No, your eyes are not deceiving you…
THE STORY
…that is indeed snow that I am standing in. Real, honest to God snow. In NW Pennsylvania. Who knew? And I swear, it’s actually white; some bizarre trick of lighting made it look yellow. If it was actually yellow I wouldn’t be standing it…you know what they say about yellow snow. And if you look carefully at my fingers they’re actually frozen in that position. You’ll have that when taking outfit shots when it’s 14 (for reals, it was 14) degrees outside. Now for the something I never thought I’d say…I’m glad there’s snow and it’s so cold that my fingers are perma-frozen like a claw in some low budget horror movie. Yes, the last two years I’ve whined and moaned about all of the snow and cold. But c’mon, when the polar vortex dropped in for a visit to Pennsylvania (and decided to stay for two months like some demented house guest that won’t leave) it was 20 below on a warm day so I argue the whining was justified.
Here’s the thing though, snow and cold are normal for November thru March in Pennsylvania. Wearing shoes without socks and a denim jacket outside on Christmas Day? Not so much. For the most part people seemed to be super happy about the whole warm weather situation. Did I miss gearing up like I was going on a trek to the Himalayas to hunt the elusive yeti just to go to work? No. But with that being said, that’s how it’s supposed to be at this time of year and quite honestly the unusually warm weather has been freaking me out. It’s not right and I don’t like it. I mean think about it for a minute. If it doesn’t get consistently cold and snowy for a long enough period, all sorts of things are going to go off the rails come time for actual warm weather. The pollen count will be so high my primary spring accessory will be a gas mask and insects will rule the world. Until a few days ago there were actual pansies blooming in my flower bed; in December. And just the other night my husband killed a mosquito in the kitchen. So not right. If it doesn’t get and stay cold, this summer I’ll be able to saddle up and ride the mosquitoes to save on gas.
THE OUTFIT
I’ve been on the hunt for a lightweight long cardigan for awhile now, so when I was asked by Good Row Clothing if I would like to try an item or two from their company this long cardigan was my first choice. When I spied the ethnic print tank top I knew the styling options both now and later (you know, when it’s supposed to be warm) were many and it had a definite boho flavor to it so it was right up my alley. I loved the cardigan as soon as I touched it; it’s super soft, a nice lightweight knit, and it has a generous amount of stretch to it so it’s insanely comfortable. Kind of like a robe you can wear in public. It’s going to be absolute perfection over pretty much any one of my boho slip dresses, but for it’s first time out I styled it with jeans and boots. Lucky me, the tank looked great with it and since it’s sleeveless there was no sleeve bunching under the cardigan which drives me insane. One caveat in regard to the tank top; it has a stitched in lining which creeps up and becomes visible at the v-neck. If you didn’t realize it was the lining you would think there was a layered cami peeking out so it isn’t a major issue. I still absolutely adore it and that won’t stop me from getting wear out of it.
If you haven’t heard of Good Row Clothing before, you seriously need to check them out. If the fabulous cardi and tank don’t have you convinced how about this? They also strive to make the world a better place. It’s estimated that more than 13,300 women are homeless within LA County and Good Row Clothing is dedicated to giving back to their community. Based in Downtown Los Angeles, Good Row Clothing is well aware of the need for affordable housing for these women and their families. Therefore, 10% of every purchase made on their site is donated to the Downtown Women’s Center. In addition to this, more than half of Good Row’s catalog is made in the United States and comes from many smaller brands thus providing support to smaller businesses.
THE TIP
Don’t be afraid to mix the colors of your shoes and accessories. Just because your shoes are black that doesn’t mean your belt, purse and other add-ons need to be black as well. Honestly, it’s only been in the last year that I’ve gotten over the weird voice in my head telling me not to mix brown and black. Of all the weird voices in my head, I’m not even sure where that one came from because brown and black actually play quite well together. If you’re going for a monochrome look that’s fine, but using a mix of different colors through your shoes and accessories adds an extra shot of interest to your outfit. Try different combinations; black/brown, gray/brown, bright primary colors, rich jewel tones…mix it up, you might be surprised.
LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Long cardigan: c/o Good Row Clothing; Tank: c/o Good Row Clothing; Boots: JustFab (Similar); Jeans: JCPenney (Similar)
