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Winter Brights

As the year winds down, I’m sharing the last winter outfit I have in my queue. I always like to end a series (or in this case, the year) with an outfit that nails my personal style and makes me feel like I “got it right,” and this is one of those looks.

This outfit involves a lot of my favorites — a great pair of skinny jeans (in this case, I went with a grey pair for something a little different), a luxe cashmere sweater, my go-to leather jacket (#repeatoffenderalert), and an unexpected pop of pattern and texture — snakeskin booties!

If the jeans look a little snug, that is because my husband put them in the dryer. I was pretty perturbed, but when I washed them again and laid them out to dry, I tugged on them a bit, and they fit normally again. Whew! At any rate, for this shoot, they were fitting prettttttty snug. I mean, they’re legging jeans, and they do hug the body, but I like to have a little room to breathe.

Anyway.

This sweater is from the Bloomingdale’s Aqua cashmere collection — one of Bloomies exclusive brands. I’m a big fan of these because I think you get a lot of value for the price point. Right now these sweaters are on sale for $79, plus they qualify for an additional 15-25% off, depending on the size of your order and how you pay.

I particularly like the exposed seams on the sides and up the back and the extended cuffs — it’s little details that take a basic sweater up a notch.

Please pardon the awkward posing and the bum shot. 🤣 Alison and I were trying to figure out how to show the seams and the ribbing on the arms. You can see I was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

For size reference, I take a medium in this brand. I don’t like them to be too snug, and the medium gives me some extra room without looking oversized.

My only complaint about these sweaters is they tend to hold a lot of static. I find that true with all Aqua cashmere… is it possible that one brand can hold static worse than others? You can see it sticking to me a bit in the photo below.

I added a long pendant necklace and my snakeskin booties to complete the base look.

These booties are a lot fun. Reviews on their comfort are mixed, and I agree that the top rubs a little, but I wore them for 5-6 hours on Thanksgiving Day and had no problem. I will wear socks with them if I wear them to the mall, or I might put this blister blocker on — I just found this product, and it does work quite well!

These boots as well as my grey jeans and the sweater all qualify for the current Bloomingdale’s promotion (take 25% off when you spend $400+ on your Bloomingdale’s Credit Card, take 20% off when you spend $300-$399 on your Bloomingdale’s Credit Card, or take 15% no matter how you pay!)

The outfit is fine on its own — the grey and pink make a pretty contrast, and the boots add pattern and texture, but I also added my leather jacket (similar) as a completer piece and outerwear option for milder winter weather.

I actually wear my leather jacket over a cashmere turtleneck all winter long. It’s rarely so cold that I can’t tolerate it for the few minutes I’m walking from the car to my destination, which is usually the mall or a restaurant.

Some have asked if I wear my leather jacket inside or take it off. It depends. If I’m at the mall or somewhere like that, I will keep it on. If I’m in a restaurant, I usually take it off. You can do either. For reference, I take a medium in this brand. My jacket is from last season, but this one is very similar.

This is an outfit that can take you so many places, and it’s easy to replicate with items from your closet. This basic formula — sweater, jeans, boots, leather (or suede) moto jacket — is one I repeat over and over with different styles and colors all fall and winter. It always works, and it looks different every time.

pink turtleneck (wearing a medium) // grey jeans (wearing a 28; budget option) // snakeskin booties // similar leather jacket // silver pendant // similar tote // photo credit: Alison Cornell

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57 Responses

  1. Hi Jo-Lynne! What a beautiful outfit! I’m such a sucker for a pink cashmere sweater. I have several actually, but oddly I don’t have a turtleneck. And I love this one! 

    1. I was getting a blister on my toes yesterday – wore new booties to the mall before going to lunch – stopped and put it on my toes, and it didn’t help much. 🙁 I wonder if I need to give it more time to dry? Anyway, let me know how it works for you. I have put it on my leg, where the booties rub, and it seemed to help that time.

  2. Yes! What a great one to end the year. This is very much “you”, and I adore the mixture of color and texture in it too. And those booties are just fantastic!

  3. Cheers to Friday and the weekend! I did the last of my wrapping yesterday and boy was it stressful because my husband works from home and is and my daughter is home more now that her semester is over. So yesterday was my day off and I sent my husband to the grocery store and made a mad dash to wrap his gifts and did the same when my daughter finally went to work. Wrapping is one of my favorite things to do but boy was it a challenge this year. Well I totally love this outfit and I can see it taking you right into spring. That leather jacket was in my opinion the best purchase you made this year. It is so versatile and you did a great job styling it. 

    1. I can relate!!! I’ve been wrapping in spurts, as things come in the mail, or when someone I want to wrap for is out of the house. The girls are a big help too. I love wrapping, but I enjoyed it more when I could have the house to myself and bang it all out in one afternoon. Ah well. Different seasons of life are fun for different reasons. 🙂

  4. Good morning!  I hope you and Paul enjoy your lunch/annual review.  Going to the Nutcracker sounds like fun.  I too really like the grey and pink together.  Your booties is an unexpected pop.  I actually like the picture where you are sort of laughing because it’s so natural.  Even though Paul put your pants in the dryer, at least he was helping with the laundry.  I’m glad that you were able to stretch them out so they will be more comfortable.  It’s another rainy day in GA with falling temps, down to 48 now, so it’s a good stay at home day.  Have a fabulous weekend!

    1. It was rainy here too yesterday. And oddly warm – 65 degrees! Today is more seasonal at 45 — and no more rain. YAY! I’m glad b/c driving into Philly in rain is no fun. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

  5. I love this outfit and ya definitely ‘got it right!’  It looks great on ya too! 
    Merry Christmas to you all!! Enjoy your lunch date!

  6. I bought the exact outfit at Loft this week! My sweater has that pretty small bell sleeve detail but similar. Merry Christmas! Thanks for all the fashion ideas! You do a great and thorough job. 

  7. Enjoy your Christmas lunch! I’m actually going to a work lunch today myself. I work 1-2 days a month for a local small business but that’s enough they consider me staff when it comes to holiday lunch. I’ll take it 🙂

  8. Your husband putting jeans in dryer made me think of this. We had just gotten home from Cayman Is for honeymoon. I was in the process of moving to his condo so while I was gone he washed all the clothes. Sweet gesture but he put all my swim suits in dryer. I was horrified when I got home. I tried to think that he thought he was helping but really who puts swim suits in dryer. It all worked out though. And luckily I was able to get into them. Sounds like everything is under control at your house. You amaze me.

  9. I got this sweater last year in black with the white specs based on your recommendation and it’s my favorite sweater ever! I have asked for another color this year for Christmas. I hope Santa brings it to me. 🙂

  10. You nailed it! I love everything about this outfit, from the ribbed sweater to the snakeskin boots. The grey jeans are the perfect accompaniment to the boots. 
    Meeting for a working lunch is a fun and productive thing to do. Enjoy!
    Merry Christmas Everyone!

  11. Happy Winter Solstice! I like this look.  I have a question about ankle pants with booties.  Do you wear pantyhose or do you wear ankle socks or nothing.  Your post mentioned getting a blister, so I suppose you don’t wear any socks, but I find that it’s too cold here in Pennsylvania.  I want to wear ankle socks, but they always seem to slip off the heel and bunch under my feet if I’m doing lots of walking.  Just curious what you have found that works for you.  Any special type of “no show” socks that don’t slip off?  Thanks.

    1. I never wear pantyhose with pants. I don’t usually wear ankle socks with booties because they don’t stay put very well. I go barefoot, or I wear thin crew socks like these: https://shopstyle.it/l/Xe9w

      If it’s too cold to go bare, I adjust my outfit and wear booties that can accommodate socks, but I also probably put bare feet in my booties when it’s a lot colder than most people. I dunno, it just doesn’t bother me terribly. I also am not usually outside for prolonged periods of time.

  12. I meant to share this on your grandparent’s gift post, but better late than never. If you need a very inexpensive and last minute gift for anybody in your family, here is something my sister made for me that I use ALL THE TIME. .. she made me a simple calendar on her computer and listed the days of the month with only the date (no day of the week) in a list rather than in ‘squares/days’ and put one month on each page, for a total of 12 pages. She then put all our family important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, big events, etc. on the correct dates and even called my mother-in-law to get all their important dates as well. She had my niece draw a picture for the cover and then took the whole thing to Staples to get laminated and spiral bound. It probably took her less than an hour and cost about $5 to laminate and bind. I refer to this several times a month to make sure I’ve sent card/gifts or called with well wishes and is one of the most useful gifts I’ve ever gotten. I even had our Girl Scout troop make them for Christmas gifts and included multiple pictures and photos.

  13. This outfit really is you. 🙂  Great job.  Have a very Merry Christmas!!!!  PS  You should add the book “Kind is the New Classy” by Candace Cameron Bure to your Christmas list.  I just finished it and it was really good.  

  14. You nailed this last outfit of the season. It all looks wonderful together and as usual, I love how you break your outfits down and explain your choices for the different individual pieces and why. I easily can wear an outfit like this. Have a great weekend!

  15. I love pink and grey together!  That is a fun outfit!  I’m still on the hunt for a pair of grey jeans.  Needing a petite short size is challenging.   Enjoy your Christmas lunch today!

    1. Thanks, it was nice! Also, don’t rule out tailoring. Hemming jeans isn’t very expensive. I realize you may have other issues being petite – like rise? But if it’s just length of jeans, definitely consider hemming them.

      1. I have definitely had jeans hemmed in the past and I’ve even hemmed a few myself.   I’ve just gotten spoiled with a couple of brands I’ve found lately that come in a petite short and they’ve been the right length and I love the fit. It’s so nice to be able to buy something that fits right off the rack.  But, I just can’t seem to find the grey I want, so hemming may be the only option!

          1. Yes!  Skinnies are the best!  They finally just recently came out with some bootcuts in that same brand and size, though. Not having to hem a bootcut? Amazing.  It’s those little blessings in life.  Now if I could just find those elusive gray jeans!  Ha ha 😊 

  16. As you are wrapping up your blogging year today, I just wanted to take the time to thank you. I start each day by reading your post (I’m in a different time zone so it’s a rare day when you haven’t posted by the time I’m having my coffee), and I always enjoy it. I have learned a tremendous amount from you about fashion and personal styling, plus you make my life so much easier by finding all sorts of great clothes to buy. Even though I never set foot in stores these days, my wardrobe is better than ever, thanks to you. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family, and I look forward to continuing to learn from you in 2019!

  17. Happy Winter Solstice ❄

    Having a business Christmas lunch with your hubby is a terrific idea! Love the pink sweater- grey skinnies combo. I laughed about your hubby putting your jeans in the dryer. My husband has done the same one time too many and now makes sure that I double check what goes in the dryer – but hey, at least they do laundry!!

    Enjoy the Nutcracker play tomorrow.

    1. Ha! Mine doesn’t. I mean, he would, but he was banned long ago. He was trying to help, though, and didn’t realize they were mine. I guess I just need to stay on top of my laundry better! 🙂

  18. You look sensational. I love how you put classic pieces together and added the trend of the season with tje snakeskin booties. I have learmed so much about style from you.
    Have a fabulous weekend.

  19. Hi Jo Lynne! Just wanted to say I have been following you a looooong time and your blog is so consistently awesome. You are so good at what you do! Thanks for all the great styling tips! Have a happy 2019! 

  20. This outfit is terrific on you! I love how you look in pink. And I really should look for a pair of gray jeans. They seem very versatile.

    I never reported back to you on my experiment on Aqua cashmere vs. Halogen cashmere. I ordered a traditional cardigan and a v-neck from Aqua. And a crew neck and a over-sized v-neck from Halogen. I only ended up keeping the Halogen crew neck (in a lovely bright green). I didn’t think the Aqua cashmere really seemed any softer or nicer than the Halogen. And both sweaters I ordered fit a good bit more snugly on me than I am comfortable with. I was careful to look at the sizing and reviews but I still didn’t do a good job choosing the sizes. And the v-neck from Halogen was comically baggy rather than stylishly oversized so it went back too! I may try Aqua again in the future but I decided I don’t really need to buy more than one cashmere sweater per season.

    1. Interesting, thanks. Yeah, I didn’t like the cut of that Halogen v-neck this year. I like to size up to a medium in Aqua, and I wear a small in Halogen. I do feel the Aqua ones are cut on the smaller side.

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