TBMD

No, we didn't even come close to getting white out conditions from the blizzard. I'd say... 2" of snow at most judging from these photos taken the morning after. The roads were clean and perfectly drivable. Darn it, I was hoping for day(s) off. To my friends up north -- stay warm and safe!

Sale alert at Ann Taylor:
Extra 70% off sale styles until Mon. 1/26 at 3am EST with code FLASH70.
Extra 65% off sale styles after Mon. 1/26 at 3am EST with code FLASH65.
40% off full-priced styles until Tues. 1/27 at 3am EST (no code needed).

Recent buys include:
- Striped mock neck sweater - $15 - $17.50 w/code (torso TTS, arms run small - I went up a size and am wearing XS / outfits: here, here, here)
- Ponte skinny ankle pants - $58.80 (TTS - I'm wearing 00 / outfits: here, here, here)
- Jewel neck long sleeve tee - $9 - $10.50 w/code (runs a bit small - I'm wearing sz XS / outfit: here)

Other picks: $136.80 trench cape (love my light pink version); $76.80 Kylie suede pumps (love and wear my blue suede pumps an awful lot); $23.70 twisted ring (my cross ring is probably my most worn piece of jewelry ever); $22.50 - $26.25 w/code chambray oversized shirt (can't ever go wrong with chambray, especially in a longer length).

One of the reasons I gravitated towards this particular no-fuss black parka was for its versatility. It works well with a casual outfit and also looks great with business casual attire. The two outfits below are essentially the same with a few key pieces swapped out. I felt chambray and plaid shirts are both fairly casual, but the black/cream plaid pattern is in the same monochromatic color family as the rest of the "work" outfit (minus the shoes). Jeans for the weekend and black pants for work are obvious choices. Same for the brightly colored rain boots vs. metallic wedges. Knit gloves were chosen for the casual outfit, while for the work version I upgraded to a more "luxurious" pair of leather gloves.

A sweatshirt is a fairly common staple in most closets. I own five myself and they're placed right at the closet entrance for easy access. I happily admit that all five are worn regularly, though a bit ashamed to say that one is so well-loved that it's starting to fall apart... but too comfortable for me to let go yet.

My "dressiest" sweatshirt is a gray version with a white ruffled hem by Clu Too. I've round up six ways that I've worn it on the blog over the past year, from casual Fridays to weekend wear. I don't always remember how I've styled specific items in the past, so it's always fun to look back and spot styling patterns. In this case, I'm a fan of stripes, neutrals (taupe, navy), pop of color -- or a combination of the above as pairing options.

A couple similar sweatshirts at lower price points: via J.Crew ($30 w/code SHOPNOW), DKNY ($47.60 w/code WINTER).

My "heavy duty" coat for the extremely cold winter days is an old Columbia ski jacket from the late 90s (15+ years old!) It's a size medium -- roomy on me then, roomy on me now. Oh, let's buy you one a couple sizes bigger for you to grow into, said my Mom. I guess she never fed me enough, lol. The coat has served me well throughout the years and didn't start to show wear and tear up until about last season. I figured it's probably time for an upgrade. I had my eyes on the LOFT packable puffer jacket as a potential replacement. I loved everything about the jacket online, but not so much in person. The quilting on these puffer jackets made me look top-heavy and too much like the Michelin Man. Not flattering whatsoever, so back it went. For reference, I found the puffer jacket to run small, so size up.

Katherine introduced me to Canada Goose coats with her recent post on the Kensington parka. Intrigued by her rave review and the cool details CG put into their coats (interior shoulder straps!), I started exploring around. My only requirement was to stay far away from quilted patterns. Three styles stood out enough that I took under serious consideration:

1) Trillium - $695 (buy at Bloomingdale's / Nordstrom / NM / backcountry / Shopbop)
The warmest of the three, this coat is rated a 4 on CG's thermal index (1=lightest, 5=warmest). A 4 is supposed to keep you warm even between 5℉ and -13℉. I also liked the longer length, which helps trap in the warmth. This style is also the least fitted of the three.

2) Kensington - $745 (buy at Nordstrom / NM / BG / Bloomingdale's / Shopbop / Moosejaw / Revolve Clothing / backcountry)
This coat is rated a 3 on CG's index, so should keep you warm between 14℉ and -4℉. It's slightly longer than the Trillium and has more hardware details, but the fit is supposed to be slimmer. I tried on sz XS and thought it fit very comfortably with a shirt and sweater underneath without movement restriction (for reference, I'm 5'4", 107 lbs). What I didn't like was how the coat flared out from the waist down (didn't even cinch the drawstring waist), which made my hips look huge. This style is probably best for straight figures. I did like how the front pockets were fully lined (the Victoria only has half-lined pockets).

3) Victoria - $695 (buy at Nordstrom / Bloomingdale's / Saks / Shopbop / Revolve Clothing / NM / BG / SSENSE / Blue & Cream / Intermix)
The coat that I ended up buying and keeping! Like the Kensington, this coat is also rated a 3 on CG's index. Of the three, this one's the shortest in length and hits me about mid-thigh (see photos below). Unlike the previous two, this one has a minimalistic style with a lack of hardware down the front. I really like how the look is streamlined and less "parka-like", which meant I could possibly pull double duty between casual-wear and business-casual looks. I chose black also for its versatility, slimming effect, and because I don't own any coats in this color (I know, I'm an odd one).

Winter is here! ...and that means it's time to pile on all the cold-weather accessories -- scarf, coat, gloves, turtleneck, and boots. Though I suppose I could've also used a beanie/knit cap of some sort; otherwise... winter, I have you covered.

Looking through today's photos, I felt my choice of blue suede shoes looked the best while I was in the office -- sans coat and gloves. The dark burgundy (purple-brown?) gloves look great with the gray-coat-with-a-hint-of-lilac, but not so much with the blue shoes together. Hmm... perhaps a brighter colored pair of gloves would work better? Or a more muted pair of shoes?

The mind is a funny thing. I remember wearing a variation of today's outfit awhile back. I also remember not having the time to take proper photos before, so made time to document today's outfit. What I didn't remember is that I've already taken proper photos and blogged about it last May! D'oh! Uhh... I did add a jacket and bracelet, so today's outfit is slightly different? If this memory loss is indicative of how the upcoming year's going to play out... oh boy, am I in trouble.