This is my new casual cold weather uniform that I’ll be wearing regularly this Autumn and Winter. It came together after feeling that my casual style was in a bit of a rut, so I refreshed my jeans capsule and added some footwear to go along with it. The outfit also features a new colour for my style — rust — which has injected life back into the ink and black items in my wardrobe. I can wear this versatile and practical uniform when working with casual clients, out and about downtown, or to lunch and dinner with friends.

I bought the trendy cropped straight ankle jeans at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary sale, and have been wearing them since July. As a reaction to wearing baggy boyfriend jeans for three years, I sized down to create a snugger fit than on the model. They’re year-round jeans because the length works just as well with ankle strap footwear in Summer as it does with high shaft booties in the Autumn and Winter.

Seattle Winters are wet, grey and chilly, but infrequently snowy and icy, so I shan’t be freezing my buns off in the jeans and bootie pairing that showcases a slither of faux bare skin. I’ve insulated my legs with a pair of nude-for-me knee-highs, so I’ll be adequately warm when temperatures stay above the freezing point. The cropped hems of the jeans are surprisingly practical for our climate because they won’t get soggy in the rain. And as long as I close the gap with the right footwear, I’m happy as a clam sporting the cropped length. 

The pima cotton & silk turtleneck sweater is new and already a favourite. Black outerwear does not make me happy but black turtlenecks make me VERY happy, and I’ve accumulated a good assortment. I love everything about this pullover. The oversized collar is a good fit for my long neck. The more fitted silhouette is a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of slouch. The fabric is luxurious, the extra long tapered sleeves are on trend, the patch pocket placement is interesting, and the asymmetrical hemline sublime. I’m wearing belts less frequently at the moment and pleased that the short, diagonal hemline of the pullover creates sufficient structure for it to be worn untucked. The diagonal hemline also subtly lengthens the leg line upward from the thighs and breaks up the stronger horizontal line that would have been created with a straight hem against the contrasting jeans. 

The Topshop Mary Chelsea Boots were love at first sight because of their sleek ankle fit, Mod ‘60s appeal, shiny texture, warm glow, and stable block heel. Their higher shaft makes them a good silhouette to wear with cropped jeans because they close the gap. I was worried that the heel would be too high, but the boots are ultra lightweight and comfortable which makes the height more manageable. I’m pleased to report that I’ve been shopping with clients in these boots and they pass the comfort test with flying colours. 

Rust might seem like a wild card to add to my wardrobe when I have a strong preference for crisp sour brights and graphic neutrals. But this earthy orange tone is a not-too-distant cousin of the cognac and Dutch orange that I love, and it works well with the abundance of dark blue, black and white in my wardrobe. I particularly like rust worn with dark blue, because the warmth of the rust against the cool of the blue is such a rich juxtaposition.

I chose rust boots, a rust bag, and my old ink military coat to complete the outfit. Apple green specs, watch and wedding ring are all I need in the jewellery department.

The high contrast between the pullover, jeans and boots creates a lot of horizontal lines that stand to undermine the outfit’s ability to be conventionally flattering. But there are a few important factors that create some vertical integrity and structure: the heels and higher shaft of the booties, the tonal repetition of the pullover and coat, the shorter length and diagonal lines of the pullover, and the elongating turtleneck collar. 

And finally, an interesting observation from my in-house fashion stylist. Greg says that I seldom talk about it in my posts, but that my items sometimes have design details that are inspired by 19th century military uniforms. In this case, the double-breasted coat. He said that perhaps it reflects the strict and ordered side of my personality. I’m sure it also has something to do with my love for equestrian style, which often has military roots.

A new outfit from Brenna Mari of Chic Street Style, whom we introduced to YLF in January 2014.

The cognac bag and footwear paired with the gold jewellery give this smart casual denim-on-denim look a luxe feel. Tucking a tailored pussy bow blouse with a ’70s retro vibe into jeans that are fitted on the waist and hips, and flare out from the knee down provides lots of structure. The blue colour of column and pointy toe pumps peeking out from under the perfect-pants-length jeans create a long lean line. The contrast  between Brenna’s streamlined satchel and her soft wavy locks add a fun juxtaposition. Bright pink lippie and tortoise shell sunnies are the glam finishing touches.

When you edit your closet there are items that stare back at you with a big fat question mark. Should they stay, or should they go? You no longer wear the items, yet your intuition tells you to keep them – just in case. Storing these items in a holding zone away from your wardrobe so that they don’t take up valuable closet space is a good solution. The idea is that you re-evaluate the items in your holding zone from time to time and pass them on when you haven’t missed them since their exile.

My holding zone usually consists of a few pairs of shoes and toppers. I tend to leave them there for longer than a year because each time I revisit the stash, I find a good reason to keep some of the pieces. This strategy is reinforced by the fact that every so often I take an item from my holding zone back into my closet because it unexpectedly works for my current style. This is exactly what happened when I recently shopped my holding zone to fill a wardrobe hole.

I’ve had the black parka for eleven years and it’s been in my holding zone for at least six (the photo above with Rosie and Jasmine is one of the last times I wore it.) That’s a very long time! The parka is well made, weatherproof, cozy, current and semi-structured. It fits well and is very practical. It’s also hooded and has a pretty faux fur trim. It ended up in my holding zone because despite all these great attributes, I got tired of the black. So about six years ago, I bought a short gold puffer coat to replace the black parka. I wore the gold puffer quite regularly, but it doesn’t have a hood so I wore a hat to keep my ears and head warm and dry. 

Now that we’re walking more often with Sam, our precious six month old Yorkie, and the wet Seattle Fall weather is in full swing, I’ve been missing the hood. A few weeks ago, I remembered the old hooded black parka in my holding zone and promptly retrieved it. It has effectively filled my wardrobe hole and is once again in frequent rotation. The fact that it’s black is not ideal, but the parka is in great condition and perfect in every other way. It seems a waste to buy another. It helps that Greg thinks the black parka is wonderful (black is his happy colour), and that the faux fur trim breaks up the black. Wearing the parka with non-black boots helps too. I can absolutely make this old black parka work well enough for my current style. 

I don’t regularly shop my holding zone, but every so often it works out well. Now my two ultra casual toppers have swapped their position in my wardrobe, with the gold puffer replacing my black parka in the holding zone. Sometimes it makes sense to hold on to an item if your intuition tells you that it might come in handy one day – especially when it’s a very practical piece with a high longevity factor like my black parka.

Have you effectively shopped your holding zone for items to fill current wardrobe holes?

A Grace Coddington biopic, the theme for next year’s Met Gala, Kate Spade New York’s athleisure collection, and more fashion news that made headlines this week.

• Target is partnering with Who What Wear for a full-fledged clothing and accessories line.
• Nordstrom Rack continues to expand, and plans to have 300 locations open by 2020.
• & Other Stories and Rodarte are teaming up for a Spring 2016 capsule collection.
• A Grace Coddington biopic is in the works.
• The 2016 Met Gala Theme has been announced: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
• Here’s a first look at Kate Spade New York’s athleisure capsule collection in collaboration with Beyond Yoga.
• Subscription box service Birchbox has developed its own in-house makeup line.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that in 1890 Louis Vuitton patented the tumbler lock, a new kind of lock, invented by Louis’s son, Georges Vuitton, that was said to be unpickable. It is said that father and son were so sure of their lock that they challenged Harry Houdini to a public escape. Houdini’s response is not known.