I spent a lot of time lurking on the forum and blog last month getting ready for my trip to Paris, so I wanted to post about a few winners that are also heavy hitters in my early winter wardrobe so far. It feels wrong to call this a "capsule" since I definitely overpacked (lots not included here) BUT I felt appropriately dressed, had good options each day for some swings in the weather, and these were the core workhorses. Recording it here will help me remember what worked!

For this eight day trip, I brought a forest green wool coat and a black hooded rain coat and kept most items neutral. It's a lot of black, but I wear a lot of black at my museum job anyway. Weather was in the 40s and low 50s with some light rain here and there, and we walked EVERYWHERE (with plenty of stops for delicious things to eat and drink). Did lots of shopping, but mostly for others - my holiday shopping is almost sorted!

• Ecco zip up bootie: these are basically a high-top slip-on sneaker and so great. Walked dozens of miles in them and my feet never hurt!
• Blondo booties: Blondos have been serving me very well the past few winters and I have three similar pairs. They're waterproof and fit me well, and a low heel worked well with dresses and skirts when I dressed up for dinner, and they're not too bad on cobblestones.
• J Crew Sweater blazer - perfect layered under my rain coat for added warmth. Was part of my travel outfit, and I wear it lots at work, too.
• Leggings leggings leggings! Sanctuary leggings from Anthropologie are the best - great patterns and quality! I bought the red/navy plaid in the recent Anthro sale and it will be my third pair. They run a little small. The faux leather ones from INC are surprisingly versatile and I love wearing them with big cozy sweaters to add some edge to a look.
• Athleta joggers - these have a great tuxedo ribbon stripe on the side and roomy pockets and were perfect travel day pants (I wore tall socks to close the ankle gap on the chilly plane).
• Madewell scarf/wrap - was an experiment for me to have this camel/oatmeal color so close to my pale complexion and light hair but I liked it a lot! Have yet to wear it like a wrap with the arm holes but like that option.
• Madewell crop tee - also a part of my travel day uniform. Big fan of the Matisse-esque graphic and hope they do more stuff like this soon!
• Madewell sweaters - I buy most of my knitwear from Madewell these days and these three have been hits. The pleat-sleeve tops in particular are so cozy and soft and I don't find the sleeves overwhelming when they're pushed up. Since I'm short-waisted, I deliberately look for shorter lengths and these aren't exactly cropped but tuck very well for me.
• French Connection Dress: I had a specific palette for a group photoshoot and wore this French Connection dress (it's got pockets!) with a black blazer, black fleece leggings, and the black Blondo booties, and was pleased with it! I did wear my black raincoat for a few of the group shots too as it was quite drizzly and cold, and was happy for that option too. (French Connection seems to do this dress silhouette in new patterns/fabrics each season and it's a winner for me, I have another summer-weight version in a black and white stretch cotton blend.)