Sooooo....where I live, it gets pretty dang chilly for about half the year. Consequently, you may have noticed that I blather a LOT about staying warm. At least for six months :) And I have a secret to doing this which I am now going to share with you. It's called Icebreaker and if they ever proposed, I would give it serious consideration. They make many, many different layers of clothing. My personal fav is their base layers because they are ..well.. smart(ly designed), charming, good looking and never let a girl down ;). All the layers are made of either 100% merino wool, or merino-wool+spandex. Before you hear "wool" and head for the hills, hear me out: it is not itchy. Not even a tad. It's also machine washable (on cool and then line dry). Are you getting excited yet? I LOVE that it's a natural fabric and I'm not putting weird hi-tech plastic-derivative junk next to my skin. I LOVE even more that it's really, truly warm, even in the "lightweight" fabric. (They also carry feather- and ultralight- weight garments for you wonderful polar bear-types who never get cold ;)) The 200-weight is the one I use primarily. It's delightfully thin so I can pop it under my flannel shirt/sweater/blazer/whatever. You want to wear a silk blouse in the winter? Can do. Layer one of these underneath. One of those trendy open-mesh sweaters not cutting it for toastiness? Icebreaker to the rescue! You want to know what else I love? Scoopnecks! And v-necks! Halle-freakin'-lullah!  Literally every company I know that makes warm layers cuts the necklines practically up to your eyeballs so the whole world can see what lies beneath. Icebreaker has ever-so-intelligently designed a nice selection of items with scoopnecks, v-necks and sweetheart necklines so they hide under your other clothes. What you're wearing is between you and your mirror. Bless them :). (PS I usually buy long-sleeved pieces and cuff the sleeves to bracelet length so they totally and utterly disappear under everything). They also make henleys, leggings and a whole host of other layers, including sports bras, which are the next item on my wishlist. They offer free shipping if you spend $50 and..wait for it...right now, they are having their semi-annual sale. Think of it like Victoria's Secret...but waaaayyyy more comfortable than that cute, lacy thong. Check them out here.

One of my ultra-favorite things to do in fashion is to mix elements with varying levels of formality: a chunky sweater with a silk skirt, a biker jacket with lace or flannel with a blazer. Over the winter, I practically live in flannel-gone-dressy. It has a variety of benefits: 1) it's warm! A girl just can't be fabulous when she's freezing her keister off, ya know? :) 2) the color stories! I've only seen a very few mono-color flannels (Madewell was carrying a couple of shades this year in their Sunday shirt). Mostly, there's a massive variety of plaids to choose from, so I always end up wanting to try one of each - like tapas, but with clothes :). It's so much fun to riff off some of the barely-represented shades, highlight a contrast color, or let the flannel itself be the color against neutral canvas. 3) It's so easy to dress it up. The nappy texture of flannel immediately gives it a more laidback feel, but all that's needed to elevate it is a great blazer. Almost any fabric works: wool, corduroy, velvet, silk (if you're brave enough :)). I prefer fitted to boxy, as I want to enhance the feminine feel of flannel's workshirt vibe. Denim of any variety creates the bridge between the dressy and casual elements: slim, flared, boot - take your pick. Finish it off with something fierce (bright or metallic pointy-toe pumps, studded heels), something femme (think floral, lace or scalloped), or something refined (oxford flats, loafers, knee boots). If, as I often do, you feel the need for a little extra glam, this is the place for a crystal statement necklace, a pearl torsade, or a pocket square (tied at the neck or tucked in a pocket - I encourage you to show the boys how it's done ;)) Hope you have some fun with this during your next cold weather spell, Fiercettes! #FabFlannel
*Image of model from jcrew.com Nov 2015

I love scarves..and I definitely have waaaaay too many of them! So, instead of giving them away, I keep looking for ways to wear them more often. Belting them in place is a fabulous option and one of my staple winter looks. Putting a belt around the outside is practical because it keeps the scarf in place so it's not flapping about or falling off and, at the same time, looks incredibly chic! Plus, you get to wear a cozy scarf over your outfit, which makes it WARM ...always a consideration on sub-25 degree days :). Finally, it makes an interesting variation on the traditional knotted-at-the neck styling. I have a number of brightly colored cashmere wraps that I use for this - it's amazing how toasty a layer of cashmere keeps you! And, it's a great way to bring dramatic color into a winter wardrobe. You can do a very simple version by throwing your scarf over one shoulder and belting it, as shown in the first and third pictures. If you have a wide rectangle or large square scarf, you can even leave it more open and let the fabric drape over you shoulder. A mid-width (1", +/- a half inch) belt works perfectly to complete this styling. Or, you can drape the scarf around your neck and belt it in the middle. I prefer a wider, statement belt for this look - in the 2-3.5" range- but I've used as narrow as 1.5" as well. I especially like pairing this look with OTK boots, as it has the rough feel of wearing a mini dress...but a LOT cozier! ;) Happy Scarf-Belting!
Photos from fabulousmuses.net, shopbop.com and wendyslookbook.com