Summer in December?

I'm finally back from my dreadful hiatus and the-opposite-of-dreadful vacation. BVI was a nice break from reality, and I would say a nice break from the cold, but there was no cold to break from. It's practically December tomorrow, and it's still the mid-60s everyday. If I was living in San Francisco, I would be used to this constant temperature, but I live on the East Coast where seasons actually exist. And I, unlike most, love the cold (my longtime readers should already know that by now). The only thing that stopped me from staying on that boat in the middle of the Caribbean was the fact that I would be returning to winter in my hometown. Nope. I guess the Fashion Gods hate me. And I use the term "Fashion Gods" in this scenario because I had planned so many cold-weather outfits for this week when I was sailing in the Atlantic. Layering with turtlenecks, layering with tights and thigh-highs, layering with dresses and sweaters, basically every possible way to layer -- it's impossible with this weather. But I told myself that I can't let this awkward weather bring me down, I already have enough stress in my life right now. So I thought, to hell with the weather, flannel is still completely acceptable. It's practically winter. Wearing summer brights and mini skirts is not on my list of outfits until next April. Flannel will do, but how?

Duh. A dress. It seems like the obvious, but it really worked today to keep my winter fashion up to date with the sticky weather. Shirt-dresses have been a thing for years now, and many stores are catching up and combining the beloved flannel shirt and dress into one. Madewell has a few, ASOS is filled with various styles, and practically every women's fashion store that I approve of probably has a product of the sort. (side note: Cyber Monday is coming in full swing this year, including 30% everything from ASOS, half off selected items at Topshop, 25% off everything at Madewell, a complicated but worth-it discount at Urban Outfitters, and the list keeps getting better. I'd use these deals to get your winter necessities, even if it includes a warm-weather flannel shirtdress). The one I wore today is from Madewell, and I had bought it thinking I would be pairing it with tights, a leather jacket, and possibly a scarf for the winter. Maybe that outfit will appear if the temperature ever drops below 50, but the dress also proved to work well in warmer climates. The thin and structured material was just enough to keep me comfortable with a slight breeze, and the dress still screams winter (a neutral flannel dress could never be worn in the spring). I even wore my darkest shade of lipstick to intensify the winter look, but the dress could have worked the cold-weather theme alone. Although I was disheartened to see that I couldn't wear any turtlenecks this week, which are still sitting sadly in the bottom of my dresser, I proved the weather wrong with this flannel dress. Take that, Fashion Gods.

Dress by Madewell. Shoes by Doc Marten.

Photos taken by me, of course.