Happy Christmas

As the Brits say, Happy Christmas! I'm skiing with my family - truly a winter wonderland.

Thank you for reading :)

- Annie Bananie

down time

Casual, casual, casual today. Sometimes I just don't have any great outfit ideas bursting out of my brain. And that's ok - it's ok (and even really helpful!) to return to the basics of a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Artists and painters and designers aren't ALWAYS creating something amazing, are they? We all need some down time to get inspired again - on that note, Merry Christmas!

Hope you enjoy the holiday with loved ones!

shirt: from a local consignment shop (BKE)

scarf: gift from a friend

jeans: c/o of Aéropostale

flats: WalMart

jacket: Target

bag: TJ Maxx

black, purple & gray

  

Again with the dark colors. It's just so easy to wear darks in the winter. Especially gray - one of my favorites. I added some color and texture with my tights, and a bit more with my necklace and boots. I tend to like to wear basic pieces, and then throw in a little something different - like purple patterned tights, or a bright necklace, or...both?

Merry Christmas Eve eve!

sweater: thrifted (J. Crew)

necklace: Kohl's

skirt: from a friend

tights: I don't remember...

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

predictable

This has become a "uniform" of sorts. Button-up (preferably plaid and/or flannel), skinnies, fun shoes (maybe boots or booties, or sometimes borrowed oxfords from a friend), and occasionally a scarf.

And a faux-leather jacket on top is practically perfection.

Sometimes I'm pretty predictable...

shirt: Old Navy

scarf: c/o Aéropostale

jacket: The Screamin' Peach

jeans: c/o Aéropostale

shoes: borrowed from a friend

purple + blue

It's difficult to see in these pictures, but my shirt, sweater, and vest are different colors. The shirt and vest are navy blue, and the cardigan is dark purple. I think this is the first time I've paired these two dark colors together, and I like the dark, mysterious & wintery look that resulted.

There are obviously many ways to pair colors - complementary, analogous, and warm & cool colors. And then there's wearing colors that are the same saturation - dark blue and dark purple. mint and baby pink. mustard and burnt orange. You can pull off any color combination, as long as the colors are the same "depth." It makes a look more cohesive and intentional, instead of "I got dressed in the dark." Not to say that you CAN'T pair different color saturations (and you should!) but sometimes the best color combinations come from neighboring colors on the color wheel, but in the same tone.

Really, though - try it sometime: deep jewel tones, pastels, navy and purple, forest green and deep red (Christmas colors!), and let me know how it turns out.

shirt: thrifted (Target)

cardigan: Ann Taylor

vest: Old Navy

jeans: thrifted (Old Navy)

shoes: DSW

necklace: from my Grandmother

still classic

One of my best friends gave me this cardigan over the summer. I was so excited to have a classic argyle cardigan, but I wasn't sure what to wear with it. I was a little stumped, until I decided to think beyond solid black, white or gray. Somehow this striped button-up got put next to the argyle, and a slightly print-mixed outfit was born.

The shirt and the cardigan are both classic pieces on their own, and paired together, they're still classic, but a bit more modern, and slightly cheeky. And instead of defaulting to skinny jeans, I chose mint jeans to brighten this up a bit. And my new black boots were a no-brainer.

shirt: GAP

cardigan: from a friend (J. Crew)

mint jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

boots: c/o Aéropostale

tights & dresses

By now you might have noticed I'm wearing more tights and skirts/dresses than I have in the past. 

There's a few reasons for that:

1) in an effort to stave off the inevitable mid-winter "I hate everything in my closet because I only wear skinny jeans and sweaters," I'm trying to keep things interesting.

2) I'm taking advantage of the cold, but not yet frigid, temperatures we are bound to experience in January and February.

3) my new Frye boots are great, yet a wee bit snug in the calves, so I'm trying to get them to relax a bit before I pair them with pants.

4) I've started viewing tights as accessories. Sure, they're technically "clothes," and my legs would freeze without them, but wearing different tights with the same dress or skirt changes up my look, just like switching out shoes or jewelry.

So, here's to more tights&skirts&dresses this winter. Until it's WAY too cold outside...

dress: Nordstrom

tank: Kohl's

cardigan: Eddie Bauer

scarf: I made it!

tights: GG Boutique

booties: Old Navy