Your “wild card” for Fall and Winter 2013 is an atypical item for your style persona that you’ve added to your wardrobe, just for fun, because it speaks to you in some way. J.Crew’s wool cashmere turtleneck is my wild card for the season, not because of the silhouette, but because of its toffee colour. I don’t wear earth tones. Well, that’s no longer true. 

Fond memories of my late Mum were rekindled when I saw the toffee turtleneck on a mannequin in stores. Mama loved earth tones, and wore a waist defining version of this pullover back in the ‘70s. I was a little girl at the time and remember it well. Powered by nostalgia, I tried on the earthy pullover and to my surprise, I liked it. It’s heathered, which livens up the toffee against my complexion, and I was wearing cream jeans in the dressing room, which freshened up the earth tone even further.

I also loved the shape of the neckline, which can be described as a loose turtleneck or structured cowl. It’s high, which is a must for my long neck, and tidy, which makes me feel polished. This super soft, warm, and non-scratchy jumper was definitely following me home. After 13 years, memories of my late Mum are fading, and wearing a piece that reminds me of her is one way to keep them alive. 

Shades of white add life to colours, which is why I like the toffee pullover best paired with white or cream bottoms. The Banana Republic cream skinny jeans I’m wearing are brand new, and I’ve already worn them four times because they are long, light and comfortable. They fit more like straight legs on my body type, which suits me because I prefer a roomier silhouette on the lower leg.

I absolutely rejoiced that these tapered jeans are full length. So I’m embracing extra leg scrunch because of it, which to some might seem sloppy and ill-fitting. At first, I thought about hemming them a few inches, but decided against it. I’m making a statement with exaggerated leg scrunch amidst a world of body con cropped pants in the middle of Winter. The cream denim is soft, so the scrunching drapes more easily than stiff blue denim. I like the effect of the textural folds and the fluidity of the fit, but will understand if it’s not your cup of tea.

I finished off the look with an old cream coat, cream booties, and a cream bag. I deliberately wanted the pants to melt into the booties without pattern or contrast to make a modern and minimal statement. That means that the entire outfit is cream, except for the toffee pullover, the heels on the booties, and the black buttons on the coat. I chose white specs, a gold watch and my gold wedding ring. No further accessories or jewellery needed. 

By swapping out the toffee pullover with last years chunky cream cabled Gap pullover, I created a white on white outfit. I also swapped out the cream bag for my old black doctor’s satchel for a bit of black button and bag bookending. Apart from a change in bag and jeans, it’s the exact same outfit I wore for the holidays last year.

I’m a fan of wearing shades of white from head to toe throughout the year. It’s not a practical look for being out and about in our wet climate, but I’m not overly concerned about that. I’m careful, and simply wash the pieces when they get grimy. I love shades of white and they brighten my mood on dreary grey Seattle days, so impracticality is simply not a good enough reason to exclude them from my wardrobe.

Life is too short to pass up wearing items that make you happy. If that means being a little impractical from time to time, go for it. And don’t be afraid to follow your emotions when making a purchase. Sometimes the reason an item makes you happy has nothing to do with fashion or style.