Day 3

What I wore: Liberty print leggings, gray oversized cowl tunic, black/white fair isle socks

Outdoor version: black tall boots, pale pink puffer vest, teal bag

New piece(s): Liberty print leggings

Assessment of new piece(s) – fit, etc.: Yes, I realize these leggings are totally bonkers – but I love them. They’re from a collab between Liberty of London and Adidas. I’m not usually an athleisure person but I couldn’t pass them up when I found them on Ebay. (Hey…does that make this outfit Sporty Luxe?) The fit is good, inseam not too long. Admittedly the high waist is not the most comfortable…but I wear them pretty happily anyway. Main downside is that the synthetic material is not very warm…so I just have to be ok with that and wear them on days that are not super cold.

Is the outfit elevated/cohesive/refined? Yes! I really felt great in this. One thing I’m realizing is that if you want both cohesiveness and contrast in your outfits, it sure helps to have a more maximal style. An outfit made of more pieces/with accessories/etc. just offers more chances to strike that balance.

This long-over-leggings-with-tall-boots, equestrian-ish look is one I periodically circle back to. I feel sort of sheepish about this (I already “did” this look…now I’m doing it again?) but the fact is there are only so many outfit formulas out there, fewer that flatter me, and even fewer that are practical for my lifestyle and climate, so, here we are, again. I think the somewhat “posh” nature of equestrian style makes it seem elevated/refined. I do have to be careful not to go too posh/ladylike/Princess Kate (fine for others, it’s just not me!). But this kind of Offbeat Equestrian – that I can do.

Where is the contrast? Contrast in silhouette between the big sweater and skinny leggings (maintained with the narrow silhouette of the tall boots). Also, value contrast between the dark boots and background color of the leggings, vs. light colored sweater, puffer vest, and print on leggings. (There are different colors in the outfit too, but I don’t think they really register as strong contrasts.)

I wish I owned…a different bag. On my previous post, Angie asked if teal is the right color for a bag that I use everyday. My answer is that it’s closer to the right color than you would expect! Teal is a color that’s in my palette across most of the cold seasons (I have a different bag for summer) so it usually at least somewhat harmonizes with what I’m wearing. The bag is a nylon bag by Tumi so it has a bit of sheen…which is appropriate for an Urban Snow Queen. And, if I’d bothered to put on a pair of abalone earrings, it would have been fully tied in here.

HOWEVER, (1) I’ve been carrying it as my everyday bag for quite a while and it’s showing significant wear, (2) I’m sick of it!!, and (3) I could do better.

I would have rather worn…(& why) – nothing in particular, no notes!

How else could I wear the new item(s)? Lots of different possibilities for tunics/long tops to pair with these leggings, but what’s jumping out to me today is the blue in the print. What if I wore them with a blue top + topper, and maybe cognac riding boots? Well, so much for the idea of achieving cohesiveness by building an outfit around the background color of a print (rather than pulling out a minor color). I am incorrigible!

Day 4

What I wore: charcoal raw hem straight jeans, polar bear tee, ivory/pastel fair isle cardi, gray/white fair isle socks

New piece(s):charcoal raw hem straight jeans, polar bear tee, ivory/pastel fair isle cardi

Assessment of new item(s) – fit, etc.:

Charcoal raw-hem straight jeans: these are probably my favorite jeans right now. I really love the way they fit on the legs, and they’re very soft and comfortable. Plus, a bit of that urban edge from the faded-black color and raw hem.

Polar bear tee: another reliable favorite. I love the expression on the bear’s face – he is cute but not cutesy iykwim. The charcoal, white, and aqua palette is super useful.

Ivory/pastel fair isle cardi: love the color scheme. I do have to be careful not to let it get too “sweet” but the presence of small amounts of camel and charcoal gray in the print help with that. The cropped cut can be a little hard to pair with other items so it’s not a workhorse – but has a high happiness factor when worn well.

Is the outfit elevated/cohesive/refined? I think it’s cohesive in terms of the color palette. Not particularly elevated or refined, but that’s ok. Not every day has to be all three.

Where is the contrast? Light vs. dark value contrast, tough vs. sweet, traditional (fair isle) vs. modern (jeans).

I would have rather worn…(& why) I think the proportions work here, but are not totally ideal. The top + cardi combo would probably work better with a skirt. Either a narrow or a full cut could work, I think.

I wish I owned… a long-ish (midi/midaxi) skirt in a non-black color that fits into this deep winter palette. This is the second time “this top half might work better/well with a long skirt” has come up so I’m adding it to my wishlist, but with a ???. I have to be mindful of the fact that I generally prefer to wear pants for my at-home casual lifestyle, at least in cold seasons. So I need to keep my focus on tops that can be worn with pants. Don’t get distracted!

How else could I wear the new item(s)? The jeans and tee are no brainers with lots of combinations so I won’t belabor them here. Dang, I could swear I had a couple more ideas about how to wear the cardi but now they’ve vanished from my brain…

Thanks for looking!