shirt creates outfit depth. Rolling the jeans showcases girly pointy toe flats. The blush colour and criss-cross straps give them a sweet ballerina-esque vibe. The webbing striped belt adds a playful preppy touch. Our blogger is also mixing metals with three bracelets, two necklaces and earrings. The pendant mimics the shape of the earrings, and by keeping all the pieces dainty and refined there’s no visual overload.
Cynthia has a knack for putting together stylish and on trend outfits that are practical for an always busy Mum-on-the-Go. Here are her top two tips for achieving this:
“I think the key to looking stylish and on trend without being a fashion victim, is to anchor your outfit with at least one item that you’re completely comfortable and confident in. I would never wear an outfit that’s out of my comfort zone from head to toe. If I did, I would probably feel like a fashion clown on display and wouldn’t be able to pull it off. For example, if I’m trying a trendy color that’s not an every day color for me, I’ll work it in via accents and accessories at first. If I’m trying to mix a set of patterns and textures for the first time, then I’ll make sure there is a cohesiveness in the colors that makes me comfortable. Be realistic about your lifestyle and determine how you can incorporate a trend in a way that works for you, and if it doesn’t work, don’t wear it.”
This is a fab example of how to wear a statement dress two different ways! Pairing the painted plaid dress with a long cascading cardigan with subtle ruffles emphasizes the beautiful asymmetric lines of the frock. Adding accessories in earthy tones like the braided leather belt and light brown booties makes for a great casual country chic look. Switch out the cardi for a sharp-shouldered tuxedo blazer, blue booties and a vivid royal blue clutch and you get a dressy and sharp city look. Also note how the round pendant in the first look adds softness that matches the relaxed vibe of the outfit, whereas the spike pendant in look two accentuates the urban edge.
This is my favourite outfit because the sage green with blue and black has stolen my heart. You don’t see sage green all that often, and it’s very flattering on our blogger. Cynthia is sporting a casual leggings with tunic sweater combination that is both practical and relatable. The moto and zipper detailing on the scuba leggings create hard edge and tonal texture. They also complement our blogger’s black hair. The chunky knit sweater with oversized collar adds more textural interest, and adds back some softness. The denim-y blue colour of the pointy toe stacked heel ankle boots is an unexpected choice, but it works beautifully with the sage green. A silver pendant and classic black strap watch are the accessories of choice. Finally, the relaxed, bright blue satchel ties it all together.
What do you love most about Cynthia’s polished and relatable style? Let us know in the comments, and then hop on over to My Rose Colored Shades to browse the rest of our blogger’s fab outfits. Or check out her pinboards for more visual inspiration.
