*Chic pea above is wearing an Acne beanie — currently in my cart, but in the pink color rather than gray — and a timeless Celine bag.
It’s funny how quickly my fortitude in cold weather evaporated after leaving Chicago. While in the Windy City, I distinctly remember considering anything in the 30s “warm-ish” and, as long as it was above 0, could soldier on largely without complaint. (There was, however, a horrible “polar vortex” that came through one of the years we lived there that led to a phenomenon the newscasters called “river smoke” or “arctic smoke” where fog was forming over the Chicago River because the air was the colder than the water, which was downright horrifying. It was shockingly cold. Beyond reason cold. The wind chill on one day was -45 degrees, and you risked close to immediate frostbite leaving the house with any skin exposed. I had an important meeting downtown that day, and so I went, but I remember absolutely sprinting from my car to the building, terrified. The air was so cold it is almost difficult to register in words.
Anyhow, when it comes to living with cold weather, the delta between Jen in Chicago and Jen in D.C. is…noticeable. We’ve barely dipped beneath frostpoint and I’ve already been wearing my smartwool socks, cashmere sweaters (have been living in this La Ligne, on sale!), and just yesterday, I pulled out my beloved Minna mittens. I love these things. They are incredibly warm (fleece-lined!) and I think hands always stay warmer in mittens versus gloves. Target has a pair nearly identical out that is only $15! The cold weather accessories currently in my cart: these faux fur trim gloves in black for dressy occasions (such a good value!), these camel cashmere gloves (such a great value at $30 and will look fab layered with my cashmere sweaters), and this ACNE hat in the perfect shade of pink.
More fabulous, chic cold weather accessories on my radar below.
MAX MARA COAT // ACNE STUDIOS SCARF // CAMEL CASHMERE GLOVES AND SCARF // LL BEAN BOOTS // SHERPA EAR MUFFS // HERNO JACKET // J. CREW PUFFER // WATERPROOF LUG SOLE BOOTS // WOOL MITTENS // FENDI EAR MUFFS // CAROLINA AMATO FUR-TRIM GLOVES // UGG TALL BOOTS // GANNI BEANIE // MONCLER PUFFER // CASHMERE SOCKS // GUCCI SCARF
Not seen above, but worth a look:
WOOL COLORBLOCKED SCARF (ON SALE FOR AROUND $50 — LOVE THE COLORS)
BLACK WATCH TARTAN CASHMERE SCARF — SO CHIC…HONESTLY TALBOTS MAKES THE GREATEST OVERSIZED CASHMERE SCARVES! I HAVE TWO THAT I WEAR CONSTANTLY
SHERPA MITTENS, OPTION 1 AND OPTION 2
QUILTED, TOUCHSCREEN-FRIENDLY GLOVES
BERNARDO RAIN BOOTS — LAYER WITH SMARTWOOLS FOR SLUDGEY WEATHER
CASHMERE TRAVEL WRAP — ON SALE AND A GREAT GIFT FOR YOURSELF…THESE ARE SO HANDY, TRAVELING OR NOT!
THESE STURDY + CHIC COLE HAAN BOOTS LOOK WARM AND HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL
P.S. It’s a good time to curl up with a good book. These were my top book picks from last winter.
P.P.S. I also got into a great habit last winter of listening to audiobooks while doing the dishes and/or working on jigsaw puzzles (it was a long, lonely winter…) while my children napped in the afternoons. At the time, this was as much as a survival mechanism as it was anything else — I needed the escape, distraction, possibility that there were worlds beyond the tiny Manhattan apartment in which we were cloistered owing to weather and the pandemic. Now I think back with something like softness on those days. The experience truly brings to mind the passage by Natalya Ginzburg I referenced in this post. Anyhow, I shared all my favorite audiobooks, many of which I listened to that long, cold, isolated winter, here.
P.P.P.S. Chic home finds.