Happy 2014! We spent our Christmas in my hometown of Marquette, MI. Marquette is on the southern shore of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Below-freezing temps are standard, epic snowfalls are the norm.
It. Was. Awesome.
But you've gotta be prepared. Poor Raines ended up with windburned and blistered cheeks on multiple occasions, until he FINALLY (finally!!) put on a scarf. (And allowed me to smear ointment on his cheeks before he went out.) It's easy to get cabin fever – there's only so many days in a row that you can curl up with a good book and some hot chocolate.
I'm a U.P. girl at heart (#yooper #woot), so wintertime is playtime, especially up in Michigan's winter playground.
Last year, one of my 2013 style resolutions was that I would find stylish winter play clothes for myself – ones that were seriously warm. With the help of Casualties (a local Marquette skate/snow/surf boutique) I finally got it together, just under the wire.
And man. These have been well tested over the last two weeks.
Ever been dog-sledding? We went to Snowy Plains Kennels. It was….magic. Pure Narnia.
The kids loved it, the adults loved it, and this might become a new tradition (despite the insane cold). Any bit of exposed skin burned.
I did OK, though. Nothing can help my perma-frozen feet (I am more lizard than anything warm blooded), and I followed the advice of the guys at Casualties for the rest of my body: Layers, seriously windproof snow pants, and a puffer jacket.
I'm especially loving the slim snowpants they recommended. Seriously flattering snowpants, no? (Words I never thought I'd say…)
It turns out that windproofing has gotten a whole lot better in recent years, so if your snow pants are as old as mine were….you might be pleasantly surprised. Much less bulk with a lot more warmth.
I'm also having success with puffer jackets that are meant for actual outdoor sport, rather than city. They tend to be lighter-weight and slimming, yet warmer. (They also tend to be more expensive. This may be a case of you get what you pay for.)
wearing:
jacket: Under Armour UA Coldgear Infrared Barrow Jacket
pants: Volcom Battle Stretch Skinny Pants (or here if you need size M)
boots: Sorel CVS Boot (or here for the exact color, but not on sale)
scarf: old from Urban Outfitters…also love this faux fur snood
hat: old Ugg….but this one with the oversized pom is my fav
Well. One New Year's style resolution DONE. (For more cute snow gear picks, click here. I found some other good ones….)
xo,
S
ps. Yup – I'm sticking with last year's style resolutions. 2013 sucked (*breastcancer*cough*breastcancer*) and I need a do-over.
Pricey pants but I’m freezing here in MN, so am looking into them. Quite chic, mama.
After the breast cancer crap, I’m happy to see you having fun!
Yeah…my thoughts exactly. Did I mention they are lined in a thin layer of fleece? Yup.
Sent from my iPhone
When I opened up this post, I actually thought, “She’s writing a post about winter outerwear and she’s not even wearing snowpants?! What’s up with that?”
And then you revealed that they were snowpants. Seriously thrilled about how slimming they are! Amazing. And I love that you’re re-doing your resolutions from last year.
(Love the shot from riding in the dog sled. Magical indeed.)
I like the coat you have on…is it blue? Can’t find blue online and I really like!
Most beautiful winter gear-laden mama ever! Own it, girl. That pic from the sled looks magical. I should totally invest in some real winter gear for our winters in MD and upstate NY. Living in Southern CA makes that seem unnecessary but I seriously almost cry everytime I have to go from car to house when visiting our parents at Christmas-time. You may have convinced me…:)
Erin – it's actually gray, but has black in the name to make everything really confusing.
Sent from my iPhone
Do you have to layer under those pants or are they warm enough with the fleece lining?
I love this post. And those pants! Put it up on my Facebook page because awesome.
You look a-maze-ing! Take that, breast cancer! I want that puffer jacket – but would I ever wear it in Australia?! Love!
YES!!! We went skiing over Xmas, and I was on the search for the same things! Found a great Burton jacket that was much more sleek than the city versions, too, but I would have loved to have those pants. I had the same reaction as one above-I didn’t think you were wearing snowpants at all! So much better than the puffy snowman ones I ended up with.
Girl, you need those warmer thingies for your boots (like hand warmers but they stick to your socks). I wear them constantly (I have Raynaud’s and live in South Dakota…’nough said). They are just warm enough to keep my toes from hurting with cold.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around those being snow pants. They are just so… no snow pants!
Well done, Shana! True inspiration here.
So cute! You wear the coat better than the model in the link too! You’ve inspired me to go shopping for new snow pants and finally get rid of the puffy bib overalls I’ve been skiing in for the last two decades.
You are from the U.P.?? And proud of it? That is awesome to learn, mama. My parents are from Houghton and Hancock and I just never *got* the U.P. Whenever you mentioned MI as your hometown I just figured lower MI. I am going to have to mark that dog sled place down for future family trips!
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/the-north-face-keats-down-delux-faux-fur-trim-jacket/3613842?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=60169838&fashionColor=ESTATE%20BLUE&resultback=468&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_3_C&siteId=QFGLnEolOWg-ungLF65VL9rILeXbExERFA
OR
http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10208&catalogId=10000001&partNumber=10221586&cmCat=#pd_addtocart
OR
http://www.zappos.com/patagonia-ultralight-down-hoodie-blue-butterfly
Which would you recommend for style / snow play?
Aaaaa! LOVE this post & so timely. Hubs & I are headed to Sundance this month for some much-needed couple time, movie time & snow play (ya & celeb watching!) LOVE. THE. SNOW!!! Way to encourage folks to GET OUT THERE girl. I live in MD now & the lack of enthusiasm for winter is horrifying. Spent the majority of my 20s Chicago & it made me a better person. 🙂
Great! Thanks. Also — is it a warm coat?
Your look is really great! We were in the lower peninsula of Michigan for Christmas break too. I’m now ashamed I didn’t get out more. Those pants would have been much nicer than my father-in-law’s Carhartt overalls I wore! The dog sled ride looks amazing!
-Hannah