Monday's Muse: Hilary Duff Stays Warm in Scarves

In our own personal wardrobes, we all have our favorite items that we can't stop purchasing to wear over and over again. Some of us are shoe girls or bag girls or lip gloss girls--you know, that one item we have a million versions of because we love it so much. These are our style crutches, our go-to, fail-proof methods we turn to when dressing in a hurry. We all have a style crutch, and I love when I notice the crutch of a celebrity because it usually tends to denote the lack of a stylist and hence, the presence of a personality.

I have been an admirer of Hilary Duff's personal style for a while now because she does casual in a way that doesn't seem sloppy, which I think is trickier to master than most people realize. Hilary's go-to method for such a pulled together look is incorporating warm, chunky scarves into an otherwise simple outfit for a finished focal point that is all about performance. She is quoted by People magazine saying that she loves volume in scarves and looks for unique textures and prints when adding to her scarf collection.

For Hilary's overall outfit, scarves are about proportion--large, cozy scarves in interesting prints allow you to go simple with the rest of your outfit and simply let the scarf do the talking. This is a great look to try yourself; it's seasonally quite practical with warmer, bigger scarves, is easy on the wallet and very versatile--the addition of a scarf in your wardrobe can make all your clean basics go the extra mile. When imitating Hilary's casual scarf look, try not to wear your scarf as though it was cleanly tied; this look is about effortless, relaxed style. At the same time, try to pick a scarf that suits you. This is a great way to show your own personal taste in cost-efficient way.

Here are two outfits I've created to jumpstart your creative processes on bulkier, warmer scarves, one with a cooler more professional taste, and the other with a more casual center. Which one inspires you most, and will you take a cue from Hilary this winter?

PROFESSIONAL

Jacket-ASOS, Shoes-Piperlime, Tank-Modcloth, Scarf-JCrew, Bag-Melie Bianco

CASUAL

Scarf-Forever21, Boots-Piperlime, Bag-Piperlime, Shirt-Modcloth, Earrings-Modcloth, Jeans-American Eagle