Dressing for the Occasion and the Cold

My daughter and I recently went to see the Broadway musical Annie at the National Theater in D.C. While theater used to be a time for folks to dress up, these days people wear most anything to shows. I choose to still look dressed up as I find going to the theater a celebration, and looking nice a sign of respect for the cast and staff. But this show was on a very cold evening and I needed to dress for the occasion and the cold.

Dressing for the Occasion and the Cold

Quince recently sent me a few more pieces from their collection to try out. Some were misses (the ponte pants fit like leggings on my strong legs), some were hits (the cotton fisherman sweater is quite nice). I did a Quince cashmere review before and had a meh experience, but with so many raves from members of the Wardrobe Oxygen community, I decided to order a Quince cashmere turtleneck and matching skirt.

Based on the fit of the XL Quince cashmere crewneck and the XL Quince silk skirt, I ordered the cashmere turtleneck in size L and the skirt in XL. I felt both were a perfect fit; the skirt was roomy enough that if my size fluctuated, it would still look great. I was pleased to see the pieces were the exact same color; too any times these days I order pieces with the same color name, even of the same fabric, and they are different colors.

I played with styling this combination. I tucked in the sweater and highlighted the waist with a gray leather wrap belt from ADA Collection. I really liked this, but didn't own the right shoes that would also keep me warm on a winter night. I really wanted to do my Ros Hommerson knee-high boots so I had wind protection and a comfortable shoe for walking in the city. I am able to fit insulated insoles in these boots for extra warmth.

I then took a black leather adjustable belt from Chico's that has a gold leopard as the buckle. It wasn't wide enough to cover the skirt's waistband, but I left the sweater untucked and put the belt over it and bloused it a bit. It was almost right, I think I would like it better if the belt had some elastic to it so it would grip to the sweater and not shift around. But the black belt with my black knee-high boots was a vibe.

With my boots still on, I removed the belt and flipped the waistband under and loved the effect. It was simple and tasteful and looked really luxe. With wool tights and a Thermaskin layer under the sweater, it wasn't bulky but still felt warm and cozy. I tried my Beltaway trick but it was too short; the waistband flipped down when sitting but it wasn't a big deal to flip it up again. It also looked good just as-is.

Now, some women would style this with a pair of small gold earrings and a bit of lip color; I am not one of those women. I like color and statement and saw this soft gray as the perfect backdrop for some boldness.

My husband got me these Swarovski hoops in “topaz” for Christmas, and I am obsessed. I loved the idea of the yellow with the gray. I've had this Coach bag for a while; I got it on Poshmark, and the color is one of my favorites. For those wanting similar, it's the “Madison” and I see a bunch on eBay. It's close enough to the color of the hoops that they look nice together. At the theater, if I am leaving my seat, I am likely going to have my purse, and as a crossbody, it's giving a pop of color and some shape definition.

And this coat. Oh, this coat is delicious. The color, the soft texture, it's so good. It's Ann Taylor, a size 16 petite, and a few sizes still in stock for less than $80 (originally $248). Ann Taylor is one of my favorite destinations for outerwear; I appreciate Ann carries petites over a size 10. I often see Ann Taylor coats on resale sites, so check there too!

In my pockets are blue leather cashmere-lined gloves. Since I parked in a garage below this building, I left my scarf and hat in the car. If it was colder, or a chance of precipitation, I would replace the wool coat with my long blue hooded puffer coat because function always trumps fashion when dressing for the occasion and the cold.