Thursday, December 24, 2015

Recovery Frills: Staying Frilly When You Don’t Feel Like Much of Anything


This is going to be kind of a downer post, guys, but it's something that's been on my mind and I want to address it. If you want a happier post for Christmas Eve, here are a couple of recommendations before you get into the meat of my post:
Okay, now for the serious stuff. Grab hot beverage and settle in.


Thursday, December 10, 2015

Things I Love For Winter

In this edition of "Things I Love...", we're talking about the things I love for winter outfits!


A Warm Coat

This one is obvious, but it bears repeating that having a nice, warm coat that matches your style is essential when the snow starts to fall. Pick one in your favorite winter wardrobe colors and you’re sure to get a lot of use out of it.

I have two pea coats in my own wardrobe, both wool. One of them is burgundy and reserved for special occasions. The other is dark gray and more for everyday use. I wear both of them almost constantly during the winter.

Tweed


Tweed has always been a winter fabric for me. The subtle texture is welcome in the sea of even white that often descends from the sky. Tweed usually includes both woven texture and subtle color differences caused by using a multi-ply yarn. It’s common for informal suitings and absolutely office-appropriate.

As a note, if you’re into houndstooth, this is where that got started.

Velvet

Oh, velvet. So warm, so elegant, and so lush. Winter is pretty much the only time I can wear velvet, both because it’s the time of year with the most holiday occasions that suit that level of dress and because it’s the only time of year when I won’t get overheated while wearing velvet.

Fur

Fur is so warm and wonderful it would be mad not to include it on this list. If you’re not into real fur (and I totally understand why you wouldn’t be), faux fur is common enough and just about as warm. Fur makes a beautiful addition to coat collars and sleeves. It can also be worn with regular outfits in the form of collars. Just look for a real or faux fur that’s good quality – smooth, clean-looking, and soft.

Rich, Darker Colors


With so much white around, winter is my favorite time to wear darker colors. I usually fall back on colors with high saturation like jewel tones, darker shades like wine or plum, and even the occasional cherry red. Not only do they look lovely against the snow, they look wonderful with my ever-favorite black.

That is not, of course, to say that you can’t wear pastels for winter. If you’re into sugary sweetness, I’m sure you look adorable in pastels throughout the year. But, for me, darker colors are ideal in the winter.

Do you have any winter essentials that I haven’t mentioned? I’d love to hear about them.