Winter Layers

Sweater, Dress, Bag / Vintage
Peacoat / Old Navy / Similar Here
Boots / Sam Edelman / Similar Here

I swore that I when I moved to Florida, I would never spend another winter up north. While my husband and I have held true to this, I do get homesick during the holidays. There is something about the chill in the air and cozy layers than bring out the holiday spirit. Even though I had a hard time getting my suitcase to close, I packed my favorite chunky sweaters as well as some of my favorite jeans and dresses/skirts to pair them with. I'm the type of person who is always cold even in the summer, so I had to make sure that I had lots of options to choose from when layering, depending on the weather.

When it comes to layering, especially in the winter, I love mixing textures and patterns but in a strategic way. I like to take a heavy, luxurious knit and pair it with softer patterns such as florals or silk. Luckily, the temperature was mild for most of the Black Friday weekend (well, not counting the snow storm that hit on Sunday night...) so I was able to get away with layering this gorgeous tan cable knit sweater with my favorite vintage cotton dress.  I picked up this black Peacoat from Old Navy in desperation for a business trip to New York this past January- even though it is a bit large, it has a chic, oversized fit that looks intentional. It also keeps my pretty warm, so I can't complain. My boots are one of my favorite pairs in my closet. They have the perfect pointed toe and ankle height that just seem to go with everything- jeans, skirts, dresses, etc. Sam Edelman never ceases to disappoint when it comes to reasonably priced, quality shoes. To complete the look, I added my go-to bag of the moment for some more pattern and texture mixing. The chain and sheen of the leather offset the soft, feminine silhouette of the dress and physical fabrication of the sweater.

This look was perfect for picking out the family Christmas tree and later, hanging out at some of our favorite old spots in Chicago with my husband and our friends. It is chic without being overdone, and extremely comfortable in the right weather. If it were a bit colder, some black opaque tights could be added for an extra layer of warmth.