Winter Uniform

{Right hand, thin gold bands: Madewell. Sally Hansen Complete Manicure nail polish in Commander in Chic.  Wrap sweater: F21; T.J. Maxx skinny cords.}

When the weather outside is frightful, I definitely gravitate toward this uniform - somewhat sloppy/ snuggly knits, minimal gold jewelry, and skinny pants tucked into boots.  Back in my youth (which apparently is over, judging from how long it now takes me to recover from a night out), I could manage to skip socks (!!!) on cold days and just shiver a little in ballet flats and pumps.  I could also survive in a skimpy dress and open-toed shoes (!!!) for nights out in 20-degree weather ... but these days, total physical comfort is of the utmost importance to me at all times.  I wore a variation of this for drinks and live-band karaoke with my school crew last night and had a total blast being warm/taking shots/screaming at the top of my lungs for a major portion of the evening.  (One of our friends actually holds the title of "CT Karaoke Champion."  Absolutely well-deserved - his rendition of "Like a Stone" was Chris Cornell!)  I really love these subtle Madewell rings - great little details that make me happy whenever I look down at them.

{Can't seem to get enough of this F21 sweater-tunic, with its warm, soft coziness, slight slouch, and nice details like a scooped neck and front pockets.  I keep wearing it for work on particularly chilled, cranky Mondays/Fridays as it's basically a glorified blankie - a friend at work, Cassie, whose style I really like, owns it too.  We both wore it last week and freaked out some of the students, the ones who believe that teachers sleep at their desks at night and have no contact with the outside world.  Top picture: Ann Taylor jodphurs, Target motorcycle wedge boots.  Bottom picture: Target jodphurs, J.Crew "Billie" boots.  I look rather dazed.}

I'm not yet maddened by the cold weather (it's been a very mild winter) to the point of craving sleeveless dresses, pastels, and espadrilles (although on second thought, even that colored font makes me think wistfully of spring); the above uniform has been serving me pretty well, along with a life-changing NorthFace parka.  Still, I look forward to forsaking socks.  Stay warm!

-xo