A few quick Ask the Edits today. From navy skirts in winter, to boots for snow, the best pencil eyeshadow and more. You asked, I answered.
Hi Belle –
I bought a navy pencil skirt that I love, but I’m realizing that I have no idea how to wear it in cold weather when tights become a necessity. Any advice? The material is faux suede, in case that matters.
Thanks, Maria
To find navy tights to go with your skirt, take it to a department store like Macy’s or Nordstrom so you can color match the perfect pair. The hue of the tights should be as close to the skirt’s color as possible.
As for the blouse, you could go feminine with a navy silk or satin, like this Iris & Ink blouse. You could also go for a chunky sweater in a complementary color like sky blue, like this Pepper & Mayne cashmere wrap.
Hi Abra,
I’m a long-time reader and huge fan of the Work Edit, and would love some advice. I recently started a new job, and my duties include giving walking tours of my city on a semi-regular basis. Since the tours only last 2 hours at most, I spend the rest of the day in the office.
I’m in desperate need of a pair of shoes that are warm and comfortable enough to walk several miles in the cold New England weather, but are still appropriate for my business-casual office. I’d really appreciate ideas you might have, especially in the under $250 range.
Thank you so much! -BH
I’m going to level with you, you need two pairs of shoes: one for the office, and one for the tours. The only brand I know of that could possibly do both would be Aqualtalia, and they are out of your price range (unless you find them on sale).
For great winter boots, I love the Sorel brand. I own their Caribou boots, and I love them, but they’re a bit heavy for long walks. I’m thinking about switching to the lighter (walking friendly) Out n About boots. Both are in your price range, and if you add some SmartWool socks, your feet will be warm all tour.
Hi Abra,
You recently posted the name of a pencil that you were using as eyeshadow and eyeliner, can you remind me what that was?
Foster
I adore the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon pencils. The Bronzed Garnet is my current favorite. They’re chunky enough to use as eyeliner or shadow, just blend it in with a brush (or your fingers). But if you’re looking for a drugstore dupe, Iman and NYX both make great options.
abra:
where can I find a good cashmere sweater that won’t cost my whole winter clothing budget? I just need a simple crewneck or v neck, nothing that needs to cost my rent.
sincerely, lara
There are two places I go for cashmere: Everlane and C by Bloomingdale’s. That’s it. Both companies make a good cashmere product that wears well, doesn’t pill quickly, and won’t break the bank. Bloomingdale’s has the basics; Everlane’s pieces are a bit more modern.
Hi Belle,
Can you recommend a good face scrub? I don’t want to rip my skin to shreds, but I need assistance removing the effects of a dry fall.
Love the blog! Probably your only male reader!! Aidan
Maybe not only, but certainly among the few.
As for face scrub, when I need a deep scrub, I break out my trusty Clarisonic. I don’t use it as much as I once did, but when I need to reveal newer, brighter skin trapped under a mass of dead flakes, it makes an appearance.
If you’re looking for a simple scrub in a bottle or jar, I like Mario Badescu’s Almond and Honey face scrub. It’s gentler than most of what I’ve tried, but it gets the job done.
Hello,
My Mom wants a nice scarf for her birthday. She loves colors and patterns, but isn’t fancy. No leopard or Burberry, please. Just something pretty and less than $75.
She loves your blog, so let’s go Anon.
Still the prettiest scarf I’ve seen in ages is this Modcloth plaid scarf in shades of mauve and navy. It’s so gorgeous. Talbot’s also has some wonderful scarves. I just kind of want to frame this Caroline So scarf and put it in my office.
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Re navy skirt, FWIW I wear a navy skirt with black tights and black shoes all winter long. It’s not a super deep navy so that you can tell it’s intentional and not some weird accidental color mismatch. Some folks might not be into mixing black and navy but you might try it out to see if you like it.
Agree. I put on a navy MM La Fleur dress this morning, and first tried it with navy tights and shoes – but they all didn’t match exactly and it was a bad look. Switched out for black tights, black pumps, and black jardigan and I really love it.
That’s what I would do too. Other options: grey or burgundy tights with black shoes and a black or grey top.
I second Everlane and C by Bloomingdales for cashmere. I have multiple cashmere crew sweaters from both, and I’m very happy. The Bloomingdales sweaters seem slightly more fitted to me than the Everlane sweater. The C by Bloomingdales sweaters are often on sale, and I’ve gotten a cashmere crew for as low as $70. I have 5, and I’ve never paid full price.
I wear dove gray tights with navy skirts.
If you don’t mind lightweight cashmere, I really like the Uniqlo sweaters I got on super sale last year. The J.Crew cashmere cardigan I own is pretty but not well made (even though the yarn is the super soft Loro Piano stuff).
Agreed, seventh sister, j crew has downgraded their cashmere, construction, quality so much to the point it’s not anywhere near the (slightly reduced from the aughts)original price. It breaks my heart because I have always felt j crew holds a special niche in the market few can match. Wiping away tears as I surf boden.com.
For walking tour shoes, take a look at flat ankle boots at Naturalizer. I wear a leather lace up ankle boot throughout the winter for milder days during a Canadian winter and they work pretty well. You still probably won’t want to wear them in the office all day, but they would have a little bit more polish on tours than a traditional heavy duty Sorel boot. And Naturalizer has some pretty good sales that come up to keep you in budget.
I was similarly going to suggest Clarks as a possible option for boots. I used to have a pair that I wore to the office but that also stood up remarkably well to New England winter city life.
I bought some Blondo boots last winter that were akin to Aquatalia, but more affordable. They had a flat, almond-toe waterproof ankle boot that I wore in the office a lot.
Came here to say this^ Blondos are waterproof and warm. I have a pair of riding boots from them that are lined with some type of warm black fabric on the inside (not sure what it is, but want to be clear that it’s not super thick, nor is it Sheepskin). They make a ton of cute ankle boot styles too and you can find them at Nordstrom Rack, and regular Nordis.
Third for blondo, I thought of them when I read your question. Not quite as durable as my aquatalia boots, but for the price difference it is well worth it.
Snagged some Aquatalia winter booties at ThredUp for under $100 after hearing everyone hear rave about them. So if you know a brand you’re looking for that is out of your price range new, never hurts to look for it secondhand! One gals “old news” is this gals woohoo!
For BH, I have these Cole Haans and they almost do it! Sure, they aren’t great with every outfit but I think it’s hard to tell they are waterproof. They are close to sold out but I think there are other sizes available elsewhere. https://www.colehaan.com/daryl-short-waterproof-boot-40mm-black-waterproof/190595067752.html
For BH, insulated insoles can make a huge difference – I didn’t realize how much of the cold came from the pavement – especially combined with warm (preferably long!) socks like the SmartWool above. I got mine in Sweden, but there are a lot on Amazon.
OMG I didn’t know this was a thing! I work at a farmers’ market on the weekends, and even this past weekend I could feel the cold rising from the soles of my feet from the pavement. One particularly cold day last year, my coworker and i stood on a cardboard box to make it a little more tolerable.
Be sure to check Nordstrom Rack and LastCall for Aquatalia sales.
I’ve raved about la cannadienne boots before, but they are magical and have kept my freezing cold feet warm during wet Vancouver winters. They can be found on sale, and though they may seem more classic, the suede is waterproof, warm, and indestructible. They last a long time too.
I was going to recommend LaCanadienne as an alternative to Aquatalia, but turns out they have become just as expensive.
But ThredUp and the discount sites often have them on sale.
For physical exfoliation, I really like lightly/carefully using one of those scrubber gloves with my normal cleanser. For chemical… (fave is prob dennis gross alpha beta peel) well that’s a whole post in and of itself 😉
For cashmere on a true budget, both Uniqlo and Mango offer cashmere blend sweaters that are super soft and wearable.
For walkable winter boots, check out Ugg and Teva- both are making really warm, water-proof and non-slip boots these days.
For a nice scrub at a drug store price, I like the St. Ive’s Green Tea Blackhead Clearing Scrub. It is NOT the harsh scrub of most St. Ive’s products. It’s much more gently, with salicylic acid. I have enjoyed it for quite some time now, and my boyfriend also likes it.
I actually just purchased the same navy skirt. I’m curious what shoes y’all would wear with it? Besides my standby nude pumps, I’m at a standstill.
I wear brown tights and brown heels, which I use for anything I can’t wear black with (which I guess is just brown and navy?) happy to get the leg lengthening effect of matching heels and tights.