Top Ten: Winter

What an interesting idea--a top ten by season. I've seen top ten wardrobe lists before, of course, but not one just for the season. The list at TooFatForFashion is very practical, but also stylish. I'm thinking more along the lines of 10 essential items for winter...even though I may not wear all these items everyday, I couldn't survive winter on the prairies without them. (It also ties in nicely with out inner/outer theme this week).
So, let's see.

1. The Coat. I've talked ad nauseum about The Coat, so I won't go there again, now.

2. Boots. About, oh, 12-15 years ago I got very lucky and found the perfect pair of boots for me. They're calf height, low heeled and round toed. And lined. I know it's rather a fashion faux pas and it makes my legs look short, but I tuck my pant legs into them. There is snow on the ground, after all, and I hate having soggy pant hems.

3. Scarf. Hmmm. I like my pink felt, I wear it wrapped around my neck, under my coat. That way I can pull it up over my nose and mouth if needed. (Did I mention it gets cold here? I'm reading about how cold it was in NY--and I'm looking at pictures of people with coats unzipped. People, if your coat isn't zipped, it isn't cold.)

4. Gloves. Now, these I need. I'm wearing off-white knit gloves with holes in the index finger of one and the thumb is nearly gone in the other.

5. Hat. This is a tough one. Since I wear things in my hair to keep it out of my face, a hat can be a problem. As well, it needs to cover my ears (in which I do NOT wear earrings. Metal+cold=earache.) Right now I have a ratty black toque. I must do better. But all the hats seem to be very silly things with faux braids. What's up with the laplander look anyway?
Good grief, we're 1/2 done and I've only talked about the top layer!

6. Long underwear. I have children who like to go skating and sledding. I have a husband who likes to go on walks. I dream of the day I can afford thin super-miracle-fibre long underwear. Since we don't tend to like hypothermia, we don't actually do these activities below -15C so, I don't need the megatherm long john's. Ultratherm will do. For now, I make do with lots of layering and an old-fashioned "mormon" type pair of thick thermal bottoms. (The best I ever had were from the army. Yes, I had a brief stint in my late teens in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves. Believe me when I say keeping that underwear was more than a fair trade for all the rifle cleaning and boot polishing I had to do. (It's also the place I learned how to iron a shirt properly.)

7. Socks. Oh dear. I think I need support stockings. The current "sport" socks I wear (bought in a six pack from Wallyworld) are leaving nasty indentations on my ankles and lower calf. (Do you really need to know this? Does anyone?) I saw something called "diabetic" socks the last time I was there and I'd like to try them.


8. Proper slippers. This is tough. Since I need support for my feet every second I'm awake (and probably asleep, too, but I'm not wearing shoes to bed!) I just tend to wear my sandals, as I mentioned and then switch to my socks and runners as soon as I've drunk about 1/2 my coffee. But--sometimes even socks and runners aren't warm enough (and I can't curl up on the couch, either) I have "afghan" knee-high slipper socks. They are amazing things. They are knitted (presumably by women in Afghanistan) mucklucks, basically, with a leather sole. I have a beautiful purple pair which I attach to the bottom of my pants with safety pins. These are a close approximation from apathtofreedom(dot)com.

9. A really good moisturizing cream. If scb can include lipstick, I can include this! I like stuff put out by Aveeno.

10. A Colourful Accessory. This is a brilliant idea from TFFF. She cites a brooch--and I like the idea so much, I'd like to implement it. My coat is dark, dark, dark. It needs a bit of a lift of colour. A brooch, if not too precious could say "stylish and hip"--or would it say "grandmother and frumpy?" I don't know. The only person I've ever seen wear a brooch on her coat is my grandmother--and at this time of year it would be a brooch shaped by coloured stones making the outline of a Christmas tree. I liked it, actually. (She would alternate that with a brooch of a three dimensional bell that actually "rang". That one, I didn't like so much.) Interesting idea. Here's a few from a shop called SilverMe in Pasadena CA. What do you think? (click pics to make larger)



PS. This is not theoretical! OMG, I just called the frugal husband over, explained my thinking and we looked through these. Each one is about 1 3/4"--2" big, if "actual size" means anything on a computer screen. His favourite is the middle blue. I'm worried it won't show up that well against a black coat. Then, I saw the pink one and I think I love it. It would show up well--and as I pointed out to him, I could wear it for "Valentine's" as well. He said, "Go ahead and order it. See if it gets here before Christmas." Should I? Will I regret it? Is it too much? maybe the "wreath" makes it too Christmasy? I'd like to wear it all winter. Are they tacky? oooh, I don't know. Take a look at the others there, too, if you like. I'll take suggestions!

Added later: I keep coming back and looking at the one on the left. I just don't know what to think of it. Is it vintagy enough to stand alone after Christmas, yet festive enough for the holidays? And I also like the one on the right, though it really isn't Christmasy at all. And I do wonder about the blue being visible against black. Oh, there are so many pretties--especially in the flowers and vintage style sections. But this is for "everyday" while I run into Canadian Tire and Safeway and the Library. I'm also wondering if they are too small. If they were bigger--say 2 1/2" it would be dead obvious they're "just for fun." and not to be taken seriously, like I'm trying hard (but not hard enough). Nice "conversation starters" though--or maybe everyone will wonder why that crazy lady is so silly and overdressed? Man, this is more anxiety producing than picking paint colours.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

You know, the best rendition of that song I've heard is in that terrible move "Elf."

I actually found it! Who knew Zooey Deschanel could sing?

I have a new winter coat. It's fine. It's not green and it keeps me warm. With temperatures hovering around -20C for the last ten days and an expected high of -13C on Friday (though I'm sure it will seem balmy by then), that's really important.

As some of you may remember I bought it last Sunday. We tried to find a replacement Monday. Tuesday we headed out again.

After three days of trying, we managed to find the Fen-Nelli, at the Bay, not Sears, but I needed to go up one size. It's the first one pictured in this post. We should have walked over to the "plus" section...but well, we'd been in the mall for three hours at that point and everyone was overwhelmed, tired and thirsty. I did go back to the plus section on Thursday--they had maybe three different styles of coats available--mine wasn't among them.

But knowing the exact size I needed, I decided to order it on-line Tuesday night. It's not available. The husband has conceded. He says, now, that the when he saw the coat I'd found on Sunday, he should have said "it was the best coat he'd ever seen." He's complimented me on it twice since then, silly guy.

I finally wore it out to the Christmas play we attended Friday night. And I've been wearing it since. It will be my winter coat until some disaster happens to it, or I shrink out of it. Let's hope when I need another one, the selection out there won't be so dismal.

A Tale of the Mall and Other Monsters

I've been thinking for most of the week about my "status symbol" --or the thing we want people to know about us, instantly, by our clothes, when they see us.

For me, truly and honestly, it would have to be "strength." Even though it's rather unbiblical of me (remember, it's the meek who inherit...), I have always coveted the image of being capable, independent, and strong. If you go back and read my post here, you see that what I exulted in was my body's strength and power. Then, I just made the physical reality reflect the newly discovered truth and new found attitude.

But it kills me to admit this, to you, to myself, to anyone; but, I am not strong. My feet and back problems have made me into such a mess that my daughter exclaims with surprise when I run and jump over a puddle, or hustle in out of the rain. "Mommy, you're running!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. "I've never seen you run before." And although uttered with all the hyperbolic certainty of a seven year old, still, it is true.

And that truth hurts more than I can say.

I need people too. I haven't had any close friends in years--only in the last three or four has it begun to bother me. The thing is, at this time of life, it's kind of difficult to find them.

I went shopping, today. Alone. I went to Sears to track down those winter coats. I didn't find them. The coat section was absolutely crammed and I needed help. I had to find a salesperson. She helped me as minimally as possible. I guess I had been rather abrupt with her, 'cause when she found me the size I'd been searching for, she said to me, "Are you happy now?" All the while nattering on about how I'd missed the sale this morning when every coat was 50% off until 2pm. (And of course, I was there at 4:30.)

I settled on a coat (a different one), and wandered into another section looking for a turtleneck. Tried one on. Marched into the Land's End section practically hobbling. Not a salesperson in sight. I settled on a few things to try on and tried to ignore the prices. In the end, I just couldn't. I left two sweaters and a button down blouse on another rack and hobbled out. (Usually I return items back where I take them from, but I could barely walk at this point. And I was still carrying the new coat).

So, I bought the coat (probably the only coat in the whole store NOT on sale), came home, modeled it for my husband and he says, "It's not as elegant as the ones you looked at on-line."

So, I got it wrong. It'll go back tomorrow. But that's not the point of this story. (sorry). The point of the story was that the coat (with tax) cost $180.17.

It was too much. Not that anyone but myself says so, you understand. But I was and am absolutely riddled with guilt and remorse that I spent so much money on myself. I told my husband there was no way I could spend that much...really, it was OK, my coat with the burned hole is OK. It fits, it keeps me warm...I don't need a new coat. He scoffed. Told me it was hideous. Really, I suppose the trip back to the store tomorrow is to have my husband bolster my self-esteem and self-image. Maybe we'll find something "more elegant," maybe we won't. But his approval of the coat will mean he approves of the way I look.

So, in light of all that, Wende brought me to tears with this:

part of owning our own style is surely being thankful for our bodies in their incredibly varied sizes, shapes, and proportions. The important thing is not to meet someone else's criteria for beauty or style -- the important thing is to be good at being ourselves.

I can't do it.

Jackets and Hats and Gloves, oh my...

image courtesy of the city of New Haven.

Well, it's here. And it isn't going anywhere until March.

I need a new coat. Actually, I needed it last year when the year before that I burnt a small hole right at the left breast when I foolishly propped up a hot stick against it while unwrapping bannock from another hot stick, just roasted over an open fire.

You understand we're are not talking about a cute little pea coat, or even an adorable wool wrap coat, or even the lovely car coat CWAM found at leRedoute. Nu uh. We're talking wrap me up tight, don't let a breath of air bite, shroud me from head to bottom, cause brrr winter is rotten. (And now you know why I don't write poetry for a living.)

Of course, I do live in a modern city where I get around in my car: so the coat can't be too long. Just to the tops of my thighs is the best compromise between standing and freezing my tush or sitting on the blasted coat, unable to move. (The car I currently drive is even properly ventilated and heated. In my old Toyota I would have welcomed a coat down to my toes. I used to wrap a shawl around my legs to keep the draft from the door from freezing my legs. But that was before the heater broke. Then, I used a blanket. Aaaah, for the days when I was young and single and couldn't afford either car maintenance nor winter coats but could take off with no notice to anyone to Chicago or Toronto or...but I digress.)

So, to the coats then. These will be the most boring coats you will have ever seen. Scb will understand. While we analyse how close the hood stays to the top of the head and scrutinize whether there is room for a toque; while we peer at the front closure and imagine ourselves as blasts of icy air trying to find a way in; as we scrutinize the pockets--are they big enough to hold the toque and the gloves when you take them off in the store? the rest of you, well, it might be something like looking at paint chips. Gee, do I like blue, black or taupe rectangles?

All of these are from Sears.
My boots are black.
My current scarf is fuschia.

Contender #1

This is black with interesting swirls (honest). I love the micro fleece inner collar. Mmmm warm. But my scarf may not fit underneath. Not good. The zipper--whether metal or plastic gets cold and I don't want that sensation anywhere near my neck. The hood may have real fur or faux fur, I don't care. I've lived Up North, as they call it, where the fur trade is actually still a vital part of the economy. (But I'm not going there. This is not a political blog.) Fur around the face keeps the frost off my wire glasses and my nose. Seriously. It would also keep it off my beard, if I had one. Fur is a plus. I'm not sure those pockets are big enough though.

Contender#2.
This is gorgeous. No fussy detailing. There's a zipper under those buttons. It has a hood, alas without fur. However, that makes it easier to slip my purse over my head. My scarf will fit nicely inside, wrapped tightly around my neck. The blue next to my face will be flattering to my rosy red cheeks. And I won't feel claustrophobic all bundled up in it. But is it long enough to protect my tush? And just how deep are those pockets anyway?

Contender#3

The big plus here, of course, is the big pockets. There are also two smaller ones in the chest region: perfect for carrying granola bars on our winter hikes. I can't tell, though, what's going on at the neck. Is that the inner lining, the coat, or is the model wearing a turtleneck? It also has a drawstring at the waist which helps keep that nasty wind from going up into and under your jacket. But, alas and alack, no hood.

Any of the coats above would go well with this toque from Roots:

Isn't that cute? A semi-stylish knitted toque. It wouldn't keep me as warm as this doozie though:

Isn't that just fabulous? A white fur trapper's hat--with ear flaps. I love it. Not sure it's actually wearable, though, except on those hikes. Taking it off when entering someplace warm might cause instant electrification and generate a dandelion halo effect to my hair.

But, this scarf sure is pretty:
Add this and a pair of black leather gloves to any of the jackets above and I may even, could even, dare I say, look good?