With Autumn gone and Winter in full swing, it’s a great time to check in on how you’re working through the must haves list that I posted earlier in the season. I’ll go first:

  1. Booties: Check, check, and check. I’m wearing flat and low heeled versions daily along with my shooties. And I still feel that I could add more to this capsule because I wear booties and shooties for nine months of the year. I love my patterned and colour blocked shooties best. 
  2. Trousers: Check! I’m trouser-crazy, wear trousers all the time, and there is still lots of room for experimentation. I am LOVING the trouser trend and have to restrain myself from buying up every style that tickles my fancy. 
  3. Leather: Check. I have plenty of leather jackets and a leather trimmed pair of wide black trousers. I would still like to get a leather paneled top. 
  4. Texture: Check. I already have a texture-rich wardrobe but I did add a few pairs of tweed trousers, texturally-rich clutch handbags, flannel, and chunky knits. 
  5. Pattern: Check. I so enjoy wearing patterned belts with patterned footwear and bags! They are excellent pattern mixing tools, and surprisingly, I pattern mix my outfits quite a bit. Patterned belts are constantly on my wish list because I can wear them all year. They often provide just the right finishing touch to my outfits. I also wear patterned bottoms, and patterned pullovers in argyles and stripes. At the moment I am wearing fewer scarves because I prefer the simpler version of the outfit. But when it’s very cold, I have to wear a scarf, and usually wear a patterned one. 
  6. Colour: Check. I have a few very bright coats and plenty of bright pullovers. I need those to get through a grey Seattle Winter and Spring. 
  7. A Chunky Item of Knitwear: Check. This was a harder item to purchase than I thought because of the itch-factor. I eventually found three chunky pullovers in cream, blush and ink blue. I am thrilled that I dipped my toes into the chunky knit trend just to change things up, but I still bat for Team Fine Gauge Knitwear. 
  8. Something Burgundy: A very small check. I look awful in burgundy, but my new twinset is colour blocked with burgundy so that’s my tiny nod to the trend. I will not be purchasing any burgundy items.
  9. Something Metallic: Check. Gold jeans.
  10. Something Oversized: Check. I like the oversized trend, but don’t want to look like I’m being swallowed up by my clothes. The right oversized fit is imperative and I pay a great deal of attention to this detail. I have lots of oversized tops and pullovers. I also enjoy wearing oversized jeans and trousers. In fact, my tailored fits are generally looser than the norm because I bat for Team Looser Clothes. 
  11. Something Lace: Check. The lace top that my Dad bought for my birthday works well over a button down shirt for colder weather. It will probably work as well over a fitted black turtleneck. 
  12. Daytime Clutch: Check. This is my favourite handbag trend at the moment and I sport the look frequently. 
  13. Something Out of Your Comfort Zone: Check. Embracing pastels in Autumn and Winter has felt refreshing. My blush moto has become a favourite although the colour was out of my comfort zone. Now, I want to embrace more pastels for Winter and Spring. I haven’t worn a chunky knit pullover for 20 years, and have never worn wide leg trousers. Now I’m happily wearing these items too. Triple check. Finally, I’ve had my eye on a pair of roomy leather track pants for a while but their cost, even on sale, keeps turning me off. 

Our Springs feel like Winters, so we have many more months of cold, rainy, grey weather ahead of us. This means that I can still add to my Winter wardrobe and the items will be put to very good use. It’s when flimsy, but pretty, Spring and Summer items start hitting stores in January that I have to show self-restraint because I won’t be able to wear those warm weather clothes until June.  

Your turn. How is your Winter wardrobe shaping up? And how much were you able to shop your closet for items on the list. Finally, although I call this a “must haves” list it is all in good fun and there is no need to follow every season’s trends to the letter. So be sure to also let us know which of the trends you’ll be passing by.