Winter Capsule Planning: These Boots, This Bag…Which Coat?

During the winter, my wardrobe becomes very predictable: a black silk cami (for warmth), tucked into a pair of skinny jeans with a cozy sweater on top. Most of the time — especially for running errands, etc., — I finish the look off with a short puffer jacket, backpack, and chic snowboots. If it’s really cold, I add a cute hat and mittens, too.

This look works in downtown Philadelphia, it works in snowy ski towns, it works in the frigid cold temps of Marquette, MI. It’s easy, it feels like me; I love it. And, if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, I guarantee you’ve seen it before.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to change it up…a little.

I find that I’m happiest with small-ish tweaks to a formula that otherwise works just fine. So when I came across these cute (waterproof!!) UGG boots, I was intrigued: could these be my new, go-to winter boots?

I have worn UGG’s hiking boots before — they’re shockingly warm and grippy. I actually hiked to the Eben Ice Caves in them…and remember being surprised by how warm they were. I also wore them a ton with leggings, here. I’m a bit concerned that the shaft is so low (they don’t look much higher than my UGG minis)…but they’re cute, warm and the overall direction would be a fresh change from my usual black. (That said, if you aren’t feeling this particular pair of boots, I’ve rounded up other options that would work just as well with the coats/bags/hats highlighted below.)

Coat Option 1: Do The Boots Work With My Existing Jacket (aka a Black Puffer)?

When I’m outfit planning, especially for pieces that will be worn on the daily, making a collage helps. It’s a bit like paper dolls. I can then see pieces come together (or not). So. If I buy nothing else…will boots like these work with my existing black puffer jacket?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

In this case? Yes. However, because they’re so much more casual in nature, I don’t think they’d work with a super-sporty, shiny puffer jacket. But matte black? Yup.

Coat Option 2: What About Winter White?

I have a few winter white fleece jackets I’ve been wearing this fall…soooo…what if I doubled-down on winter white for actual winter? It would certainly change the vibe of my go-to outfit, and — not gonna lie — I’m kiiiinda into the resulting Winter Princess lewk.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

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Coat Option 3: Ooooo…Warm Tones

Lastly…I’ve been really drawn to luxe, textured puffers in varying shades of brown. They’re like a fresh twist on ’70s retro styling. We’re talking faux leather, corduroy, velvet…in the prettiest, most flattering shades.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11

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On The Hunt: Winter Boots In Shades Of Tan

Now that I’ve convinced myself on the concept of a lighter, tanner winter boot…I’ve gotta find the perfect one. Ideally, I’d find a boot that worked with both skinny jeans, leggings and cropped mom jeans…but that holy grail of boot has proven pretty elusive. For winter, if I had to prioritize one style, it would probably be skinny jeans. Why? They’re easier to wear in the snow, especially with OTK boots or snow boots of any kind. (Cropped mom jeans, on the other hand, are pretty disastrous in the snow.)

So. Here are all the boots that caught my eye — any could be swapped in for the UGG boots in the above collages. I’ll be ordering my top three from this list to try (and will report back)….

ps. If any of the boots (below) are from Backcountry, don’t forget to take 15% off with code THEMOMEDIT.

Does anyone else put this much thought into new purchases? It might just be the job…but I’m pretty sure I’ve always been this obsessive about it. Hmm.

xo,

S