When Hoodies Are Not Enough

As those who live in the Midwest know, we have very unpredictable weather, particularly in the fall. Sometimes it's like indian summer, and sometime it's fucking freezing. It can be really gorgeous some days, but such a day always comes with the fear it will be the last. Even for those who live other places, you know that around late-October or November, things start getting cold. The problem is, it's not cold enough for a puffy winter jacket (or in my case, my trusty peacoat, which I love). Hoodies used to be my standby, but I realized that a) I wanted something a little more polished, and b) hoodies (or at least the semi-cute ones) aren't actually that insulating. I briefly tried to incorporate my Spring favorite, the cardigan, into my late Fall wardrobe, but you don't feel that warm in a cardigan either. In the past I've trudged through these months either feeling cold or looking like a slob. But no more, I've found the perfect solution to my problem. J.Crew's Wool Bella jacket.

Totally cute, right? It's got the crispness of a blazer without the whole powersuit look that can sometimes accompany an ill-executed blazer. I love the color, too. It's called "light heather nut", which is sort of unimaginative, but whatever. How great would this look with dark pants or jeans, flats, and a blousy white top? Pretty fucking adorable. And if it gets even chillier, a sweater could easily be layered underneath, and the texture would go really nicely with the wool herringbone. God I love J.Crew so much. They've augmented their usual hardcore preppy styles with some nice pieces like this that are more girlish sophista-prep. Go check out their site for some more seriously fabulous items, and their always luxurious color selection.