FALL NEUTRALS: CLASSIC ARITZIA JACKETS AND STUART WEITZMAN BOOTS

Fewer things are better than watching the leaves turn an array of different colors in the fall. I always feel a sense of excitement when I put away my tanks and shorts and reach for my thick sweaters and jackets. The fall season is a dream for the fashion-obsessed due to a variety of reasons:

1) It’s cold enough so that you can show off your stylish jackets, but not so cold it’s to the point where the last thing you care about is your appearance and are okay with looking like a gigantic marshmallow.

2) Shoes! You can wear suede boots without getting road salt all over them. You can also wear heels without slipping on ice and breaking your face.

3) Your hair will not make you look like you were just electrocuted because the humidity is actually under control.

Top:

Madewell Mockneck Sweater

Although this exact sweater is sold out, there is luckily no shortage of mock neck sweaters this season. Here is a similar one currently in stock at Madewell. I wore this tucked into my jeans so I can show off my Madewell belt – but it looks great untucked as well.

Jacket:

Aritzia Babaton Stedman Wool Coat 

To complete the neutral color palette, I chose to wear this Babaton Stedman coat in a warm, caramel color (on the website, the color is called Savile). For reference, I am 5’4 and I am wearing a size XXS – you can see that it hits exactly at my knee cap and the sleeves end at my wrists (talk about a great fit!). This coat comes back season after season and Aritzia carries a wide range of both classic and fun colors. Although this coat is 96% wool, it is not lined on the inside with the exception of the sleeves. Therefore, this makes a suitable coat for warmer fall days.

Fear not if you do prefer to show off your wool jackets during colder days though – what I love about this coat is that is it has a more relaxed silhouette, making it very roomy and possible to comfortably layer up underneath (sweaters, sweaters, and more sweaters).

As for quality, while the jacket feels soft to the touch, I will admit that I was disappointed by how fast it took for the back to wrinkle and the overall feel is thinner than most wool jackets.

Boots (Plus mini review):

Stuart Weitzman Over-The-Knee Boots 

It’s no secret that Stuart Weitzman’s suede over-the-knee boots are wildly popular and often raved about. After wearing cheap knock offs for awhile, I finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase the TieModel when I saw that they were on sale for 30% off! If kitten heels are not for you, these boots come in variety of other styles including the Lowland (no heels), the highland (high heels), and the Tieland (block mid-height heels).

After trying these on and walking in them all day, I can honestly see why they are such a favorite… Not only are they warm and comfortable, but they are also very flattering – they make my legs look so lean and long even though I’m not that tall. In addition, compared to my knock offs, these are just so much better in every aspect (quality, shape, warmth) minus the price.

Being 5’4 tall, these boots hit me perfectly right above the knees. Like most Stuart Weitzman footwear, these boots are true to size. Initially, I was nervous about how these would fit because my calves are quite muscular – other boots either are too tight or if they do get past my calves, the shaft tends to be saggy around the knees making them look awkward. However, these boots were able to make it past my bulky calves even with very thick jeans on due to the satin lining on the inside and the stretchy material. And once they are on, they STAY on (aka – no sagging!).

For the sake of full transparency, one inconvenience about these boots is that they are hard to get on and off (because quite frankly, they fit like a second skin). However, once they are on, I do not feel at all restricted and I can easily move around in them despite how tight they fit. Another con is that because my boots are black suede, I have to really be careful when wearing them because dirt and road salt are easy to spot. This makes it a tad bit stressful because while I do see the benefit of caring for my shoes, I still would like to enjoy being out and about without being too paranoid about my feet.

Despite these critiques, I still would encourage purchasing these as an investment pair of nice, sharp boots that can pull together variety of outfits. Because mine are black and have heels, I would say that these pair better with dressier, more formal styles (perfect for nights out).