14 Outfits for January 2018

With full intentions to post my December sampler wardrobe as usual, between holiday season at the restaurant, traveling home for Christmas, and two bouts of winter colds (I am now battling a low-grade flu, and having just recovered from those colds, it hardly seems fair!), life just ate up any opportunities for personal photo-shoots. Hopefully this post is a welcome reintroduction to the sampler process, detailing how you can build a variety of unique outfits from even the smallest of wardrobes.

Here in NYC, January marks our transition into true winter weather. Per the advice of my wardrobe-building guru Anuschka Rees, I performed just a minor closet assessment during this season change. Rather than seeking out new styles or silhouettes, I turned my attention to cold-weather additions that would help me get through those single-digit days. Upon this assessment, I found myself fairly well-equipped for weekends, what with my inability to resist (and afterward ever part with) loose-fitting knitwear. When it came to winter-proofing my work attire against our front-of-house freezing winds, however, I was stumped. Finally, I settled on a simple black turtleneck, which has already proven itself to be a real wardrobe MVP. Pairing my usual silk blouses beneath more tailored sweaters has also been a godsend through single-digit dinner shifts.

After five days of work in those nicer garments, crawling between the folds of a chunky sweater or broken-in jeans feels almost indulgent, and I basically lived in this combination on the weekends. Typically I'm not much for the "uniform" approach, but a variety of sweater shapes and two different styles of jeans was enough to keep me from ever feeling bored.

My winter outerwear pieces are not featured in the photos, but of course I have a few on rotation. One is a cozy neutrally-colored parka and the other a slightly fancier black wool toggle coat. My down layer has also featured heavily due to the freezing temperatures we experienced at the start of the month. Those three options, layered with my knitwear, have seen me through even the chilliest temperatures without complaint. Having hauled enough elephantine Canada Goose parkas to and from coat check, I'm very much over the idea of burdening myself (or anyone else for that matter) with something heavier.

One hurdle I have yet to overcome in developing a more conscious closet is how to balance my sustainable standards alongside an appetite for creative spontaneity. I'm not bothered by the structure my sustainability journey has imposed -- an over-thinker by nature, I feel much better making choices within a set of guidelines -- but what drew me toward styling in the first place was the potential for new discoveries. So this month I loosened the reigns enough to "impulse-buy" a pair of black platform hightops (featured above.) While I'd typically go for a more practical look, these took me straight back to my high school obsession with all things 80s (Goonies, anyone?) Once I confirmed their comfort and affordability, I was happy to indulge that gut-reaction.

 
Come springtime, it will be time for a more in-depth style overhaul, perhaps exploring some new directions for the warmer half of the year. For now, I'm just focusing on gathering inspiration -- like a little chipmunk hoarding seeds! -- so I'll have plenty of material to draw from once March rolls around.

Springtime. It sounds lovely right now, doesn't it? Birds chirping, the scent of fresh flowers, sunshine peeking through the budding trees... I try not to get ahead of myself, but on days like these it's hard not to dream. For now, as I shiver along these city streets, I remind myself that once the July humidity comes rolling in, I'll be dreaming of winter all over again.

xoxo,
R