lessons in layering

love shirt, gray layering shirt, olive parka, mustard boot socks, skinny jeans, leggings, boots, sunglasses, belt, scarf, mittens, hat

moving from Texas to Chicago in the dead of winter was a terrible idea, said my closet. i absolutely have had to re-learn how to dress. in texas, i didn't really have seasonal clothes, other than swimsuits and shorts. you never really knew when an 80 degree day would pop up. but here. anything short sleeve is out of the picture for a few more months. also, a sweater and coat wont cut it in winter. nope. it was zero this morning when i left for work. as in 0. degrees. no, for real.

here are some layering rules i've learned this month.

1) boots. they're a must. any chance of air getting inside of your pants is a really bad idea.

2) skinny jeans. goes hand in hand with the boots, unless you want that awkward bulge where your tall boots are seen through your pants. it also helps keep jack frost off of your leg.

3) tights. any day below 20, i wear tights UNDER my pants. regular tights like you would wear with a skirt will due.

4) boot socks. just that extra layer for your feet.

5) tops. as in plural. find a way to wear more than one. like a button up under a sweater. or a thermal under a sweatshirt. or a plain long sleeve under a flannel. if you can handle it and don't mind looking like a gladiator, wear a long sleeve layering tee under a flannel, under a cardigan. probably a camisole underneath all that too. that skin ain't seeing NO AIR then, my friends.

6) gloves. thick ones. preferably fur lined or something else fancy. those thin cotton ones don't help much. oh, and small tip. mittens are warmer than gloves.

7) scarf. who knew scarves were also useful?

9) coat. a good winter coat. i might have a post solely on the differences in coats. because before moving here i really had no freaking clue.

10) sunglasses. keeping your eyes covered will help your mascara not run. wind chill of -10? makes me look like i've been cutting onions for three days.

11) hat. MOST IMPORTANT PART. keeping them ears warm, my dears, is bliss. there's nothing worse than burning, red, numb ears. totally ruins your day- let me tell you.

getting dressed is like a relay.