What should be the appropriate ratio of classic pieces to trends? 

That’s what I asked Adam Glassman at last week’s JCPenney and O, Magazine event. The creative director for O thought this was a great question {I did, too!} and dished on that and much more.

Just in time for spring, check out a few easy fashion tips anyone can incorporate into their everyday look.

The Spring Into Style event was fun, entertaining and informative. Adam shapes the fashion and beauty pages for O mag and also works directly with Oprah on developing her personal style. So yeah, he’s a big deal and knows his stuff. Also, he made it clear that he shares the Looking Fly on a Dime® motto: your style is never determined by your wallet.

Here’s some of what he said…

The Bold Color Every Woman Can Wear
If you follow my Snapchat {@PatriceJWill}, then you know Adam personally shared style advice with my readers. He declared red is the color that any and every woman can wear. I know, bright hues can be scary but red is the universally flattering color that everyone can get into. Go for a silky red top, cardigan, skirt or start small with accessories {handbag, necklace, etc.}.

Let Trends Showcase Your Personality
During the event I asked Adam what percentage of a woman’s wardrobe should be classic versus trends. He stated once a woman has established her foundation {nude pumps, trench coat, pencil skirt, favorite cut of jeans, etc.}, that’s when she should start thinking about the trends. And this is where you should really show your personality. Trends are the perfect punctuation. Let your basics be the subject and predicate and the trends your period or exclamation point. So two people can do a trend in drastically different ways and that’s totally okay.

[bctt tweet=”Spring Into Style: Think of trends as a punctuation to your sentence! “]

Have Fun, You Can Afford It!
Since this was a JCPenney event, the looks we saw were super affordable. And you guys know how I feel about trends: don’t invest, save on them!

Before the event, JCP was kind enough to send over an item for each attendant to wear. Being the bold color lover that I am, I selected this Belle + Sky Moto Jacket. I had never heard of Belle + Sky, but it just became my favorite JCPenney brand! My girl Alissa from Stylish Curves wore the brand’s bow dress {above} for the event.

As for my jacket, the color is certainly bright, but I anchored the look with thrifted jeans and a t-shirt and some fun heels from Loehmann’s. Not to toot my own horn, but I got so many compliments on the jacket all day. And no one believed it was from Penney’s!

Would I invest serious cash in a bubble gum pink scuba material moto jacket? No way! But this is a fun piece for spring and even into fall and the price was just right {it’s currently on sale}. So if there’s a trend you love or want to dip your foot in the water, this is the way to do it.

Though I was hoping to spot Oprah {hey, you never know!}, we were graced with the presence of Gayle King. Gayle rocked a JCPenney shift dress and even mentioned something I’m passionate about, the fashion uniform. But she was curious as to how to make the “uniform” not boring…stay tuned for a post on just that.