The Nordstrom end of season sale for Fall and Winter is here, and there’s lots of fab stuff. Note that Nordstrom will be adding sale items every day so keep checking for extra bargains. Here are my top picks from the current collection. 

Jackets & Coats

• Rachel Zoe Keira Crop Jacket: Avant-garde mixed media with a dash of retro. Might run a little small. 
• Gallery Basket Weave Walking Coat (Plus): Stunning in the teal and on trend in its partly cocoon and partly swing silhouette. 
• Fleurette Convertible Stand Collar Loro Piana Coat (Plus): Chic, fitted and polished. Fab longer length too. 
• DKNY Down & Feather Coat with Faux Fur Trim (Plus): Here’s a coat long enough for really tall gals. It’s heavenly warm and drapes surprisingly well for a puffer. 
• Gallery Faux Leather & Wool Blend Scuba Jacket (Plus): The sleeves are easy to shorten if they’re a little long. Runs big so size down. 
• Eileen Fisher Leather Trim Wool Jacket (Plus): A texture-rich lightweight topper that’s soft and cozy. 
• Soia & Kyo Down Coat with Front Insert: I have a version of this Soia & Kyo puffer and it’s the best puffer I’ve ever owned. Streamlined and extremely warm. Five years later and still going strong. 
• Vince Wool Blend Overcoat: A little oversized, but tailored in the right places. Understated and chic.
• Diane von Furstenberg Ofelia Metallic Blazer: Team Magpie might wear this with jeans or black bottoms. Beautifully cut despite the stiff fabrication. 

Tops & Knitwear

• Helmut Lang Print Jersey Top: A Cubist pattern that’s fab for layering, or worn on its own. Does not cling. 
• Alice & Olivia Will Print Stretch Silk Blouse: Here’s one way to wear a subtle animal print. Beautiful with leather bottoms. 
• Alice & Olivia Dominique Leather Front Sweatshirt: Wear this over a lace skirt or patterned pair of pants. Elegantly edgy. 
• Michael Kors Zip Trim Ruched Top (Plus): Never underestimate the power and versatility of a simple striped top. Great for pattern mixing and a true modern classic. 
• Helmut Lang Leather Sweatshirt: Fun matched with soft drapey pants or a skirt. 
• Vince Camuto Split Back Print Blouse: A uniquely cut, A-line piece that swings open at the back. Flirty. 
• Rebecca Taylor Woodcut Colorblock Silk Top: A tailored sweatshirt blouse in silk. Sporty in a subtle way. 
• Michael Kors Studded Cardigan (Plus): A streamlined wardrobe essential with embellished shoulders. A little different from the norm for an office look. 
• Vince Variegated Stripe Cardigan: A sweater coat that’s cozy deluxe. Might need to size down. 
• Free People After the Storm Hooded Cardigan: For Team Tall Boho Casual. 
• Tildon Tattered Plaid Sweater: Round shoulders and unzipped elbows. A fun trendy piece that won’t break the bank. 
• Kenneth Cole New York Abrienda Sweater: Cozy sci-fi fabness. 

Bottoms

• Elizabeth and James Lyle Trousers: Dress them up or down, with an untucked top and blazer for extra structure. Heeled pretty shoes or sassy sneakers. Take your pick. 
• Ralph Lauren Pleated Wool Blend Skirt: A pleated fit and flared skirt is a rare silhouette these days amidst a sea of pencil skirts, and in a festive orange for Fall. 
• Halogen Embossed Leather Pencil Skirt: Match with a soft blouse or fuzzy pullover.
• Rachel Roy Lace Trim Floral Print Pencil Skirt: The best patterned pencil skirt I’ve seen all year. The lace inset on the back and front is genius. Might need to size up. 
• 7 For All Mankind The Skinny Lace Overlay Pants: Fancy jeans for the holidays. Fab with a black top and Dr. Martens boots. Size up one size. 
• AG The Tomboy Relaxed Straight Leg jeans: Give tight jeans a break, and slouch up your style with boyfriend jeans. These have been a winner with my tall clients. 
• Paige Denim Verdugo Crinkle Print Skinny Jeans (Platinum): A tonal pattern in blue. 
• KUT from the Kloth Mia Plaid Toothpick Skinny Jeans: A subtle tartan, ideal for tucking into boots. 

Dresses

• Ivy & Blu Draped Dress (Plus): Forget black and wear violet to holiday parties. Add black hose, heels and clutch and you’re done. 
• Adrianna Papell Lace Detail Jersey Fit & Flare Dress (Plus): My heart skipped a beat when my client modeled this number. Plenty of length, texture, movements, structure, and NOT black. 
• Isaac Mizrahi Lace Fit & Flare Dress: Romantic, sleeved, knee-length and unusually green. 
• Missoni M Mixed Media Dress: A little mod but oh-so modern. Wear it over black opaques for extra warmth. 

Footwear

• B Brian Atwood Mercada Pump: The versatility of a pointy toe ankle strap pump knows no bounds. 
• Kurt Geiger London Brick Pump: This one’s a little edgier with a needle-esque stiletto heel. 
• Red Valentino Biker Boot: Mary Quant moto boots that are pretty comfy.
• Jeffrey Campbell Harrison Bootie: Super high and sleek. 
• Via Spiga Ibis Bootie: Tailored and therefore ideal for skirts and dresses. Might run a little small. 
• Rebecca Minkoff Gio Too Bootie: Dressy high vamped shoes are extremely on trend. Wear these to dressy occasions instead of pumps. A fabulous “sitting shoe”. 
• Enzo Angiolini Pamla Ankle Strap Bootie: A festive red that’s a little more comfortable in soft suede. 

Remember that dressy items can frequently be dressed down with jeans, a denim jacket and casual footwear. That way you can wear the items more frequently for maximum outfit versatility. 

This morning I showed how I’m using the Cuddl Duds Fleecewear with Stretch Half Zip Fleece Hoodie in combination with a range of dressy and casual toppers. Now I’d love to hear how you would incorporate Cuddl Duds pieces into your style. 

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post that includes:

1. Links to your favourite Cuddl Duds Items
2. A brief explanation of how you would wear them to reflect your own personal style 

The winner will be chosen randomly from amongst the valid entries.

Unless you are logged in to YLF when you comment below, be sure to provide an email address where we can reach you if you win.

Entries close 5 minutes before midnight on 30 November and are open to US residents only. Good luck!

Update: Deckled Edges was the winner of the random draw. Congratulations, and thank you to all who participated.

Combining dressy and casual elements in one outfit is a trend that is defining our fashion era — and I’m all for the modern juxtaposition. So when Cuddl Duds asked me to create an outfit with one of their pieces, I immediately knew what I wanted to do. There are several fabulous Cuddl Duds items that suit my style despite the fact that I am not an outdoorsy and sporty gal at all. As long as I’m remixing active pieces with luxurious fabrications and structure, I’m in my comfort zone. 

My favourite piece in the Cuddl Duds collection is the Fleecewear with Stretch Half Zip Hoodie made of lightweight fleece. I prefer the half zip style because it’s streamlined, with a short zip and no pockets. I chose the grey and black leopard because the pattern makes it look less like sports gear and more like a casual fashionable piece. It’s stretchy, wow warm, and ultra cozy. The “sleek but not clingy” fit makes it ideal for layering under blazers and jackets, which is a vibe I’ve been wanting to sport for a while. Here was my opportunity to roadtest the combination and I took it. 

I tried the hoodie layered under three jackets that vary in dressiness. A formal ink blue blazer as the dressiest option. A black military jacket as a playful alternative. And a distressed two-tone denim jacket as the most casual. I’ve kept the palette dark and monochromatic, which pushes me a little out of my comfort zone because I prefer to lighten up a dark outfit with shades of white. But Greg loved the change so I went with it. 

I bat for Team Faded Denim because I love the shade of blue and don’t need to worry about dye rubbing off onto to the rest of my outfit. I also like how light denim lightens up a dark outfit. And with a dark hoodie layered underneath an ink blazer or black jacket, I welcomed a lighter blue.

I like to wear denim on denim, but not when the rest of the outfit is sporty and a little androgynous. And since I’m not wearing girly heels I swapped out the jeans for black cigarette skinnies when pairing the hoodie with the denim jacket. Ironically, although this denim jacket is very rigid, the colour of the faded denim softened the dark hoodie against my pale complexion. 

I continued the dark theme by finishing off the outfit with pointy toe ink blue booties and my ancient doctor’s bag. I tried pairing the outfits with chunkier boots, but did not like the effect at all. Things fell into place when my feet were structured. Or at least that’s how I prefer most of my outfits these days — with structured and refined footwear. I’d also wear Converse sneakers with each combination, but I’m glad I kept things a little more dressy on the hoodie’s first outing. I wore white specs so that I had a dash of white close to my face to soften up the dark colours. Silver watch and wedding ring are all I need in the jewellery department. 

The hood on this particular zip top is not bulky, so much so that I forgot I was wearing a hoodie under my jackets. No collar popping this time round. And no sleeve scrunching either. Apart from the fact that it’s too cold to scrunch jacket sleeves at this point, I loved popping my thumbs through the thumb holes on the cuff. It’s tremendously toasty — like you’re wearing fingerless gloves with your outfit. A fun and practical detail. 

Wearing a hoodie under a formal business blazer is an irregular juxtaposition, and not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s easier to like the combination with a more casual jacket. Either way, I enjoy the jarring juxtaposition for casual settings. It’s visually dramatic, interesting, and warm. But if you’re not into the hoodie, you can substitute it for a Fleecewear with Stretch Long Sleeve Classic Crew, which provides a similar effect without the hood. 

I wear layers, a jacket, stretchy jeans or pants, and ankle boots on long flights, so all of the outfits in this post are ideal for travelling. I’m often cold around my ears and neck on a plane, and have frequently wrapped a blanket around my head to combat the arctic air conditioning. Wearing this hoodie, and popping on the hood, solves this problem. I’m going to be much more comfortable on my next long flight.

Cuddl Duds are giving a $250 gift voucher to one lucky YLF reader. Click here to read more about it and enter the giveaway!

Presented by Cuddl Duds® Live in Layers.

At this time of year I’m frequently at BCBG with clients shopping for party wear because their party separates are a little different to everything else on offer. The quality is generally good and the fabrications are luxurious. I’ve found BCBG great at taking a classic piece and remixing its vibe with a good dose of modern. 

• Bess Lace Pencil Skirt: A lace skirt with length and a decent lining. Non-scratchy and beautifully made. For high-end lace, this is not a bad price. Lace of this quality is usually at least twice as expensive. Runs true to size, and tapers beautifully at the hem to showcase your curves. I want this lace skirt. 
• Keline Printed Tuxedo Shirt: The back of this blouse is as beautiful as the front. Wear it with dressy trousers, a pencil skirt, or faded jeans. Add clutch and heels and you’re set. 
• Kasen Long Jacket: This is a stunning silhouette on tall gals. Nicely tailored and a little edgy with the waist zippers. The jacket also looks amazing with the zippers partially unzipped and loose over a soft flowing blouse. 
• Philipe Floral Lace Jacket: An ink jacquard tuxedo jacket in a short and fitted shape is hard to find. It’s gorgeous on petites, and looks just as good left open as it does closed. The shoulders are pretty sharp though, so consider yourself warned. The sleeves are easy to hem if they are a touch too long.

BCBG is also a good place to look for a tuxedo trouser suit, both in black and off-white. I must admit it’s a lot of fun shopping for party pieces at this time of year.