A lot of bloggers are shedding the excesses of the holiday season and posting about bringing their wardrobes back to the basics. The theme seems to be something like, “you only need a few versatile pieces, so why not pare down your closet to the bare minimum or rework what you’ve got?” Not a bad idea, but I’m doing the opposite this year. My closet is already filled with basics, there are some holes here and there, but my lifestyle hasn’t required me to invest in say, a nice white blouse. I’d benefit more from a new pair of jeans.
I’ve spent the last few years purging, filling in gaps, and purging again. My closet is lean but pretty damn strong and close to all-purpose, so what I really need now is fun pieces. And that’s partly the motivation for getting back into doing personal style posts. If I’m going to be expanding my closet, with maybe not totally necessary but undeniably PRETTY (and/or quality) pieces, I should share that with my lovely readers. At the beginning of this blog back in 2011/2012 I was front of the camera all the time, doing style, hair, and makeup posts. It may take a while for me to get used to posing for photographs again, but we’re back baby!
J.Crew Wool Melton Hooded Bib Jacket // J.Crew Merino Wool Sweater // 7 For All Mankind Stretch Skinny Jeans // Hunter Boots // butter LONDON Nail Lacquer British Racing Green
In recent posts I’ve referenced this J.Crew hooded jacket which I got over the holidays. It was by far my favorite purchase until Dan bought me a pair of Hunter boots as an early birthday gift. Now I have two favorites (is that allowed? I say yes). I’ve worn the rain boots pretty much every time I’ve left the house, rain or shine. They’re really comfortable, look great with skinny jeans or leggings, and I know I will get a lot of use from them since I live in a really rainy area.
One thing I noticed, and this is a little weird, they work your calves! Recently, Dan and I went for an hour long walk and the next day my calves were crazy sore. I couldn’t figure it out until Dan watched me walk in them and noticed that I pushed off with my toes more. Tiny detail. Very random. Anyway, they’re wonderful. I might want a second pair at some point. Remember when they had them in pink?
Let’s get back to the coat. Winter here is pretty mild. We’ve had multiple sunny days in the 50s, a few in the 30s and no snow. I want to point out that we had a nice run of sunny days before and after the day we took these photos. But the rain worked since I wanted to show off the really cool hood. Am I a dork for thinking this hood is so awesome? It’s a LOTR-worthy hood that makes me feel very dramatic. And the collar buttons up which keeps the wind off your neck and looks gorgeous.
My only gripe with this coat is the stupid zipper. It’s a double zipper and you really have to hold the two pieces in place when you start to zip up the jacket. But that’s a minor issue. I went with black because it was the smartest decision for my closet, but honestly if I could I’d also buy it in dove gray and vintage pine. Mmm.
This year I am going to stop buying striped shirts. But I couldn’t resist this one. It’s a knit! And it makes me feel like a snow-bunny.
What nail polish colors are you into right now? Last year it was navy and the year before it was black but now I’m 100% in love with this hunter green.
