Winter outfit makers

5 simple enhancements for when you have enough energy to wear real clothes but not like, that much of it

Can you relate to the sudden rush of ecstasy that runs through your body like a stream of warm water when you realize you’ve found yourself with a stretch of solitude? This stretch frequently overwhelms me because I get so excited about all the things I can do that I end up doing none of them. But a big theme I’m taking into the year is commitment. Commitment and discipline to make a choice and to stick with it.

So much of the cocktail of anxiety and ennui that clobbered the end of my 2025 was the result, I suspect, of languishing in a sort of limbo of my own making. I felt for so much of it like I was suspended in a waiting room that was neither here nor there, and every time I did make a decision, I spent a bulk of the time after it wondering what if.

One thing I’m finally coming around to understanding is something Abie has often told me when I’ve been suffocating under my own indecision: there is no wrong choice so long as you can be loyal to the one that you make. Like if you can hype yourself into thinking you made the right choice, it will become the right choice, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the onset.

The irony of commitment is that I suspect we eschew it in the name of freedom — we don’t want to tie ourselves down so that we can be free. In reality, I think there’s a misconception that freedom means keeping our options open when actually, it’s wrapped up in the precise choice we are granted to pursue our chosen goals, to exercise our will, to empower ourselves to commit to the lives we want to make. Which necessarily means closing doors on the many (options) and committing to the one. In a worst case scenario, you can always begin again, from the vantage of new experience and wisdom.

The discipline implicit in commitment is a pathway to freedom, I’m learning. The hardest part is the commitment, but after that it’s downstream.

A perfect segue to today’s post! Shot while my 16-month old was taking a nap and the bigger girls were out to lunch with their dad. All about simple winter outfit makers, for when you still have energy to get dressed, but not so much energy that you can spin yourself into a look. Starting with:

The striped scarf

Depending on what the rest of your winter wardrobe looks like, this could be the perfect opportunity to produce a hit of color. But even if you opt for something of neutral tones, the stripe acts like a short-lived but welcome espresso shot over the sleepy slowness of winter. I love the range from Eldon Cashmere, and the pictured one, from &Daughter.

Here she is, from & Daughter and styled with a Madesome x Mejuri t-shirt and Linea Pelle belt. I flip one side of the slit cuff of the coat up and pinned a brooch into it

Rest of the credits are an Aflalo coat (it’s this one, which is sold out, but she is similar and she is on sale), Co jeans and Prada boots (from The Real Real)

Same scarf (which comes in a green/navy colorway combo too) with Rohe’s wrap sweater, The Row pants (they’re 50% off) and loafers

One more pass for the indoors, with the same Rohe sweater styled over a white t-shirt, Callas’ Jules pants in a new shade of green and white Prada cowboy boots (alt 1, alt 2)

So you can see how she (the swtr) closes.

Gold pumps

You know how when you shine a mirror at the light it reflects more light making the scene you’re in doubly bright? Gold shoes do the same thing to an outfit. My favorite use case for them is as paired with a completely black look. While nearly any light color shoe, including white, will project a quality of levity for the outfit, gold maintains the added value of bringing some funk. Sass. An ‘I’m here to dance’ energy.

Lisa Yang fuzzy sweater (more subtle fuzz here, here; this is Fforme’s jacket version), black pants for you here and The Row gold pumps. I’d suggest anything from these to these as a viable gold shoe alt to bring some life to your blacks.

Jewelry helps too! Cuffs are by me and available here, racquet string bracelet also by me and available here

Khaite top (got on TRR, there are plenty hanging around in white/pink/suede), these from Vince are similar pants (the pictured ones are Rodebjer) and le Liisa (two i’s) pumps

Soeur brown suede jacket; a surprising outfit maker in its own right! Practically begging for something like this under it, Joseph sweater, Aflalo jeans. These from Versace, on sale, are the sharpest alt.

Me and my best friends

A necklace on your head

Really might be alone on this one, but I trust the intuitive hits when they land and lately, nothing feels so complimentary to an outfit (particularly one that is relatively masculine, or robotically streamlined,) as reframing where I put my necklace.

LMC for Aflalo necklace, Me + Em sweater, Colomas pants

Kinda makes me feel like I’m bringing all the women of my lineage along for the ride of this lifetime, which, obviously, I love.

Aflalo pinstripe suit (here is the jacket, here are the pants, there is a correlating coat too), black turtleneck for you here (the subtle shoulder pad makes all the difference!), Gabriela Hearst boots (these new guys from Khaite are a bit less expensive) and really, you can put any strand of anything around your head. The white pearls are good at breaking up all the black here

But see here, the tile necklace to rly go big on color. Aflalo dress (feels like rly good value for a black tie dress, no?; she feels stunning on too), good riding boots for you here; Khaite clutch

I closed a door on my finger last month. So glad I still have that nail.

A long fall jacket as part of the outfit —

Folkloore cashmere Moroccan housecoat, Le Petit Trou top, Colomas pants, Bottega boots and Aureum tassel bag

Toteme suede jacket (she’s 40% off at MyT); I like something knitted like this for an alt too, Cashmere in Love turtleneck, Callas black pants, Le Monde Beryl clogs

Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses (but any amber lens is good)

Here’s Aflalo’s leopard coat, but by now the range of long leopard things runs an extensive gamut. This one from Co is good value, and she, from Simon Miller is straight up regal. Khaite’s ‘Karo’ jeans, Prada platforms (these from Larroude on sale are an actually great alt, kind of like last summer’s ‘Emi’ clog but for winter; ideal w a good wide leg)

Chan Luu organdy coat, cropped white jacket, Emi Mess white trousers, satin mary janes and here’s a suede clutch.

And while we’re on the topic of jackets, the last one is a fringe blazer.

It doesn’t have to be this one, but she’s been such a great maker for the last few months. The other few I’d rec are: 1, 2, 3, maybe 4. The bib shirt is Polo Ralph Lauren, the pants are Aflalo, the shoes are Emme Parsons

Styled here with a navy tissue-thin turtleneck, Jil Sander fringe skirt and the same Prada boots; deferring back to these for alt

Bag is Aureum. Bracelets are here, here. I really like this bib shirt from TWP.

That’s all I have for you today. It’s good to be back!!! Have a great week,

Leandra