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Everyday Style & Recipes. Est. 2010

winter outfit

Winter Pastels & Starting a Capsule Wardrobe 101

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Okay, that polar vortex thing last week was wild! It seemed like everyone I knew across the U.S. was experiencing bizarre winter weather. Here in Colorado we had temperatures as low as -15 degrees for several days, and some friends and family were dealing with -35F. Yikes. Good lord, is it Spring yet?

This post is all about the layers and layers of pretty pastels and neutral tones. The great thing about those combinations is that even if you do add a million layers, it will still look good together! Just pick a neutral palette and roll with it. For this one, I went with a color palette consisting of black, charcoal, tan, blush, cream and sage. Picking your color palette is a great way to get a capsule wardrobe started! The next step is identifying pieces that can be used for multiple occasions. For example, this camel trench coat from Zara will go with just about anything. I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured these skinny jeans and these chelsea boots on my blog, but it is A LOT for a good reason. They go with just about everything and are staples in my closet. For my capsule wardrobe, the name of the game is minimalism, so I try not to go overboard with accessories, so I pretty much just stick with the basics like a few nice scarves and bags to complete your looks.

Outfit Details: Coat: Zara; Sweater: Asos; Jeans: Levi’s; Scarf: MM LaFleur; Bag: Frye – Melissa; Shoes: Marc Fisher

Charcoal & Plum

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It’s funny how fashion can transform something kitsch to vintage cool seemingly over night. Growing up in Small Town, Wisconsin during the 90’s, I saw A LOT of camo and some variety of these wolf t-shirts. It was basically the Wisconsin uniform unless it was hunting season — then you’d wear blaze orange whether you were actually hunting or not. Indeed, a full uniform of blaze orange at the grocery store was pretty normal from September to December. The hunters can keep that look but I am fully on board with incorporating these graphic tees into my wardrobe. I’m not even sure what you would call this style? I’m sure somebody has branded it somewhere — let me know in the comments what this style is!

The one I’m wearing from American Eagle is clearly inspired from vintage wolf t-shirts. However, if you’re not fond of wolves, you’re in luck because these t-shirts offer a menagerie to pick from. The ones I’ve seen most often (usually on Etsy) have some combination of eagles, bear, bison, or deer. Some are new and some are vintage on Etsy, so if you’re after the real thing check them out. While I do love the vintage ones, I thought the graphic on this wolf tee from American Eagle was really well done. I would call it more kitsch-inspired than full on if that makes sense. I think this one translates a little better to modern taste while still providing a bit of 90’s nostalgia.

Another vintage item featured in this look are these fantastic Italian leather lace-up shoes that I stumbled across on Poshmark recently. That app is such a great way to find vintage stuff during COVID, even though I do miss going into second hand stores. These arrived with some light scuffs so I polished them up with Lanolin, a byproduct from sheep’s wool. Lanolin is such an effective leather protector. If you’re looking for a natural leather protector and waterproofer for smooth leather (not suede), this is the product you want!

Outfit Details: Tee: American Eagle; Cardigan: Madewell; Jeans: AG Corduroy Jeans; Shoes: Bruno Valenti – Vintage

Burlap & Flannel

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For the New Year, I decided to actually complete a project that was lying around for months — this messenger bag! I had a few burlap pillow covers tucked away under the couch, as well as a leather strap that wasn’t getting used so I figured why not make a crossbody bag out of it? It took about three days to hand sew since I had a couple extra details in mind: an inside pocket fitted with a smaller space for a phone to live, as well as a zipper closure at the top. I didn’t go with any kind of template or guide really, just what I wanted as the end result.

It was a pretty cool project to do for the New Year and was strangely empowering in a lot of ways. For one, it’s satisfying to finally get something done that was hidden away, half done, for months. And two, this bag has turned into my go-to for everyday errands and shopping! It’s a great feeling to finally accomplish a long awaited goal, and it’s a solid way to start off the New Year even if you’re not one for resolutions (I’m personally not). In other news, I paired this bag with some of my latest Winter favorites: these excellent Lace-Up Thursday Boots and an extra cozy boyfriend flannel shirt from Abercrombie. In my opinion, there’s no better time to rock some flannel than January!

Outfit Details: Flannel Shirt: Abercrombie; Jeans: Levi’s; Boots: Thursday Boots; Bag: handmade; Belt: J. Crew

Spring in December

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Technically this shoot was taken in November (before the big storm hit) buuut it has been warming up here in Colorado and most of the snow has melted off — yay! I’ve even had a few chances to wear skirts in December which is a nice change of pace. In my opinion, skirts help break up the monotony of pants during the winter a bit. Lately, I have been loving this skirt from Main Street Exchange. Their site describes it as ‘feminine meets practical’ and I couldn’t agree more!

This skirt comes in three other colorways and this one in Taupe seems like more of a rosy peach than a tan/beige color. The material is on the heftier side and has several layers going on which is nice on chillier days. You can’t beat the price point on this one too. And of course it has some very nice pockets–a feature that sells! I got this for Spring but since it has warmed up here it’s nice to be able to showcase it earlier. This sweater from American Eagle is the same style as the one in rust I blogged about a few weeks ago. You know it’s a winner when you get it in more than one color! The length is perfect for both high-waisted jeans and skirts, and its incredibly soft and cozy. So now I’m kind of wishing I got it in a third color, waaah. Oh well, can’t have everything.

Outfit Details: Sweater: American Eagle; Skirt: Main Street Exchange; Shoes: Free People Royale Flat; Bag: Etsy – Leather Strata

Duck Hunter

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Sometimes it’s fun to dig up old clothes you’ve hung on to for a while and re-discover them. I recently moved to a new place and was going through my old clothes and found this quirky sweater in storage. I got this duck hunt themed sweater from a thrift store like ten years ago. You can see the cute design of a duck hunter and ducks flying in the upper left-hand corner. It’s a quirky thing that I couldn’t help but find charming then and I still do now! I’ve considered donating it a handful of times but just can’t seem to have the heart to get rid of it. Plus the colors are perfect for Fall and Winter.

If you’re feeling stuck on an old, hardly worn item, try mixing it up with something new. In this outfit I gave this old sweater a refresh by pairing it with my favorite pair of Levi’s high-rise distressed denim and this gorgeous rucksack from Etsy. It made the sweater feel a lot more new again! So before you donate your old, unworn clothing I recommend mixing it up a bit with something new to see if you still have a use for it. It cuts down on textile waste and is way more environmentally friendly than just throwing your clothes out.

Outfit Details: Sweater vintage/thrifted; Jeans: Levi’s; Boots: Born, Bag: Etsy

Snow & Roses

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As the days get colder, my focus has turned to high quality boots and cozy knits.  This cardigan from Forever 21 has become one of my favorite over-sized pullovers in the closet.  The knit material is surprisingly good quality, and I love it in this “rose” color.  At first I thought it was more brown than rose when I first unwrapped, but in different lights the rosey tones come out.  I love in-between colors like that!

Something I’ve learned about Colorado winters: snow doesn’t stick around like Minnesota winters, and they come earlier too.  It’s already snowed twice here and it’s only mid-November! As I’m writing this, the snow from this shoot is all gone and the grass on neighborhood lawns is still mostly green.  It’s kind of weird, even after living in California for almost ten years, I still expect snow to hang around longer as a holdover from growing up in Minnesota, but I digress.

Another thing I have been loving are Frye boots–I mean who doesn’t love Frye?   I recently picked up these Frye Lindsay Ankle boots and I love how versatile and durable they are.  Comfortable, great quality and stylish–can’t ask for more than that!  They come “distressed” which everyone knows about with jeans, but I definitely haven’t heard of that with shoes.  Turns out I like the roughed up look, and it just gives the boots more character!

Outfit Details: Cardigan: Forever 21, Tee: Urban Outfitters, Skirt: Vintage/thrifted, Tights: Target,  Boots: Frye, Scarf: Forever 21 (old)

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Cognac & Cable Knit

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Lately I’ve been kind of obsessed with comfy, over-sized sweaters. They have definitely become a winter-time favorite of mine, especially this one from H&M! My preferred sweater material is a slightly lower percentage of wool so you don’t start sweating the moment you head indoors.  This one has just the right blend of materials and has a lovely cable knit pattern.

Over the holidays I received a couple amazing gifts, one of them being this gorgeous rucksack/book bag sold on Etsy. It has a roomy main compartment along with a smaller outer section that is big enough to fit a small laptop, tablet and books. I plan on making this one of my go-to travel bags in the future, especially since it’s made out of a very sturdy leather! Travel bags can take a beating but I think this one will be able to withstand the wear and tear. Also an Etsy find, this pretty necklace is made from a rough cut Citrine stone. I really love rough cut stones in necklaces –they’re just so pretty! Another recent find has been this great jewelry and accessories boutique, Civion. They have super cute and minimal designs. I am especially a fan of their bracelets. This one is a simple, pretty design which goes with so many outfits that I find myself wearing it all the time. This week I’ll be collaborating with Civion on Instagram, so make sure to check out my Instagram page for a 25% off promo code in the next few days!

Outfit Details: Sweater: H&M, Pants: Adriano Goldschmied, Shoes: Lucky Brand, Bag: Etsy, Necklace: Etsy, Bracelet: Civion, Hat: Outdoor Market

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