Light layering

As I write this, the snow is really coming down outside. This is not an outfit I would recommend if it's snowing; I wore this last week when we had the "mild" and calm before the storm (we were in a slight temperature inversion; I talk more about that in this post). It was not as cold as it gets when there is snow on the ground (I wore my burgundy coat over this and was WAY too hot), which I was thankful for. Now that this winter storm is upon us, we may not be so lucky for the rest of winter if the snow sticks around for a while.

This outfit was a bit of a struggle to put together. Once I had decided I wanted to wear my new J.Crew Factory puffer vest with my grey ankle boots, it was hard deciding on the base of the outfit. I really tried to not wear the burgundy + greyscale color combination again (I feel like I've been wearing it so much this season!), but I adored this combination too much. I've had an aversion to the J.Crew/Factory vests because it seemed like a "blogger fad" of sorts, but I saw this particular vest in store and did a double take. I prefer the interesting texture of this vest over the typical "shiny" texture. While it's not incredibly warm, it is warmer than I was expecting it to be for how thin it is. I ended up purchasing a size smaller than I normally wear, and it fits well although I hope nothing changes when it's washed. Right now is an EXCELLENT time to pick up a vest; everything at J.Crew Factory is 50% off, plus for today you can get an extra 15% off AND free shipping. I would order the coat I included in my winter wishlist except it's excluded, of course. :(

J.Crew Factory vest (on sale!) and sweater (J.Crew version in other colors) / Halogen skirt (similar from Uniqlo) / Hue tights via Nordstrom Rack (exact) / ModCloth boots (similar at Kohl's; last seen here) / J.Crew choker (love this; last seen here) / Kate Spade earrings via Nordstrom Rack (similar by Monet)