Chilly Days in NY & LA

Brrrr, LA, you've been cold lately!! With a series of low 40 degree weather days out here in SoCal over the holidays, it's been chilly! You east coasters are probably laughing at me, but I don't think I can remember it ever being so cold. I spent my short vacation roaming around the city and of course caught a nasty cold that's kept me quite miserable for the past week and a half. Between feeling lazy about returning to a very busy time at work and battling a congested immune system, it's been hard to gather up some motivation to get up and put together some decent outfits each morning. My apologies to my poor coworkers who have had to see the disaster that I've been looking like lately. :)

Still, as I sit here whining about how cold and sick I've been, Janice has been battling the fun blizzard-filled days over on her side of the world. Unlike me, she's probably had to bundle up a little more to get through the 27 degree snowy weather! So let's see what we've both been wearing...

Janice: Zara sweater (S), Forever 21 vest (XS), Club Monaco pants (0)
Michelle: Madewell chilly days cardigan (XS), Target Mossimo long and lean tank (S), Gap slim crops (0)

Okay, so we kind of dress the same... our three-piece outfits consist of the staple grey cardi/sweater over a white basic, pants, plus our beloved grey suede pumps!! However, as Janice keeps warm with a thick sweater under her heavier vest (and probably a ginormous outer coat), I opted for my favorite Target tank and wool Madewell cardigan. I'm sure many of you are quite familiar with the long and lean tanks at Target, but I can't help but rave about how much they are the best ever. The material is the perfect kind of comfy stretchy and complements the overall flattering cut of the tank. The neckline is not too boyishly high cut and the long and lean length makes for easy layering under anything. I wear these on a regular basis--for work and play! The best part is that they don't stretch out throughout the day from wear and don't shrink in the washer/dryer. Paired with my super, duper cheap and rather thick and insulating Madewell cardigan, I was surprisingly warm throughout the day. I also wanted to give Gap some credit for their slim crops. I'm a little behind on what the blogger buzz is on these, but I picked them up recently during a 45% off sale and am decently impressed by them. At 1/3 of the price of the J.Crew Minnie's, I like that the slim crops are made of a slightly thicker material and thus, give me a little extra warmth without too much bagging. Being short makes it hard to really buy a pair of crops and expect them to fit properly in length so I usually aim for more of an ankle pant by sticking with the regular inseam versions (I actually wonder why Gap would even use a model that is boasting the "awkward" length on the product page...). They're not the perfect pair of pants for my figure, but pairing them with heels helps me stay away from the stumpy, kiddy look that I'm usually guilty of. For $27ish dollars, it was a completely worthy buy and has been in constant rotation! So yes, it's been cold, but with some rather warm materials, I've still been able to get away with wearing cropped sweaters and pants.

And as a bonus and proof that Janice can still wear pretty normal outfits to work despite the snow, see below for a quick way to liven up winter outfits:

Club Monaco ruffle blouse (XS) and the infamous J.Crew placket cardigan (XXS)

It's always a great idea to inject some color into an otherwise grey/black ensemble via a vibrant top. I've been guilty of not taking advantage of my ability to wear some pretty fun things to work, but will be making more of an effort to be more creative once I'm fully recovered! New Year's resolution is to take more risks with my clothes, so hopefully my outfits won't be as boring anymore... Cali and NYC girls, what are you wearing to stay warm these days?