cold weather Archives

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #48: A Print or Patterned Shirt

February 14, 2022

Remember, we are evolved enough as humans that we can buy our own Valentine's Day gifts... Do something beautiful for yourself today (and every day, frankly!).

Today, I'm pondering the role of a plaid, striped or printed shirt in one's wardrobe...

This little teal and navy cluster is a perfect example of the Triple Top Secret! You can - obviously - wear this outfit just as it's show above; in bitter cold weather, 2 shirts and a sweater isn't excessive. Add a pair of long underwear pants, boots in place of loafers, and some hard-core outerwear, and you'd be fine in Chicago in single-digit temperatures!

But if you own these 4 garments, you have SEVEN outfit possibilities!

depending on the style ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #40: A Light Neutral Cotton Turtleneck

December 20, 2021

Is it cold yet where you are? (Northern Hemisphere, obviously!) Chicago is NOT "Winter cold" - more still like Autumn... With the first day of Winter tomorrow, I still don't think it's going to suddenly snow and get freezing cold!

That said, it's still cold enough to wear layers - I've been layering 2 tops, and then wearing a down vest as my outerwear. With a scarf and gloves, I have been warm enough, so far.

So all of these outfits are right in my wheelhouse!

Cotton turtlenecks are great for warmth, for bringing some much-needed light and plainness under a bold or bright top, or for giving you some softness under a scratchy sweater. My favorite fisherman knit crewneck is itchy as heck, so I never wear it ... View the Post

A Winter Cluster Wardrobe in Navy, Beige, Green and White

July 30, 2020

If you're tasked with finding a winter wardrobe right now, I wish you all KINDS of luck. This is not a year during which all of the retailers have rushed to thrill us with cashmere, velvet, tweed, and lots of boots...

Nevertheless, we persist...

Remember this wardrobe from week 26 of The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe? I love this one...

So what IS a cluster, anyway? To me, a cluster is a group of clothes - 4, 5 or 6 at the most - that all go together, that give you a range of ensembles, and that are built around 1 or 2 "bottoms."

My logic is that if you have a couple of spare tops to wear with a pair of pants,

you aren't stuck when you're traveling and someone spills coffee on your shirt; if the weather ... View the Post

Revisiting Double Vision 1974 by Edwina Sandys

September 18, 2019

She spent most of the summer at the beach house; she had been allowed to work from home for years, so she was able to work while sitting on the balcony, looking out at the shore...

You'll Have to Work in the Office... Since the acquisition, she knew that things would change, but she hadn't expected this. But they're giving all of the staff who had been telecommuting a small bonus to re-establish their commute. (or their office wardrobe?)

So she reverts back to her favorite painting, and starts planning...

She knows that she will need some neutrals, so she gets a great cardigan blazer, some washable wool pants, and a really cool coated denim skirt! But she's determined to include her favorite red and tan ... View the Post

Living Without Shopping – 1 Month Completed!

January 30, 2019

On New Year's Eve, I made the brave commitment to not purchase any clothing during 2019! My plan for managing this is to have 4 5-piece clusters each month from which I will get dressed. Because I spent so much of January in Florida, my normal wardrobe didn't really apply (when I'm there, I wear a lot of gym clothes, and just the occasional "normal" outfit...) and so I only put together 2 clusters for January.

But now, moving into February, I'm going with the original plan. Four clusters, 20 pieces of clothing. From this, I'm going to pack for 10 days in Ireland!

Two of these clusters should look pretty familiar:

This last cluster is for getting dressed up - we won't be in Chicago ... View the Post