So after a nice weekend in DC we have of course gone back to cold, rainy, awfulness and WOW winter is a trial for my sensibilities.

I didn't realize my mid-30's was going to be the time when I no longer picked being cold over being hot - even with cool coats like this.

(I hope y'all appreciated that segue.)

I'm a little proud of myself for this coat purchase because 1) I feel cool as f*ck whenever I wear it, and 2) I actually saw it way back in the Fall and refused to even consider it at full price, but eventually stumbled back on it for 40% + 10% off. And it's carbon neutral!

So it turns out that that rule about not buying a piece that requires you to buy other pieces works pretty well. Each of these were separate purchases over a decent span of time, and none of them were bought with this outfit in mind. But I think together it results in an obviously historically inspired but contemporary outfit, that brings me a lot of joy.

I'm not going to lie - one of the reasons I don't do buying guides or wishlists is that I rarely have a very specific piece in mind when clothes shopping, and even when I do, it's rare that what I'm eyeing fits the way I like. I am a person who buys a lot and keeps very little - it's a gift and a curse, because I'll try on almost anything and sometimes that works in my favor even when I don't want it to. I think that's the hardest thing to explain to people about my wardrobe. I try on, and even temporarily buy, a LOT because the percentage of what I actually like and keep is negligible. Ok, well may not negligible, but it's certainly not HIGH. I like clothing and admire how other people look in them, which influences what I decide to try, but it doesn't change what I decide to keep because if it doesn't look good it doesn't look good.

Which is all well and good as a philosophy until I find myself in the dressing room at a Christy Dawn pop-up and all of the seemingly large and oversized "one size fits all" pieces look like sh*t. Like all things in life it's a work in progress.

Took a bit of a break there, didn't I?

October, despite the joys of Fall and Halloween, is not my favorite month. Thus it's been harder than usual to find inspiration for outfits to share here - especially when you consider everything happening in the world around us. I don't have anything smart to say. I think it's really scary to be aware, especially as a black/bi-racial woman, and it's been a particularly troubling time for my brain.

I hesitate to say that something as superficial as buying new clothing could alleviate all that, but I do kind of also feel like this hoodie is made of love and joy and I'd wear it 24/7 if I could. Make of that what you will.

Also, I blame this whole belt bag/crossbody thing on bloggers much cooler than me in general, and more specifically on Katie Jane Hughes, who featured it in an Instagram story forever ago. I'm not saying I don't look bulky, instead I am saying it's actually large enough to hold enough sh*t to be useful.

If you know me you know I'm not someone who keeps her mouth shut on issues I'm passionate about. Abortion rights, access, affordability of basic healthcare - all of those rank right up there. As I nicely tell the ground teams when I see them around, "people find it much easier to give money for children or trees than they do for poor people to have access to safe healthcare providers", and I think this is especially true when it comes to sexual health.

When ALLRIOT reached out to me it was like they'd read my mind because I was already considering a few options to add to my social justice wardrobe and their brand has a lot going for it. ALLRIOT is WRAP certified for their commitment to ethical, humane and lawful conditions and practices in all manufacturing facilities and they have a 12 point system of principals that their suppliers must comply with (see more details on their Ethics page). Plus, items go up to either a size 2-or-3XL and the price doesn't increase at the higher sizes (woop woop!).

When they generously offered to let me try a shirt from their collection, this "Keep Abortion Legal" shirt immediately jumped out at me. I don't mind being a bit confrontational in everyday life, and if you're someone who wouldn't talk to me because I was an advocate for abortion rights for all then... perhaps enough said about that. I strongly believe in safe, affordable access to abortions as a part of ones basic healthcare - if you have a uterus, then you should be able to make whatever choice is best for you and your family. And I'm proud to partner with ALLRIOT in highlighting that.

Plus, on a superficial note, this shirt is SOFT. Super soft and the unisex "t-shirt" fit is exactly as they said - true to size but on the slightly more form-fitting side, so I stuck to a large and it's perfect. I'm trying not to add stuff to the closet all willy nilly but getting this one in hand makes me want ALL THE SHIRTS (plus, it's tagless so an extra A+ for them).

So it's going to be 90 degrees in DC all week, but for a bright, shining moment in June it felt like Spring and I finally got the opportunity to take pics of this amazing jumpsuit that I freakishly found at - stay with me now - Abercrombie & Fitch. I'm not sure what happened to the completely size exclusive, stereotypical upper middle class Caucasian people only store of my youth, but it's had a few pieces that have found homes in my closet and every time it shocks me. Especially the part where almost across the board I am a size XL/32 which doesn't even happen at brands actually aimed at the 30+ crowd.

Made of 100% Lyocell, it's super comfortable to wear for pretty much all occasions (I also need to try rolling up the hem like the model). Most importantly for me though is that the legs are on the slim side, which after some experimentation, I actually think is more flattering. It seems to be totally sold out online at the moment (boooo) but if you manage to find it in a store I highly recommend you give it a try! I'm almost sad I didn't buy it in more colors but it felt a little excessive for someone who's trying to calm it down on the spending front.

And oooh, I can't wait to to wear this layered with crew and turtlenecks once it cools down again!

If you ever wondered what it was like to be a blogger primarily without a photographer, please enjoy these SUPER BLOWN OUT PICTURES because I was wearing a white shirt and couldn't find an unobtrusive spot to save my life. Let alone any shade that wasn't too shady. I really do like this Power of My People top though, it took me a bit to decide how I felt about the fit in the shoulders, but I can't wait to keep trying it in all sorts of combinations.

Also, maybe just avert your eyes or something, so you're not blinded by the brightness. Sorry.

The 90 degree days are officially upon us in DC, which means I'll be trying to get away with the easiest and lightest of outfits I can.

I picked up this dress over the Winter when it went deeply discounted, and while usually I'd say ordering Final Sale online is a deal breaker, funnily enough I'd tried this specific dress on last July, so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I know that fit is very personal, but while there are a few outliers, I tend to think the dresses from Reformation fit true to size. In fact, due to the stretch back, I probably could have gotten away with a size down. I will always (always always) advocate trying things on before you commit, but it's nice to know about where I land on the size chart before I get started.

I am unequivocally living for these cool Spring mornings.Yeah it's inching into the 80's by the afternoon but sunshine, open windows, and sunsets closer to 8pm - it's all worth it.

My itchy eyes and pressure filled sinuses might disagree but WE'LL JUST IGNORE THAT.

I think the general consensus among my friends right now is that I need more green items in my closet. It's not a color I'm typically drawn to, but ooh, that is a-changing.

1) When the weather is determined to flip flop between Winter and Spring it's best just to go with it and hope that your allergies forgive you later.

2) Sometimes you get through an entire set of photos before you get home and realize that your spiffy camera decided that the parked car behind you was *actually* the reason for each shot and focused accordingly. So no bother squinting, except for that last shot all of these really are just that bit soft focus. FML.

I realize it's a little ridiculous to have more than one puffer jacket, but I feel like now, with the three I have, I'm done buying them (face palm). I have one "sport" puffer (Eddie Bauer) and two "fashion" puffers (H&M and Oysho) and that seems to be what I reach for. Today is a bit of a chill outfit, but looking out at the ice and snow I know that just by switching out the boots for a waterproof variety, I'd be ready for pretty much anything.

Today's outfit is a bit of a funny one. When I first pulled all the pieces together I felt a little too "dressed up" for a Sunday, but after a few minutes of thinking about it I realized that if these are just pieces I have in my wardrobe, lying around to be worn, then I'm not dressing up. I'm just dressing as me.

Now this very coordinated approach might be some of the best I can do dressing as me, hahaha, but it's not special just because of that fact.  It's hard sometimes to push back against DC's kind of rigid sense of style, and my own recently developed love of athleisure, but this was a look I felt cool in, and was comfortable to wear, so I'm proud to share it.

Told 'ya you'd be seeing this jeans + booties pairing again. They've taken a bit more effort to break in than I'd like, but: WORTH IT.