November 25, 2022
No, you are not getting a Black Friday post from me.
You’re not getting a gift guide, nor anything that bosses you around about spending money.
Let’s think about the absolute beauty of snow. One flake at a time, or piled up making everything pristine and lovely…
(I don’t drive, nor do I shovel – I have the love of snow that a small child has!)
Image –Alexey-Kljavov.pixels.com
If you admire the geometric beauty of individual flakes, Alexey Kljatov is your man. Follow him on Instagram for an occasional dose of awe…
Let’s bundle up!
I understand that wearing a range of 1 color is quite the “in” thing right now. Have you heard that?
Jacket – Alex Mill; cashmere headband – Portolano; scarf – Barbour; mittens – Lucky Brand; sneaker boots – Nike
Nordstrom Rack has a ton of really nice cashmere accessories – Portolano is very good quality…
The snow hasn’t covered branches yet in Chicago, but I suspect that before the end of the year it just might!
Photo – The Old Farmer’s Almanac
There’s always someone who looks so beautiful in pastels in the winter:
Jacket – L.L.Bean; hat – Colorful Standard; scarf – Lafayette 148 New York; ivory mittens – H&M; boots – Calvin Klein
Camel, with warm boots, is classic…
Camel duffel coat – L.L.Bean; cashmere hat – Johnstons of Elgin; scarf – Madewell; gloves – Hortons England; boots – Barbour
The relentlessly perfect shape of snowflakes never gets old to me…
Image – Mark Cassino
I’ve had a black Barbour jacket for at least 15 years, and it may never wear out! If you’re tempted, get the very best one you can find, and take good care of it – it’s a wise investment…
Jacket – Barbour; hat – Shiraleah; scarf – Madewell; black sheepskin gloves – Hortons England; boots – Blondo
If you look good in softer colors, but don’t want a pastel coat, a soft grey looks good with light blue, mint, lilac, butter yellow…
And if you’re looking for a specific color, or trying to match a couple of things, don’t forget about Colorful Standard…
Peacoat – L.L.Bean; beanie – Colorful Standard; scarf – Allsaints; grey cashmere gloves – Bruno Magli; boots – Propét
Enjoy the beauty! Yes, it can be a headache, but remember the joy you felt as a child when it snowed…
Image – Alexey Kljatov
love,
Janice
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, Janice.
Thank you for the lovely snowflake images and the range of clothing ideas to make our real-life encounters with snow more comfortable.
Today I am especially liking the green.. Figures, I seems to have swung from all things purple to all things green. The pastel image reminds me of a student we have who wears pastels – white, blue, pink, lavender. In a sea of blacks and plaid pajama bottoms she certainly stands out. My current workhorse is a dark gray coat I bought some time ago from LLBean. Spent months searching for the best bang for the buck and I found it. Thank you Janice. I so look forward to your posts.
ps. forgot – I did not know that wearing a range of the same color was a current “thing”
All so beautiful! I shovel, drive, play in the snow for my kids, wait for the bus and the train and I still love the snow, probably even more than when I was a kid.
My favourite is also the green….such a gorgeous unexpected colour for the winter.
Happy Thanksgiving!
My thoughts exactly, I love love snow.
Linda
I love absolutely everything about these collections. I used to subscribe to the belief that a woman should buy the absolute best quality clothing with the idea that they are an investment (especially wrt work wardrobes). I learned the hard way that is not the case for myself. Tastes change over time. Fashion changes over time. Sadly, weight changes over time. It was heartbreaking to cull my wardrobe of “investments” because for one reason or another they no longer worked for me.
I still buy the best quality clothing I can afford, but I will never again think of them as an “investment.” That was something that was heavily promoted by the fashion industry that never panned out for me personally. Other women may have had much better sense and luck when it came to investment pieces.
Ditto for me. Things I bought as an investment never really panned out that way.
I also think some people are simply hard on clothes and some are not. If my daughter has an item, she’s lucky if it lasts 3 years—fraying, holes, stretched out—no matter what she paid. I, on the other hand, never seem to wear things out and at least 10 years is pretty average for me. My “good stuff” is land’s end and a little LL Bean. But I’ve plenty of stuff from Target and Sams Club. And the stuff I sew myself is bomb proof. I also have every scarf I’ve ever owned. It infuriates dear daughter.
I dislike the “investment” wording for a purchase that is expected to have longevity and a low eventual cost per wear despite a high initial price tag. That is not what an investment is! An investment appreciates in value…which the vast majority of clothing and accessory purchases simply will not ever do…or generates income…ditto. A nice coat might be a *smart purchase*, and it might be cheaper over time than buying a series of inexpensive coats, but it’s almost assuredly not an *investment*, despite the fashion industry successfully getting people to use that language! (This is not a dig at Janice for using the common terminology; I just find it terrible that this word has been so misused by the fashion industry as a way of convincing people to spend more money and that it has become the standard terminology.)
I also have experienced enough change in my life (weight, job/career, personal style preferences) that anything I’d spent significant money on 10 years ago that isn’t a scarf or jewelry would no longer work for me. So I’m glad I didn’t make any significant expenditures on a “coat that will last a lifetime” or whatnot.
It’s hard to know in advance whether you are going to end up happy or regretful about your big expenditures. We hear a lot from people who make that big dollar purchase that works out for them, but not from the people who make the big dollar purchase that they regret, so we don’t even have simple base rates to work from.
This is not to say I disagree with spending more on something that you expect to last you a long time/get a lot of wears from, but just agreeing with Mary that this isn’t the slam-dunk that it’s sometimes presented to be.
Very good point about the term investment. I have felt I should buy clothes with this in mind, but gave it up as they were usually rarely worn. I kept them for Best. While I love the idea of cashmere, for instance, I now buy fleece pullovers and cardigans. They get a lot of wear. And don’t get me started on the whole weight fluctuation thing.
To me, an investment is buying something that catches your eye that fits well and suits you. The item that you perhaps weren’t looking for but you saw it but it strikes a chord. You know that you will love to wear that item – garment, jewellery or accessory – for many years until it wears out or breaks. You might only wear it seasonally or for particular occasions but you will always feel good about it and will often receive compliments, even though it’s not new. So the price you paid is invested in building your self-confidence and that is worth more than anything.
P.S. I am very aware that wearing a range of 1 color is quite the “in” thing right now. I love it and hope it never goes away completely. It makes getting dressed for me so much easier than when I used to try tried to find close matches in color.
My favorite combinations are the green and the blue. I cannot remember seeing sky blue so prominent in winter in the past. It is so fresh and happy to my eye.
I have trouble wearing that exact shade of green because it washes me out, but I have jumped in with both feet on the sky blue. Happy Holidays.
I love pastels, ivory and camel in winter. In fact, since this is a Very Casual Friday at my new work building, I indulged in a comfy outfit of beige and pink Skechers, ivory dotted cashmere socks, ivory cords and my last remaining deep rose shawl collar T by Talbots sweatshirt. No one else is working, so I can dress for the frigid inside temps…and huddle over my space heater while downing cup after cup of hot tea in an effort to stay warm. Less than a week after moving to the building, I ended up with a cold from sitting in a frigid shared open office and being exposed to germs by those thoughtful folks who come to work with ‘the sniffles.’ My wardrobe for winter may need to include a knit shawl to add on top of everything so as to avoid spending the entire winter sick. Does anyone have any thoughts as to if a handknit shawl can be worn over top of other sweaters and knit vests without looking silly? Frankly, wearing my down coat has a certain appeal, but military commanders like the ones in charge at this building frown on wearing outdoor gear in the office. Wonder if an electric lap blanket could fly under the radar?
I love knit shawls. Janice has shown some lovely ruanas as well. A while ago I also got some silk knit long Johns for winter walks—“no bad weather, only bad clothing”.
My nephew’s wife has a similar phrase. ” No bad weather only poor clothing choices” She always looks adorable! I often throw a large wrap of some sort around my shoulders. If chosen wisely it looks intentional. This is also where a vest can come in handy. Don’t forget socks with wool in them.
Kari, have you tried long underwear? I think it can be found in silk and in various techno fabrics. No one will know you are wearing it.
Get silk. Low bulk and it regulates your temperature so you stay toasty outdoors but don’t overheat in warmer rooms. It’s expensive, but it will last for years. I used to wear the bottoms as if they tights under long skirts or pants and the tops are thin enough to not bunch under shirts. I was always comfortable temperature-wise.
I like the silk underwear idea.
Another idea: cashmere ponchos or wraps. Nordstrom has many colors and weights and good prices. (Janice has showcased several over the years.) J Crew also has some and they’re 50% off this weekend (at least online).
Wool insoles! Will make any shoe toasty and warm. Uniqlo has the heatech underwear that keeps me warm as well. And a vest to add when your back gets chilly.
Kari I am wearing my grey cashmere scarf shawl right now as I read your reply and question. I highly recommend it. It’s 6 ft 6” long (2 metres) by 3 ft (90 cm) long. I just measured it.
I can wear it as a winter muffler scarf style or opened out as a single layer shawl. I just measured it. I got it at Winners which is a Canadian subsidiary of Marshall’s or TJMaxx. $65 Canadian if I recall- about 3 years ago now.
I’ve seen similar things for more at Nordstrom and other places since. I own another in navy and they are fantastic over jackets or cardigans for extra warmth. I have a cashmere nylon blend but I don’t recommend that- it’s 80% cashmere and some synthetic for the rest and it’s nowhere near as warm.
PS I agree with the long underwear suggestion- the thin sport types in specialty sports synthetics that breathe are another option if silk is unavailable or too costly. I’ve seen some at LLBean that I’ve considered but haven’t bought yet. I used to wear merino wool but it’s itchy.
Also warm wool socks can help. I buy men’s thin wool dress socks. They fit nicely in my leather loafers and keep my toes warm.
Hope you find something to help. It’s miserable to be catching a chill AND a germ from work.
Kari,
I use merino long underwears, top and bottom, here in Canada, and it definitely works. Also, try having thin multiple layers instead of bulky sweaters. Wearing a tight thin merino tee/turtleneck under a cardigan will keep warmth close to your body much better than bulky sweaters.
Stay warm and safe
I wear my handknit shawls wherever I like! I tend to pin them and not wear them in the standard “peasant” style but more off center so they look a but arty.
I have knit three of Steven West’s shawls, and still have two others from other designers (gave many as gifts) and with the amount of work I’ve put into them, there is no way I’m leaving them in a drawer!
Ooh, I’ve always enjoyed wearing shades of the one colour – fun to know I’m in fashion at the moment!
Appreciate the winter pastels!
I enjoy wearing shades of one colour such as purple. This is why I have a range of accent coloured bottoms. Though I tend to wear a patterned top in between the coordinating 2nd layer and bottoms. My choices for these would be the pale blue and the grey and pink.
I enjoyed the look-back. Lace tops, satin blouses, velvet (dresses, skirts, trousers, 2nd layers) and sparkly knitwear are my choice for festive attire that is comfortable and stylish. I also like silver thread, embroidery, beads and crystals on my scarves and gloves, faux fur on hats and trims on gloves and collars. Just making clothes a bit special but still easy to wear. I don’t really change my handbag or have evening bags. I usually have too much to carry! Maybe that is something I could look out for – medium size soft and pretty bags that are still big enough to hold a lot but look a bit more festive. You always give me good ideas for treating myself.
Please show more “greyed out,” subtle
colors like that green! Some of us look hideous in both brights and pastels. Thank you.
I’ll second that.
I love that green and the soft sky blue and soft muted pink options. I didn’t realize it was fashionable to use tonal variations but it’s something I love.