For years I suffered from extremely dry skin on my face and body. But this year I’m doing something right because for the first time since living in a four-season climate, I look and feel adequately moisturized. I’m neither flaky nor itchy, and literally comfortable in my own skin.

I use Impruv to cleanse and moisturize my face after it was recommended by a dermatologist last year. For 25 years I’ve used Nivea body lotion an still do since other body lotions cause skin irritation. I use tea tree oil pure vegetable soap from Trader Joes once a day with my morning shower (I don’t use soap with my evening shower). That’s my cheap as chips moisturizing routine and I couldn’t be happier with the effective results. No more fancy and expensive lotions and potions that don’t work. Brilliant.

What works for my skin might not work for yours because skin types are different. So if you’ll indulge me, please share how you combat dry Winter skin in the hope that we can learn and help each other. Also, in a recent post about things that we didn’t know about your style, some readers mentioned that they hate to wear lotion on their hands, body and face. If this is the case, I’m curious to know how on earth you prevent dry Winter skin!

I am not one to wear short hemlines, but these days I find myself wearing them as short as a couple of inches above the knee just because certain dress or skirt styles, and some outfit combinations look best that way. For example, voluminous dresses are unflattering when they’re too long, and pairing dresses with mid calf boots or booties looks best with a raised hemline.

That being said, I still prefer most of my hemlines on or just above the kneecap. I seldom go above the top of my knee because I think it’s an elegant and sophisticated length for my height, age and body type. There are also certain dress and skirt styles that I prefer to wear a few inches below the knee.

Have you adjusted to three leggy seasons of shorter hemlines? How short do you wear your skirts and dresses? Would you like to see hemlines stay short or are you ready to cover up a bit more leg.

After dolling things up with biker jackets and ball gowns, it’s back to weekend casual in a dry, but overcast Seattle. This outfit is not remotely glamorous, but it’s practical, comfy and ever so nostalgic.

On Sunday afternoon Greg and I had a casual lunch at one of our local Seattle restaurants before some grocery shopping. I’d been catching up on chores, admin and work that morning and was wearing a pair of old Seven for all Mankind bootcut jeans, new black pleated front turtle neck from Express and my house slippers.

For our walk to lunch I changed into my cowboy boots, added a red animal printed scarf (a recent ASOS purchase), an old brown and black tweed coat and Duran Duran cross body bag.

The bag is among my favourites  because I’m passionate about music band Duran Duran. I had a huge crush on lead singer Simon Le Bon when I was 16 years old (1986) and he’s still one of the five celebrities I’d love to meet one day. Over the past 20 years we’ve seen Duran Duran play live several times and the bag was a gift from Greg at one of their concerts. Rekindling those heart throbbing teenage moments with your significant other later on in life is priceless. So since this very special bag is irreplaceable, it only comes out to play a few times a year. That way I can keep it looking nice forever.

This coat was once my dressy coat. But after six years of wear it’s not as crisp as it used to be. I still love the fit, length, weight, style and fabric, so I simply demoted it to casual wear. The coat will have to be threadbare before I pass it on – that’s how much I love wearing it.

If you love to wear turtle necks (polo necks) like I do, then you have to try the pleated front style from Express. It’s my favourite turtle neck of the season and I’ve tried them all! It’s extra soft, drapes well and fits like a glove. It’s made of a  rayon-nylon-spandex blend so it doesn’t itch. The neck fits closely around the skin and does not stretch out. The sleeves are a great length and I often scrunch them to around the elbow. The banded bottom is flattering and versatile.

Wear it plain and blouson the top part of the sweater. Tuck it into high-waisted skirts and pants, or belt it round the middle when left un-tucked. I use a lightweight turtle neck just like a layering tee so it works well under jackets, coats and certain dresses, tops and button down shirts too.

I bought  four colours and doubled up on the black . They are on sale for $19.90 right now and if you purchase with a coupon you’ll get them for a whopping 14 bucks. In order to gain length I sized up on this style. It’s a little roomier than my other turtle necks, but the banded bottom and shoulders are adequately tailored and snug so I’m not worried.

After having these turtle necks for a few days I have already worn three of the colours. I think I’m going to live in them all Winter long.