A Coat and A Smile

So, it's been very, very cold here in the mornings.  And I thought I could smile my way through it.  Because, as you know, smiling keeps you warm.  Except that no, it doesn't.  Smiling absolutely does not keep you warm.  I should know because I tried my best to smile my way to warmth for today's pictures:

I mean it, I tried my best:

But, it didn't work; by the end, my hands were freezing and I had a rather pained look on my face:

Top: Banana Republic (similar)  Scarf: TJ Maxx (similar)
Skirt: local boutique (similar) Boots: Michael Michael Kors (similar)

I guess it's time to retire the smile and break out the coats.  Or, you know, maybe try a coat *and* a smile.



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Striped Short Sleeve Sweater

In the folly of my youth, I used to question the practicality of short-sleeve sweaters.  But, now I realize that they really are great transition pieces.

Over the long weekend, our weather turned cooler (finally) in the mornings and  has not been as humid (FINALLY) but still warm in the afternoons.



You know what's perfect for that sort of weather?

Sweater: Gap  Skirt: thrifted (similar)
Necklace: LOFT (similar)  Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)

Yep, that's right.  Short sleeve sweaters.



Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

It's All Love

Or, I guess I should say, it's all hearts:

Sweater: thrifted vintage  Blouse: LOFT (similar)
Pants: Gap  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Really, it is.  The design on both my sweater and my blouse are hearts:

The sweater is vintage (I removed the arms) and the blouse is LOFT:

And they were surely meant to be; otherwise I wouldn't look so damn happy about it.  (Just kidding, I totally would).



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Color Blocked

As much as I like this thrifted, color blocked sweater, I never wear it.  Because it is really, really hard for me to style with anything but jeans.  But, I think I may have finally figured it out with today's outfit:

Now, my jean wearing has been severely curtailed at my new job (boo!) but this sweater is wool and very, very warm so I feel like winter in Pittsburgh is it's time to shine.  So, eventually, I decided to try it with a suede skirt.


And I really do think it works:

Sweater: thrifted vintage (similar)  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)
Tights: WalMart  Boots: Michael Michael Kors (similar)

But, just in case it didn't, you can see that I added some fun, patterned tights to distract people from my sweater.



And I think that's the real takeaway here, Folks; when in doubt about your top, distract people with your legs.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

So Cowl Me Maybe

Cowls are great.  And double cowls are doubly great.

See?  Doubly great cowl-ness.



Of course, as much as I love the sweater, it's really the scarf that makes this look.  It's just so darned cool:

Skipjack Cowl from Victory Garden Yarn

I layered the two cowl pieces over a black midi dress and added some fringed boots:

Scarf: Victory Garden Yarn  Sweater: v. old thrifted (similar)
Dress: Gap (similar)  Boots: Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply (similar)  Earrings: vintage (similar)

All in all, I think all of the pieces made for a look that was both interesting and comfortable.  And, for my money, those are the best kinds of looks.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Advanced Layering

One thing I will say for Pennsylvania winters, they've forced me to up my layering game.  I now feel fully confident in saying that I've progressed to advanced layering.

This outfit is a perfect example of that:

It's a sweater dress layered over a turtleneck topped with a vintage plaid cardigan.  Oh, and there are tights and a slip under there as well.



Layers, Folks.  All the layers.

All the layers, made better with vintage plaid:

Dress: thrifted vintage  Turtleneck: Old Navy (similar)
Cardigan: thrifted vintage (similar save, splurge) Tights: Spanx  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

And pockets.  Pockets also make layers better.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

The Longline Vest

I love plum with navy.  (Okay, fine, I love everything with navy).  But, I wanted an extra layer because, well, it's cold.  So, I added this longline vest:

I think the ash gray offsets the jewel tones of the pants and sweater nicely:

But, mostly, I just have a thing for longline vests this season.  They'll never fully replace my beloved sweater vests in my heart, but they're definitely a welcome addition to my wardrobe.



They just make layering so easy:

Vest: Topshop via Nordstrom (sold out, similar here)  Sweater: Gap
  Pants: Gap  Watch: gifted Fossil Q Grant  Shoes: Bettye Bettye Muller (similar)

And for my money, easy is good. Especially in winter when I want to call in just because it's cold.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Non-Boring Neutrals

As you probably noticed from my last post, and the one before, I usually like to brighten up my winters with color.  I also like to brighten up my springs, summers and autumns with color.  But in winter, especially, neutrals can feel kind of boring to me.

But, not these neutrals:

The different textures (suede! leather! fuzzy-wuzzy!) keep the outfit interesting:

And, frankly, the different textures also help keep it warm.



I mean, say what you will about Pennsylvania winters (no, really, I say bad things about it all the time, it's okay, everyone does), but they do provide opportunities to wear fun things like suede and layered sweaters:

Turtleneck sweater: Gap (similar)  Fuzzy sweater: vintage, thrifted
Skirt: thrifted (cute faux version)  Tights: HUE  Boots: MICHAEL Michael Kors (similar)

Things like non-boring neutrals.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

A Different Dark Floral

Usually when I think of "dark floral," I think of a rich floral print on a black or dark back ground.  But, today, I'm wearing a different dark floral:

In the case of this blouse, the floral print itself is actually dark and the background is white.


And, I gotta tell ya, Folks, I rather like it:

And I think it'll be pretty versatile for layering in a variety of winter outfits.


For today though, I just paired it with one of my vintage midi skirts.  I thought it was a good opportunity to show off both the blouse and the skirt:

Blouse: LOFT  Skirt: thrifted vintage
Tights: c/o No Nonsense  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Also, it was easy.  Sometimes I like easy.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

No Nonsense, Well, Maybe Just a Little

But, not with the tights.  No, these tights were given to me by No Nonsense, and they are living up to their name:

The skirt, on the other hand, is straight up full of nonsense.  The darn thing insists on spinning around on my waist like it's being paid to do so.  Seriously, that front pocket seems to think it's a side pocket and is trying it's darnedest to get back home.

But, enough of the silly skirt.  Let's talk about these tights:

I'm not kidding folks, they are fantastic.

Now, this particular pair, while fabulously patterned, isn't especially thick, but for Fall, or mild winters, these are perfect.  Also perfect?  The fit.  I'd never tried No Nonsense tights because I tend to shy away from tights that have combined sizes, like L/XL, because I've found they're more on the "L" side than on the "XL" side and I am the opposite.  But, these tights fit beautifully.  They're long enough for my legs and didn't sag at all during the day.  They also didn't pinch my thighs, which is good because my thighs hate being pinched.

If your thighs also hate being pinched, I highly recommend No Nonsense tights.  Because, having No Nonsense on your legs gives you more time to deal with the nonsense of your skirt:

Nonsense Skirt: LOFT  Sweater: Woolovers (get 10% off with that link)
Tights: No Nonsense  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

And that takes a lot of energy.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shocking Pink

This dress is one my favorites to wear during the winter:

The color is just the best for gray days.  And when paired with gray accessories:

Also, even though it only has three-quarter sleeves, it's very warm and made even warmer with the addition of a wool scarf:

But, mostly, I just love the shocking pink color:

Dress: thrifted vintage (similar)  Scarf: thrifted or gifted
Belt: J.Crew  Tights: HUE (similar)  Boots: Circa Joan & David  (similar)

And, of course, by shocking, I mean shockingly good.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Lions and Leggings and Stripes, Oh My!

One of the hardest things about moving to a colder climate, for me, has been maintaining my individual sense of style while still keeping warm.  Because, as much as I love skirts and dresses and tights, sometimes it's so darned cold that I just want to wear leggings.

Like today:

But, because I'm me, I'm not just wearing leggings.  I'm wearing lions and leggings and stripes (oh my!):

Because, the fact of the matter is, that adding lions and the phrase "oh my" makes everything better:

Stripes: Old Navy (similar)  Jacket: LOFT (similar)  Cowl: gifted (similar)
Brooch: thrifted vintage (exact)  Leggings: metrostyle  Boots: Born Crown (similar)

Try it, you'll see.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey