The Business Cas Fashion Show

Ugh, dudes, I am so not wild about my cold weather wardrobe. And it's not like going shopping will help, I actually just don't like cold weather clothes as much, period. Except sweats. Just ask my husband, who gets treated to head-to-toe comfies every single moment I'm at home. Good thing we work together or he might think I've given up.  So it took a long, long time, but here are five cold weather outfits that were "worth hanging on the Christmas tree" as the Swedes say.

This outfit is special because my mom and I picked it out together when I was in Cleveland in September. First she picked out and got me the amazing black booties at T.J.Maxx as an early birthday present(this picture does not do them justice since they blend into the tights but trust me, they are really something) then we went to Target and found the dress and tights and styled it all with a blazer in our minds. What do you think, Mom? Turned out pretty nice, right?

Have we talked about black jeans yet? Almost precisely four years ago, on my birthday, I got a some cash kronor from The Swede's folks to go clothes shopping with (hint, hint, recent-expat, those boot-cut jeans are only cutting the boot and nothing else, particularly it) and Sarianne suggested I get black skinny jeans. My American brain told me that black jeans were super 90's, but Sarianne assured me that I'd wear them all the time. "You will not be sorry," I remember her saying as she urged me into the dressing room. I daresay she was right and I have worn black skinnies regularly ever since. They go with everything, especially my denim button-down that also goes with everything, not to mention my sparkly boots that go with everything. The Target t-shirt underneath (kinda) goes with this outfit and (definitely) sweats.

This was a very uncomfortable day. That jeans jacket is waaaaaay too tight, son. I got it about two years and ten pounds ago when I was skinnier than I'd been since junior high from carrying around Jambo all time and its fit was questionable then. I felt like this and there was nothing I could do because the dress is just lace on the shoulders and sleeves and inappropriate for work. So I just didn't move my arms all day. That's problem solving, baby! 

So the next day I wore sweats to work! Well, a sweatshirt anyway. I told myself I had dressed it up and then made sure to mention to everyone who I suspected of even thinking about giving me the stink-eye for wearing sweats to work that I had "dressed it up" (with big, exaggerated air quotes) with heals and a necklace. Mostly I just did the air quotes because it felt so amazing to use my arms again. 

My mom also helped me pick this top from Target. It's a really pretty blue with birds printed on it and I think I'll like it as much when the weather warms up again as I do now.