Wool Bodysuit Pullover

The look:

wool pullover - H&M
stretch pants - Zara
ski jacket - old H&M
wool beret - old
gloves - H&M
combat boots - old
bag - old Lululemon

The tale:

No sooner do I announce outfit reruns than I manage to come up with two new outfits, yesterday and today.  Maybe my post Christmas sales purchases inspired me!  The mallard print wool pullover yesterday and the wool pullover and stretch pants today.  While I can't say for certain what tomorrow will bring, I am still promising those outfit reruns, sooner or later.

Mallard Print Pullover

The look:

wool pullover - LLBean Signature
wool pants with suspenders - old LLBean
vest - old JCrew
scarf - old UO
duffle coat - old ON
wool beret - old
gloves - H&M
bag - classic Coach
rucksack - Eddie Bauer
boots - old LLBean

The tale:

I know that sweaters with animal prints have been all the rage for some time now.  But, until today, I was not partaking in this trend.  I did think about getting an animal print sweater, when the trend first surfaced, but there just wasn't any animal print sweater that called out to me.  At least not until this one, with its mallard, surfaced.  Now, I have joined in on the fun.  I did wait until the sweater went on sale to purchase it.  Lucky for me, not too many people obviously like the mallard, for there was one sweater (at least) available in my size.  This usually doesn't happen to me.  Usually, if I wait until something that I like goes on sale, my size is already sold out or sells out before I can get to the shop.  Speaking of sales, I am slowly making my way through my favourite shops to check out their sales.  I am coming across some great deals.  O happy times!  Today was a lazy day for me:  A late breakfast of wonderful pastry and tea, some shopping, yoga practice, take away for dinner and movies.  My outfit was selected specifically for such a lazy day.  Comfy and cosy.

Coat Dress

The look:

dress - old Momiji
sweater jacket - old Zara
parka - old Canada Goose
wool beret - old
woollen gloves - H&M
riding boots - old JCrew

The tale:

Yesterday evening, I spent a good forty minutes trying to figure out what to wear today.  Finally, I decided that I was going to rewear one of my favourite outfits from last Winter.  Then, I thought that I would just keep doing that in the days ahead, that is, if I couldn't think of something to wear on any particular day, I would just rewear a favourite outfits from last Winter.  I know that I have enough favourite outfits to take me through a number of days.  I don't know what it is, but when the deep freeze first arrives, it seems as if that part of my brain that puts outfits together goes into hibernation.  Instead of agonizing over what to wear, and starting to think that I have nothing to wear (which definitely isn't true), I thought that I would give that part of my brain that puts outfits together a break, by wearing some of the old outfits that it put together that I really liked.  Now, if that isn't babbling, I don't know what is.  But I think that the point has been made.  Reruns are forthcoming.

Quiet Before The Storm Dress

The look:

dress - Dear Creatures (Autumn 2010)
pullover - old H&M
coat - old UO
wool beret - old
woollen gloves - H&M
chelsea boot - Cydwoq
bag - Roots

The tale:

Today was my first free day since last Wednesday -- no plans, no commitments, no engagements.  So I decided that I would see what sales the stores had on offer.  I wasn't expecting much, since yesterday was the big shopping day when, I imagine, all the good stuff would have been scooped up, but I wanted to get out of the house for a bit and, well, clothes shopping is my idea of fun.  I got an awesome wool sweater (thirty bucks) and two cloth coats (twenty two bucks each).  Not bad.  I visited a total of three stores, although I wasn't seriously shopping in the third store, as by the time I reached it I was too tired to really shop seriously.  After the third store, I decided to call it a day, go pick up groceries and some lunch and head home.

Trusty Old Turtleneck Sweater Dress

The look:

sweater dress - old Zara
belt - UO (from Summer)
wool open cardi - JCrew Factory
wool beret - old
parka - old Canada Goose
woollen gloves - H&M
wellies - old Hunters

The tale:

This past Tuesday was my last day of work before the holidays.  So, since Wednesday, I have been wearing what I consider to be uber comfortable clothes, that is, sweaters, sweater dresses and sweater skirts.  I have to say that, so far, I like what I wore on Wednesday the best.  I think that the reason for this is because both the sweater and the sweater jumper dress that I wore on Wednesday are, individually, favourites.  It isn't that I don't like the sweater skirt that I wore yesterday or the two sweater pieces that I wore today (in fact, the open cardi is one of my individual favourites), but, even among all my liked clothes, there are favourites, and when an outfit is made up of all favourites, I think that it is bound to be a favourite, more so than an outfit that only has one favourite in it, or only liked items (but no favourites) in it.  (Another reason that I might like Wednesday's outfit the best may be that I wore no belt with it.  Belts do not make for comfortable lounging.)

The Days Will Now Get Longer Knit Skirt

The look:

sweater - old JCrew
belt - UO (from Summer)
wool knit skirt - H&M
puffer vest - old JCrew
wool beret - old AA
raincoat - old LLBean
texting gloves - H&M
wellies - old Hunters
bag - Roots

The tale:

When I was buying the skirt that I wore today, I was pretty certain that it was a skirt.  Once I got it home, though, I started questioning what it was.  Was it really a skirt?  Finally, I decided that it was a skirt, and I wore it out.  I told this story to a friend of mine today (a friend who knows about style and fashion).  He asked me what I had thought it might be, if not a skirt.  I said that I had thought that it might be some kind of neck warmer.  He said that it couldn't possibly be a neck warmer because it had a zipper, which would become too bunched up making the garment uncomfortable if it were worn around the neck.  He said that it might be some kind of belt, to be worn over a tunic, but that that would make it a sort of skirt.  He said that he thought that it could be nothing but a skirt.  Whatever it was supposed to be, I am comfortable wearing it as a skirt.

Button Jumper Dress

The look:

wool sweater - old JCrew
cotton knit jumper dress - old JCrew
puffer vest - old JCrew
wool beret - old
raincoat - old LLBean
texting gloves - H&M
wellies - old Hunters
bag - Roots

The tale:

Sometimes, when I go shopping, I tell little white lies to the shop clerks.  These lies are usually that I am shopping for someone other than myself when in reality I am shopping for myself.  The reason I tell these lies is because it is easier to deal with the shop clerks when they don't know the truth -- I don't have to explain why I like/want the things I like/want and don't like/want the things that I don't like/want, which they do seem to like/want me to want.  Given how uncomfortable I feel about retail conversation, it is amazing that I actually worked in retail for a while.  Of course, it was gift shop retail not clothing retail.  Maybe different retail conversation is called for, conversation that I am less uncomfortable with.  But isn't it amazing that shop clerks don't try to sell me anything when they are given to believe that I am shopping for someone other than myself?

Catching Up Plaid Dress

The look:

dress - old Lands End Canvas
wool wrap cardi - H&M
wool shawl collar open cardi - old Lands End Canvas
wool beret - old
parka - old Canada Goose
wool scarf - old H&M
gloves - H&M
chelsea boots - Cydwoq
bag - Roots

The tale:

Of the three old Lands End Canvas plaid shirt dresses that I own, this one has seen the least amount of wear.  I have no sense that my wearing of the three dresses will be equalized over the course of this Winter.  I have noticed a pattern lately of "moving" through my wardrobe.  I am not sure that I can explain exactly what this means.  I work through one cluster of clothing, then I put this clothing away, pull out another cluster of clothing and work through that.  And so on and so on.  If this pattern holds through Winter (and, beyond that, through Spring), having now worked my way through the three plaid shirt dresses, it is improbable that they will get pulled out again this Winter (and, beyond that, Spring), unless, of course, I manage to work my way through the rest of my wardrobe (very unlikely). Of course, that I have slipped into this pattern of moving through my wardrobe does not mean that it will continue throughout Winter (and, beyond that, through Spring).  If there is any certainty in how I dress it is that there is no certainty, other than that I will get dressed.