woolly mammoth leggings

the look:

turtleneck - old gap
leggings - old hue
hand warmers - h&m
belt - old uo
beret - old american apparel
vest - old h&m
jacket - old danier
boots - old

the tale:

this evening in my home city we are all on tenterhooks, waiting to see if it will indeed snow as forecast.  if it does snow overnight, it will be messy tomorrow.  tomorrow is supposed to be mild, so there will be lots of slush and puddles.  wellie weather!  you may recall that, once upon a time, i was wellie obsessed.  not so much so nowadays, but they still occupy a special place in my heart.  so not a bad thing if i have to wear wellies tomorrow.  it was chilly today, giving me an opportunity to wear some wool -- woolly leggings and a wool turtleneck.  i have to admit that i have enjoyed the up and downs in temperature that my home city has been experiencing this month, only because of the opportunities to wear some last pure winter outfits ... along with some spring outfits.  variety is indeed the spice of a wardrobe life.

not willing to let go dress

the look:

dress and top - old h&m
skirt - old gap
beret - old american apparel
arm warmers - h&m
boots - marsell
scarf - old lululemon
jacket - old danier

the tale:

i like umbrellas.  particularly big umbrellas.  and bubble umbrellas are at the top of my umbrella hierarchy.  but as much as i like umbrellas, i don't always like dragging them around with me.  mostly because i am dragging them around with me, waiting for rain, instead of using them to shelter me from the rain.  there are very few full days of rain where i live.  when rain is forecast, it usually lasts for no longer than an hour tops, but the hour can happen at any time.  hence the dragging around of the umbrella, waiting for the rain to fall.  recently, and purely for the sake of convenience, i have taken to wearing raincoats when rain is forecast instead of dragging around an umbrella.  Of course, not all "raincoats" are true raincoats, that is, waterproof, capable of repelling rain and keeping one dry.  A few weeks ago, it occurred to me that i don't possess a black raincoat.  a gap in my wardrobe that is somewhat important, given my preference for raincoats over umbrellas and my recent shift to wearing mostly black clothing.  i didn't really mean to get a black raincoat any time soon, but i just happened to run across the cutest black raincoat (and i mean true raincoat, waterproof, capable of repelling rain and keeping one dry) at lululemon the other day.  the next day, i went and snapped it up.  lululemon is one of those stores where if you wait too long to get something, you won't be getting it at all.  items, particularly unique items, are produced in limited quantities, sell quickly and rarely, if ever, return.  the company does this deliberately.  it used to suck me in, when i first got into yoga.  i used to go to lululemon on a weekly basis (if not more frequently).  then i adopted some resistance techniques.  i let my guard down this past week.  but it was for a good cause -- a black raincoat.

too cold, too warm: waiting for just right

the look:

long sleeve tshirt - old gap
short sleeve tshirt - lululemon
hoodie and beanie - roots
pants - anthropologie
jacket - old danier
boots - old

the tale:

at this time of year, when no one seems to be able to predict the weather accurately from day to day, i find myself being under-dressed one day and over-dressed another day and longing for the day when i get it just right.  a bit of a wardrobe fairy tale.

at long last sweats

the look:

long sleeve tshirt - old gap
short sleeve tshirt - lululemon
sweat pants - anthropologie
open hoodie and beanie - roots
boots - old
coat - h&m

the tale:

on a number of occasions now, i have resolved to never wear sweat pants again.  i have tried all sorts of sweat pants:  regular ones, cut off ones, ones that look like pants and skinny ones.  i thought i liked them at the time i was trying them out, but it was never too long before i started disliking the way i looked in them and resolved to never wear sweat pants again.  last week, i found these sweat pants ... on sale at anthropologie.  i am convinced that these ones are the ones and that they will last.  i like their wide legs, the loose elasticized bottoms and the side zips at the bottom.  of course, i think that i have said "these are the ones" before.  we shall see what happens.  (and, yes, i do look a little like an elf.)

a favourite suit (once upon a time ... and still)

the look:

turtleneck - old
vest - old gap
skirt and jacket - old zara
hand warmers - h&m
hat - lillie & cohoe
boots - fiorentini & baker
parka - old canada goose
scarf - old h&m

the tale:

it is not easy when, after a weekend of being "under the weather" (alright, "sick"), meaning no great nights (and i am talking about sleeping here), you have to face going out into a minus twenty-one degrees celsius morning to get to work.  two things were on my mind today.  first, i have to recover my health.  second: i have to stay warm.  at least one of these two things was completely within my control.  i wore as much wool as i could: wool tights, wool vest, wool suit.  wool is a remarkable thing.  what would i do without it?