Tartan scarf + red Hunter tour boots

Lord & Taylor scarf ("ivory" - extra 20% off w/ VETSDAY)
  Bobeau cardigan in xsp, Ann Taylor cashmere (current year's version)

Hunter packable Tour boots sz 5 (also at Zappos in 5 colors), Jolt jeans sz 00

This comfy outfit from last weekend remixes several of my older favorite pieces. I also learned my lesson to always check the weather before embarking on a long day of errands wearing rubber boots - it was damp and gloomy when we left the house, but turned out to be the most beautiful day without a drop of rain! Ended up feeling a little silly in these all day but on the plus side, the bright color kickstarted my holiday spirit early this year (along with the red cups debut & tree lights going up in Boston on the same day!).

Speaking of rainboots, I've been getting tons of clarifying questions this month about my Hunters so wanted to link back to my past detailed review of their adult Tour vs kids boots. Over the years I've tried on dozens of rubber rainboot options and the Tour are hands-down my favorite for style, fit, and comfort. Their adult original (sold at Costco now, apparently!) were not comfortable for my shorter legs, and I haven't gone back to my kids ones in a long time because these are much more lightweight, pliable, and more visually lengthening in my opinion. I walk miles in them around the city and haven't had any quality issues yet, fingers crossed! Out of the two red Tour options now mine are the "military" red.

Madewell mini transport tote (3 colors) - can do a detailed review if anyone's interested!

This tartan scarf is pretty old from Lord & Taylor but they bring the same one back each year! I love my big blanket scarves for blustery days, but for mild weather, a lightweight one like this is perfect for adding a punch of pattern to a plain outfit. It's less full of a scarf than what it appears to be in the stock photo.

I also wanted to give an update on these Jolt girlfriend jeans now that I've been wearing them for a a few months. Initially (read my review here) I was on the fence about keeping them because they are more bleached than I typically like. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find better-fitting denim with larger distressing holes like this, and also with the hole placement actually hitting near my knees. I kept these and have been pretty pleased, but I do wear a thin belt to close the waist gap of a size 00. I wasn't sure whether I wanted these more as a slouchy "girlfriend" fit or closer to slim skinny jeans, and finally decided on the latter because I wanted to wear them more with tall boots. I had been keeping them out of the dryer to maintain a looser fit, but machine dried them for a first time (after these photos were taken) and they shrunk a bit down to the slim skinny fit I wanted. With the cuff unrolled they hit right at the base of my ankles with no alterations needed.

On an unrelated note, wanted to mention that Anthropologie just started a rare 20% off sweaters & tops promo with code TOPITOFF, ending this weekend! If you bought a top or sweater recently, they have a price adjustment policy for purchases made within 14 days which you can call or email to request (I've done this on past orders and it was a pretty easy process). You can see the curved cable poncho on me here and here, and another sale suggestion is this intricate lace peplum blouse (starts in 00 petite in 3 colors) to wear over skinny bottoms for a night out. I haven't tried it on myself but it has a few 5-star reviews.

Fall staples + how to get hats to stay on your head

J.Brand Maria jeans "vanity" sz 24 hemmed, Bobeau cardigan sz XSP "light grey"

BP Trolly booties, Talbots tee (also worn here), Hinge wool hat in "heather camel"

I sometimes hear pairing brown with black (also navy with black) as a "don't" and can't imagine why! I think the two work together harmoniously, which inspired this outfit comprised of four of my favorite neutrals. This is my second Bobeau cardigan and the "light grey" knit is a heathered one that goes with everything. I've gotten some questions on the differences between Bobeau's regular fleece cardigan (which I've shown often in "mink") and their fuzzy which I have on here. The regular has a smooth outer and is lined in a traditional fleece material as most of us know it, while the fuzzy fleece is a thinner knit material that is smoother on the inside and with a very fine fuzziness on the outside that feels suuper soft and not really fleece-y. I found the fuzzy to run a little tighter in the arms thus sized up one.

This outfit prompted me to also share a little tip I've been using to keep hats secure on your head! After having one too many gusts of wind leave me chasing after a hat, I came up with these super easy hairpin loops made of thin elastic. Simple sew two (one near each ear) pieces of elastic by hand into the interior of a hat band, and use them as loops to secure bobby pins to. If needs be, seal the cut edges of the elastic with clear nail polish to prevent fraying. I am slowly in the process of adding these to all my hats, especially the lightweight ones from summer!

Sizing-wise, this hat is more generously sized, but I kept it out of several I tried because it actually encases most of my head and keeps it warm. I've been using it more as a functional rather than fashion accessory (rumples hair up much less than knit hats), but it doesn't hurt that it's in a cute panama shape. If you have a hard-to-fit head, I've mentioned before on IG that H&M has sized hats in S/M/L and the S fits pretty small (I'm a M there).

Black skinny jeans are high up on my fall/winter staples list, as they're so flattering especially with booties. Nordstrom has a big selection at all price points starting in sizes 23 / 000, and I like to filter by size plus "ankle" length for ones that may require no alterations on shorties. The J.Brand "Maria" cut is an old favorite of mine despite a regular length that did need to be hemmed. It's a high-waisted style that fully covers my lower belly, which some may be averse to but in my older age I love how it holds everything in and flattens that area. The material of these in "vanity" is a substantial-weight denim (please note that I've found materials to be quite varied based on the color code, even within the same style from the same brand). Color is a regular black, not as jet black as these photos depict.

If you're looking for more of a jegging, I love the feel of CoH's popular legging jeans in "axel." I remember a while back I was sick in bed and less than enthused about getting dressed for an event. I was staying with a friend, who loaned me her "axel" jeans and I couldn't believe something so stretchy, soft and comfortable could look reasonably formal! I like my ankle area to be super skinny however and these have a slim but slightly wider opening than my J.Brands. A sz 24 in the CoH's fit well everywhere except length, so I didn't find them to run small like the item listing notes.

Thank you to Nordstrom denim for sponsoring this post!

PS - restock alert - my wool blend plaid scarf from this post is now all sold out on Sole Society, but I noticed Nordstrom just got stocked the "hunter green" one I have!

Petite-friendly picks: Nordstrom half yearly sale

Nordstrom's half yearly sale for women started today, with lots of markdowns from 30 to 70% off! And as always, they have free shipping and free returns on all items. I scoured through all the pages for some petite-friendly suggestions at very good prices (click to shop):

Clockwise from top left:
1. My Lush crochet shorts (from this post) are now 40% off! A summer must at this price. The elastic waist sizing runs small compared to what the listing description suggests - an XS stretches to fit 23 ~ 25" waists. I wore them again today with a comfy tunic top (also 40% off, but note it wrinkles after travel and needs ironing) and these Talbots Peggy sandals again. Talbots is having a really great sale as well, where all markdowns get an extra 40% off 1 item, or extra 50% off if you buy two+ items (discount reflected in your cart). I'm a fan of their shoes that start in size 5 - check out their Peyton low sandal or Camilla patent wedge.

Talbots Peggy sandals (only $50 after extra 50% off!), Mar Y Sol bag, AC necklace c/o

2. Michael Kors Sutton satchel in a classic "peanut" brown which goes with everything. I'm surprised to see this color for 40% off and don't expect stock to last long at this price. Sold out

3. Calson striped maxi dress (40% off, comes in 4 colors) looks so comfy and starts in xxs petite. This is a similar neckline and silhouette to the Ann Taylor chevron maxi I own, except the material looks like it'd be a soft, stretchy knit.

4. Oscar de la Renta PJ set (33% off, 2 colors). Lace, pastels, and pleats? I'm a sucker for cute sleepwear sets, and couldn't resist ordering this one to try. 

5. Socialite wide-legged pants in navy dot (40% off, runs small). These are actually at my tailor getting hemmed! They're a little different from what I usually wear, but I absolutely loved how they looked when on. The high-waisted, wide-legged pant look is surprisingly very flattering on petites and such a fun way to switch it up from dresses or skirts. The waist of the XS measures 12" across and fit me perfectly off the rack, at my natural waist. The material is on the thinner side and very cool/breezy with good movement. There's a concealed zipper, and if it's a smidge loose you can cinch it more with the tie belt. The length however is very long and I needed to take off about 5 inches - though had no problem getting alterations given the price of these! I did have to look around for inspiration on how to rock the palazzo pant...thankfully, Pinterest had plenty. These were two of my fave looks - so effortlessly chic!

6. Calson convertible maxi skirt (40% off) - the ruching at the top allows it to be worn either as a skirt as shown, or a strapless midi dress. Looks like it'd also be easy to fold the waist over to adjust the length as needed. Pair with a simple white tank for running around in the summer.

7. Topshop crochet lace miniskirt is 40% off, in petites only. Their sizing tends to run very small and a 0P or 2P are usually fitted on me, so I'd suggest sizing up.

8. I'm sure no one is thinking about boots right now, but I was surprised to see these Aquatalia Rhumba boots on sale for 35% off, with several colors and stock starting in size 4. This is their signature style which comes back every year, usually with another price hike each time. The after-sale price still isn't for the faint of heart, but all Aquatalia boots are weatherproofed making them functional as well as stylish. Mine have held up nicely through our tough winters. I have a poor quality photo trying on the black suede Rhumba boots - they are stretchy, fitting very slim in the calves and hit right below my knees on my short legs, so definitely petite-friendly for anyone looking to jump start the boot search!

9. Ted Baker dresses in rose print (40% off) - Ted Baker doesn't make petite sizing but their items tend to run narrow. I adore their prints, plus you don't see their pieces everywhere in the US, so I'm more open to getting alterations on a more unique item. For items that fit width-wise but designed for someone taller, you could try raising the shoulders if the design allows. See my old TB dress here after alterations - a 0 fit decently width-wise off the rack.

If you shopped this sale, please share any of your favorite finds!