It’s January, people, put away those sequins. Faux-fur? BYE. The holidays are O-V-E-R, and it’s now just gray skies, work, and detox. So get out your tumeric ginger tea, grind those goji berries, and embrace your black puffer coat. WELCOME TO JANUARY.
I’m kidding. Mostly. Raines’ birthday is in January (as is mine), and I’ve always found January to feel like…a new beginning. Which feels sanity-saving after the craziness (and utter excess) of the holidays. I find myself gleefully tearing down Christmas decorations and — on a rampage — vowing to declutter the entire house, while Mike and the boys cower in fear of my MOMENTUM. (And by ‘cower in fear’ I mean ‘roll their eyes’.)
I don’t usually get much decluttering done (I tend to lose steam mid-January), but one thing that has stayed consistent, year after year, is that by Jan? I’m OVER IT. I’m over getting dressed up, I’m over trends, I’m over uncomfortable shoes and complicated bra situations, and I just want to wear black, black and more black. And….if I’m being totally honest here….I’ll stay in this mode until April.
Over the years, I’ve sometimes thrown together a very tongue-in-cheek “style resolution” article (you can type it into our search bar) but frankly, my Style Resolutions from 2017 totally suffice for today. Especially the last one:
…will wear all black, unapologetically. Like my soul.
On that note….
My Favorite Black Jeans, Boots, Sweater and Backpack
I’m suuuuuper picky about the wash of my black jeans; I want them to be perfectly faded but NOT gray. I also like a black turtleneck that is thick and cozy…yet still fits under a jacket. By now, you guys are probably aware of how much I like this backpack, and I’ve been really impressed with these waterproof UGG boots. (Fully tested them in 18-degree weather over the holidays.) All together? I have an outfit that works in almost any situation, any weather. Not only am I wearing this all over Philly, but if I’m traveling anywhere cold….I’m packing this.
AER backpack | Treasure & Bond Turtleneck Sweater (xs) | rag & bone Jeans (24) – more sizes available here | Waterproof UGGs
My Everyday Outfit Idea For Urban Adventures
My favorite pieces are the ones featured above, but I do have a few others that I can stand behind. And since these really are the kinds of pieces that will get a ton of wear, I thought it was worth rounding up.
More Faded Black Skinny Jeans
The jeans below are pairs that I’ve tried and loved…AND they have that faded-black wash I insist upon.
More Cozy-Chic Black Sweaters
I was going to round up more sweaters…but…to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend ANY of them over these six below. Truly my top picks.
More Water-Resistant Backpacks
These aren’t necessarily sexy…WAIT. They are. They ARE sexy, in their own no-nonsense, clean-the-house-as-foreplay kind of way.
More Cute Hiking-Inspired Boots
I hate clunky snowboots because I do SO much walking. The boots on this list had to be lightweight enough to walk around all day (or do a little hiking), they had to look cute with skinny jeans, AND they had to be waterproof.
S
I love it!!! I have a January B-day and a dark heart, too. Blue is my “wild” color 😉 It is likely that those UGG boots will be a gift to myself!
You should totally buy those Mother jeans– I just got a pair of their black jeans discounted from Nordstrom Rack and they are the absolute bomb. They are also one of the only jeans that fits me at both the different jeans sizes I seem to go up and down between these days– they possess some magical amount of stretch that causes no problems either way.
I just got the Macy’s Levi’s high-rise black jeans that Laura wore in a previous post, because they were on sale for 44 bucks, and they rival my Madewell high rise skinnies.
Yes, yes, yes! Another Jan. birthday here. So hard to celebrate after the craziness of the holidays. I’ve been gravitating toward all black, all the time, and you perfectly articulated my state of mind. Also seeing winter boots as a gift to myself: the Uggs or the Sorels??? (I’m in CA, so only get to visit the snow, don’t live in it).
Yes. Yes. Yes. To all black everything! Always! I struggle with black jeans for some reason. I can’t find a pair that I love enough to buy. I usually do black ponte skinny pants instead. I do love how these jeans look on you, though. Maybe I’ll give them another try. And Elizabeth A, definitely the Sorels! They look great with everything and are so super comfortable! Love them! Also, my oldest has a January birthday, too!
That backpack is a REALLY clear rip off of an arcteryx bag they’ve been making for at least 15 years (I had one in high school)…in case you care about that kind of thing.
https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/arro-22-backpack
How do you launder and refresh your cashmere turtleneck to keep it looking great? Woolite and handwashing? A trusted dry cleaner? I’m a mom of a six month old and I’m returning back to work soon and think this turtleneck could be part of my mom/work uniform.
Shana, I am going to finally purchase one of the Equipment sweaters-leaning towards the v-neck. I have been admiring them for years on your blog however, I want this to truly last and be an investment piece. Here’s my big fear- that it will pill and look awful in no-time. How does their cashmere compare to say, Vince? Love Vince but had one that pilled so badly no amount of sweater shaving could save it…