Classic casual outfit and pop of turquoise

classic black turtleneck sweater outfit classic casual winter outfit idea pop of color with black turtleneck sweater proenza schouler medium tote in turquoise proenza schouler tote and turtleneck sweater proenza schouler tote with casual outfit

Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Lipstick: Chanel Melancholie / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Sweater: Banana Republic / Scarf: Monki / Ring: Beau Bijou / Nail Polish: Nars Night Creature / Handbag: Proenza Schouler / Jeans: Gap / Booties: Rag & Bone

The weather this winter has been on the cool side. It has been so refreshing, after all the drought weather we had experienced here in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past few years. I look back at last January, and I was already wearing some spring pieces! There were even a few days when I wore short sleeves, a skirt, and sandals! Yikes! Not very wintery 😉

Since we have been enjoying cold weather, and rain (yes!!!), I have been reveling in the chance to actually wear warm clothing! In our long, lost winter, I have found a turtleneck sweater, jeans, booties, and a blanket scarf, make the perfect go-to outfit on a casual day. The classic casual outfit above, has been getting quite a bit of a workout lately!

Although I love having the chance to bundle up this winter, sometimes the constant cloudy weather can be a bit dreary. In order to combat the grey days, I have been wearing this Proenza Schouler tote from their resort 2016 collection quite often. The bright turquoise really pops against the dark colors in my winter wardrobe. I love being able to wear a little bit of sunshine on a grey day. That is the great thing about accessories, you can wear the next season without sacrificing comfort. Love that!

I am the type of person who will purchase something in multiple colors if I love it; a shopping trick my Mom taught me when I was a child. This turtleneck sweater from Banana Republic is comfortable, classic, cozy, and comes in a ton of colors! So, I splurged and purchased it in the pale pink, black, cobalt, and light blue. You can see the light blue styled here. If you are looking for a classic turtleneck sweater at a fabulous price, I highly recommend this one!

The jeans I am wearing are Gap’s skinny jeans. I own a pair in regular, medium wash, and also black. They are comfortable, offer a great fit, and are great quality. If you are looking for go-to skinny jeans for your closet, this is the pair! I love that they are priced waaaaaaaay under $100. It is hard to find great quality jeans, that fit well, under $100. I hope they come out with more color washes for spring!

Lastly, these booties are so comfortable! Rag & Bone makes this pair of booties every fall. They have classic colors, and variations of neutrals which are fresh and interesting. My pair is from fall 2014, and is a dark charcoal with a vintage wash. You can invest in these booties knowing they are in style every year, since they are a classic style. I love owning classic pieces I can find on store shelves every year; it makes them feel new every season! If you order a pair, order a half size up from your usual size. I ordered my pointy toe shoe size, which is 9.5. I usually wear a 9.

What are some of your favorite classic casual outfit pieces for cold weather?


Favorite skirt of the season

sunday outfit in winterover 40 style bloggerlaser cut skirt and turtleneck sweater outfitjcrew skirt and turtleneck sweaterjcrew laser cut midi skirt outfitgivenchy antigona and prada mary janessunday stylewinter midi skirt outfitwinter outfit idea for churchgivenchy antigona with jcrew skirt

Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Lipstick: Chanel Mighty / Necklace: Kendra Scott / Sweater: White + Warren (so soft and comfy, love!!!) (last seen here) (less expensive option here) / Skirt: JCrew (last seen here) (also love this one and this one, more at the bottom of this post) / Handbag: Givenchy / Ring: Beau Bijou / Nail Polish: Dior Lilac / Shoes: Prada (sold out, also love this pair and this pair)

Have you ever had a piece in your closet you find yourself reaching for over, and over again? That is this skirt for me! I purchased this skirt for fall near the end of summer vacation after I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it in the JCrew catalog for fall; so I jumped up and ordered it!

I have been styling it with different tops since late summer. When I first got the skirt, I was pairing it with basic tee-shirts, and tops, so that I could wear it during the awful heat we experienced in late summer, and early fall. When our weather finally cooled off, I started to pair it with light sweaters, and now heavier ones, such as the turtleneck sweater I wore it with last Sunday; shown above.

In this outfit, I mixed last year’s color of the year, Marsala, with one of this year’s colors, pale blue or “Serenity,” because I think they look pretty together. I love Serenity for 2016, any shade of light blue is beautiful; and easy to mix so many other types of colors!

I am looking forward to continuing to style this skirt into the new year; and pairing shades of blue with other colors in the new year too!

My beautiful nine-year-old daughter took these photos after church on Sunday. I think she did a pretty good job! She is learning her way around a DSLR camera, and really enjoys photography. It seems like a natural hobby for someone who wants to be fashion designer, an interior decorator, and an automobile designer when she grows up! With three careers, she will be quite busy 😉

Do you have any pieces in your closet this season you feel like you are reaching for all the time? If so, what are they?

Laser cut skirts:

Outfit details:


Dior Lilac nail polish for spring 2016

dior lilac nail polish spring 2016

Pictured: Dior Lilac nail polish for spring 2016

Dior Lilac nail polish is from Dior’s spring 2016 beauty collection. It is a bright lilac color which instantly grabbed my attention. I am in love!

I have never tried Dior nail polish before. I always had Dior in the back of my mind, but haven’t seen a color before which made me pull the trigger and purchase one. For spring 2016, Dior has two colors which are right on trend with the current color trends for the spring 2016 season; Lilac and Bluette (which I will review soon!). Love that!

I tested out Dior Lilac nail polish for spring 2016 with two coats of color, one base coat, and one top coat. The nail polish is long lasting, and offers beautiful color saturation! Dior Lilac nail polish is a cream polish which needs two coats for full coverage. It is not streaky, and offers a solid color once dry. The brush is a little bit thicker than I am used to using to apply nail polish, but that did not matter. The brush was easy to use, and mess free!

Dior Lilac nail polish blends well with the current shades of pink, fashion is offering for spring. While American designers favored blush, and shades of rose on their spring runways, European designers showed bright shades of pink; all of which play well with Lilac.

If you are in love with all the various shades of blue for spring 2016, Dior Lilac nail polish is the ideal contrast to a blue ensemble. After all, the biggest color trend of the season is to wear blue with a shade of pink! Although Lilac is in the purple family, Dior Lilac nail polish offers more of a pinkish hue than traditional lilac, making it great in-between color if you are not a straight pink person.

I am thrilled with Dior Lilac nail polish, and look forward to purchasing more Dior nail polish in the future. I always love it when I fall in love with a new brand!

Dior Lilac nail polish for spring 2016 can be found online here, and here.