Happy Monday, dear friend. I hope you had a restful and lovely weekend. And I also hope you are staying well. So if that means staying in and staying away for now, let’s do that. One of these days we absolutely will be out and about again. So I’m carrying on here at Dressed for My Day, sharing classic winter outfits that we might wear out and about. But please know that I’m simply trying to provide a little normalcy in difficult times, a dose of frivolity when so much feels weighty and yes, a little hope on days that feel bleak. Okay, enough waxing eloquent. Let’s check out my winter classics outfit with my leather biker jacket.
Whether you have a leather jacket or not, I want you to be able to get something from this post. So here’s the biggest take-away. Are you ready for it? Look over the next photo and consider what you think pulls it all together.
Did you notice that this outfit has wardrobe essentials in it in almost every possible color of neutrals? I’m wearing blue denim jeans, an oatmeal cashmere sweater, black leather boots, an oxblood brown leather jacket and a grey cashmere scarf. (Well, actually I didn’t manage to get a single photo with the scarf around my neck. Ha! But I did wear it that way.)
So I think this outfit is a good illustration of why it’s important to fill your wardrobe with neutrals that you love. I do suggest only having 2-3 neutrals in your wardrobe (besides white or cream). It’s just easier to build a cohesive wardrobe that way. You can learn more about How to Choose the Colors of Your Wardrobe in this post.
But the key that pulls all these neutrals together is that they all have a cool undertone. So yeah, black is black. But browns and beiges and camels can definitely have either warm or cool undertones. And I’m generally pretty careful to choose those in cool undertones, simply so that my closet will stay cohesive.
Of course, I also don’t include blue denim in that number. In fact, I use blue denim to add a little light and color to an otherwise all neutrals look. I absolutely could have worn black or grey jeans with the outfit. But I intentionally went with blue denim to lighten things up a little. I think blue denim, especially in a light to mid wash, also looks more casual than black denim. So that’s another reason I went with it.
Notice I wore full length jeans. That’s because I’m wearing my Franco Sarto notched ankle booties, which feature a low shaft, and I wanted to be able to wear socks without them showing. These booties, which also come in taupe snake print and caramel croc print, are still available and they’re a whopping 70% off. They are so comfortable and versatile.
My v-neck oatmeal colored cashmere sweater is also still available in limited sizes, and it’s marked down 62%. There are plenty of other colors to choose from still, too. I enjoy having cashmere or other lightweight, natural fiber sweaters in pretty neutrals because I can insert them into so many different outfits.
I chose silver jewelry for this outfit simply because my leather jacket features dark silver hardware. I like having a couple of versatile necklaces in both silver and gold so that I have what I need if a jacket or blouse features metallic trims or hardware. These Gorjana necklace, linked below in the widget, are very lightweight and modern. Of course, silver jewelry also accentuates the cool undertones in the neutrals in my clothing.
I’d about given up on the biker jacket or moto jacket trend, when I came across this Allsaints Dalby leather jacket. I had tried on so many others, especially during the past three Nordstrom Anniversary Sales. But the arms were always tight on me. I’m no skinny-Winnie, y’all. My upper arms are very muscular. Oh yes, they are. But they’re also just thick. Yeah. That’s true, too.
So I do suggest sizing up in a leather jacket. They just tend to run a little small in the arms. But I’ve also learned, after trying on dozens and dozens of jackets, that price does reflect fit in this particular genre. And I think that actually makes sense. You’re paying for the fabric, among other things. So designers that charge more are also more likely to give you more fabric in your garment, whether that be a silk blouse or leather jacket or wool blazer.
Of course, I’m linking to other leather jackets as well as faux leather options below in the shopping widget. You absolutely can duplicate this look with a faux leather or suede moto jacket. I’d long admired biker jackets because I felt like they are such a modern and yet classic cut. I think these are one of those garments that an older woman can pair with other classic pieces and create a very current look without looking like she’s trying to hard.
So even though I never did wrap that grey cashmere scarf around my neck (at least in the photos), that’s a wrap! This is definitely an outfit I enjoy wearing in real life. I love pulling neutrals together in an interesting way. And the key is simply making sure that all the neutrals you’re wearing have the same undertone – either warm or cool.
Thanks so much for stopping in today. I hope you have a wonderful Monday.
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Blessed for My Day
Has your life taken a detour? Sure it has. We’ve all been on a yearlong detour of sorts. Plans have changed, jobs have shifted or been lost, events were cancelled and trips were postponed. We’ve experienced a year of disappointment. But we’re also tired from having to pivot…and pivot again… and yet again. No wonder we feel dizzy and disoriented! Even if we trust that hope is on the horizon, it’s hard to SEE the horizon for all the uncertainties that cloud the vista.
But this I know. God will accomplish His plans for me. And He will accomplish His plans for you, too. Even if you have to pivot a dozen more times this week, you can grab hold of this certainty for balance and perspective. God is in control. Let me clarify. God…is in control. I am not, you are not, they are not, the enemy of our souls is not. And He will bring to pass the plans He has for you.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. ~ Psalm 138:8
Great neutral color combo on you Kay. I still say your hair looks so much better styled that way. You look fabulous!!!
~Lisa~
Thank you, Lisa. I’m enjoying it. I’m glad you liked the post. Good to hear from you today. ?
Thank you for this very useful post Kay. You have inspired me to think more carefully about building my wardrobe on a foundation of basics. I love your look in these photos. The leather jacket that I currently own is green (a darkish emerald kind of green) and it is also cropped. Do you have any suggestions about how best to style this jacket or do you think it might not be possible to style it as a ‘basic’ because of the colour? I hope this makes sense.
Kind Regards,
Nicole
Hi Nicole, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It sounds like your jacket could easily be swapped in for this one here. It would also look great I’m sure with black jeans. And I bet it would works really well over, say, black jeans and a black sweater or blouse. Thanks for sharing. ?
Dear Kay,
Thank you so much for your reply, your suggestions are so helpful! I really appreciate your generosity and advice on how to make to most of our wardrobes.xxxx
Kind Regards,
Nicole
Thank you for the Blessed for my Day post. It was exactly what I needed today. I feel so derailed with so many things going on right now, and I was beginning to question if I was on the right path or had the right plan. God will accomplish His plans for me! Have a wonderful day!
Kay- I especially appreciate the verse you shared. For years I have been wondering what my purpose is. The kids are grown and have families of their own. I no longer have a music ministry, which for my whole adult life was a huge part of my purpose. I love caring for my husband and home, and all in my family when given the opportunity, but I’ve wondered if there should be more.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me! I could underline and bold every word. This blesses my heart more than you can know!
HI Annette, Remember, don’t despise the “small things.” God certainly doesn’t. He values highly those things that we have managed to minimize in our culture, such as taking care of our homes, feeding our families and loving and supporting our mate. When all is said and done, we have no idea the worth of the smallest acts of obedience. Since so much of what we do has a ripple down effect, we would probably be surprised at the real impact of some of our smallest deeds. I honestly believe God places great value on many of the things that we dismiss as small or inconsequential. Soldier on! God will indeed accomplish His purpose for you…as you daily walk it out in obedience, one step at a time.
I am this stage in my life as well. All I know is my life’s purpose is to serve the Lord the best I can even disabled. That’s enough!
Thank you for your fashion and Biblical inspirations! I am also looking at the Valentines Day links. Have a wonderful day! ?
Hi Kay. I enjoy your posts!
I am probably the only person left who doesn’t get the warm vs cool thing. I’m happy to take your word for it, but left to my own devices, I cannot tell warm tones from cool tones. And don’t even start with the whole “what season are you business” !! (I’m smiling).
Anyway, thanks for all you do in helping with “middle of the road” fashion. I read a lot of other bloggers and always wonder if they really wear all that to the grocery store. ?
Hi Kay,
Beautiful outfit on you. I think I would like to find a faux suede jacket in a warm brown color. Any suggestions for wearing these cropped styles for us short waisted gals? Is it okay to pair a golden brown jacket with black booties?
Thank you.
Blessings,
Beth
Kay, I ordered this jacket in brandy color. I think the vertical seams in the front and back will be flattering. Thank you for this post. https://shopstyle.it/l/bqRCP
I like that, Beth! Yes, it’s a very pretty jacket.
Thank you so much!
Yes, you absolutely can wear a golden brown jacket with black booties. I’d just wear other warm tones with the outfit, too. Black is a true neutral, so you can really wear it with anything. Actually a cropped jacket can work well on a shorter torso, depending on the jacket and it’s silhouette. I’ve found that the best thing to do with these jackets is just try them on. Like I said, I tried on A LOT before I landed on this one. Thanks so much for reading!
Thank you so much!
I always enjoy your posts and the Blessed for my Day thoughts. I love your sunglasses, but there isn’t a link to something similar. What brand are they?
Hi Kathy. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. My sunglasses are these by Tory Burch: https://shopstyle.it/l/bqREC I’ve really enjoyed them and take care of them by keeping them in the protective sleeve when they’re in my purse. I found that when I buy cheap sunglasses I treat them like cheap sunglasses and they break or scratch within months. But I’ve been very careful with these because they were an investment (even though I purchased them with a gift card) and I’ve been wearing them almost a year. I love the oversized frames and the detailing.
Thank you!
Hi Kay, thank you for your BfMD today. Someone very close to me is struggling with the world in which we are currently living. In my part of Canada we are not only in lockdown but also have been issued with stay-at-home orders. I copied your BfMD and pasted it into an email to him. I think he needs to read your words. I hope that is okay. I really like this outfit as it is totally my style! But I am going to admit to something that I find really hard. I find it really difficult to discern cool colours. Am I the only one? I never would have thought that the jacket you are wearing would be considered a cool colour. What is the secret to seeing the “cool side” of a colour? Thanks for all that you do, Kay.
Hi Bev. The warm colors are Red, Orange and Yellow; and the cool colors are Green, Blue and Magenta on the color wheel. Because brown is a combination of red, yellow and blue, it depends on the composition whether or not it is cool or warm. To tell is brown is cool or warm you can look for flecks of color in a woven fabric or the pigment in a fabric such as leather. To me this oxblood brown leather definitely has more magenta or blue in it than yellow. The same can be true of beige or camel, too. Camel garments especially can look very different. Honestly, it’s just something you have to work at seeing. But you can hold the garment up to other garments in your wardrobe that are decidedly warm or cool and see which it “plays better” with. You’re looking for hints of yellow (warm) or blue (cool). I hope that helps.
Thanks for the your fashion ideas and words of wisdom to live by.
I bought the All Saints jacket in light rose(pink) color when it was on sale
Can’t remember what they called the color, but can hardly wait to start wearing it
probably next month when it is a little warmer here in Minnesota. I am going to wear
it with black for sure and will experiment with other choses. I just purchased the silk blouse
in cream from Frame after debating for at least 2 weeks about size but they have a good sale
until tomorrow, I think it would be beautiful under the jacket. It says dry clean only though.
Do you hand wash your blouse by them? Sorry such a long post. ha ha
Hi Sherry. I don’t think I’ve washed mine yet. Generally if they say dry clean only, then I do take it to the cleaners. But if it just says dry clean, I may try to hand wash it. That blouse does say dry clean ONLY, so that’s what I’ll do. I don’t have many things in my wardrobe that have to be dry cleaned, so I don’t mind the occasional piece. I do hope you enjoy it. I think it is absolutely exquisite. And yes, I think it would be lovely under the rosy leather jacket. Stunning, in fact.
Fabulous BFMD! If I did not have my faith and God to lean on during this very unusual time,no would be a real basket case. I hope that I’m not the only one that does not have a clear grasp on the difference between cool and warm tones. The Cushing’s Disease I had messed with my memory big time, so some things that I used to know and understand, I no longer get. I do like this outfit and the way your hair looks. Let’s make it a great day!
Hi Ginger. The main key is simply to look for a pink or reddish tint (cool tone) or a yellow tint (warm tone). To help you can hold the garment up to other garments that you definitively know to be warm or cool. Browns and camels especially can be in either warm or cool tones, depending on the prevalence of the colors used to create them. For instance, brown is made by combining red, black, and yellow, or red, yellow, and blue. So if more yellow is used (in the pigment or the threads in the weave) it will have a warm undertone. If more red or blue is used, it will have cool undertones. I know it’s crazy confusing, and it’s not always easy to tell at first glance. But you can train your eyes to pick up the undertones. And the key really is knowing what you’re bringing into your wardrobe to begin with so that you don’t have to think about it every time you put an outfit together.
HI Kay
Loved your post today! I never thought about warm and cool colors so I learned something today! I also love your boots. Are they true to size?
Yes, I find these boots to be true to size. I’ve seen another blogger say to size up or down (can’t really remember which!) but I have two pairs and they’re in my usual size 9.5. And they’re 70% OFF right now. Wowsa!
Thank you Kay! I ordered them!?
I will echo Miss Ginger’s comment…fabulous BFMD. Now more than ever we need to rely on our Elohim. Without Him we have and are nothing.
Great post Kay! Question, black and brown together in an outfit like you have done today looks wrong to me. Is this some rule that has long since been forgotten like black and navy? Yes, I am still struggling with black and navy too! In my part of Canada we have been locked down since Nov 12 so I haven’t worn booties at all. I don’t wear harder soles shoes in the house and I put on winter snow boots when I go out for my weekly trip to the grocery store. I love seeing your outfits and hope in a month or two i will have an opportunity to wear them…it will still be winter here! Pinning this outfit to my “outfits to copy” Pinterest file!
On a different note FWTFL is going great. I am so happy I listened to you and signed up. How is your VIP challenge going?
Hi Catherine. I’m so pleased that you are liking the FWTFL. I’m doing very well on the challenge. I needed the accountability and the sense of being challenged.
You absolutely can pair black and brown. In fact, deep chocolate brown is really trending right now, and one of the smartest ways to wear it is with black. So rich and deep. And you can wear navy and black, too. The key to either combination is to make it look intentional either by including a couple of splashes of both colors or, as in this outfit, by wearing several neutrals and keeping the undertones the same.
Good question. Thanks for asking.
Praise the Lord! He IS in control! AMEN!!! Thank you for your reminding us of this fact!! I so wish I could do a Bible study with you but it’s during dialysis!
The Blessed for My Day really touched me! Thank you for posting and making these a part of your blog.
Happy MLK Day!
I love your tip on keeping the neutral colors all cool or warm tones. That makes sense and yet I hadn’t thought about it. My eye probably naturally does it when I don’t think an outfit on me looks quiet right. I have a question…. how do I know if my neutral sweaters are warm or cool? (I use mostly brown and grey).
Hi Kristin. Good question. I probably should have addressed that in the post. Look for flecks of pink, red, blue or purple in the garment, especially if it’s a woven fabric. Otherwise you just have to eye it. Ask yourself if the brown leather jacket, for instance, looks more red or more yellow in tone. The same with camel sweaters or coats. You can also hold it up to other garments with decidedly warm or cool tones to see which it most resembles. Hope that helps.
Just reading the comments and seeing comments about warm vs cool tones. I too would like to see a post (or maybe two) on the differences in warm/cool in certain colors. I just ordered Talbots Perfect Turtleneck sweater in Toasted Coconut. I’ve been searching for a cool-tone camel-colored sweater but I’m still not sure this qualifies as cool. And would love to see comparisons of cool vs warm browns. I thought I just needed to stay away from browns as a person with definite winter and cool coloring! Please help! ?
I’ll definitely work on this. Maybe for next week. ?
This is one of my favorite looks on you! I pinned it to my “Fashion That I Love”board. And the jacket is just fabulous in the ox blood color. Loved the BFMD today. Such times we are going through, every day seems like a challenge.
Lovely, Kay!
I also like how the round charm on the necklace pulls in the accents on the jacket.
Thank you for including the faux leather options. I hope if you ever seen any that are slightly longer and more tapers at the waist, you’ll let us know. I love the standard shorter, boxy style on others, but not so much on me.
Best wishes for your house-hunting!
Thanks Caryn. I’ll do my best to be on the lookout for those. Thanks so much for reading. ?