so, basically...

Well folks, it's that time of the year--Mama Nature's on her annual mood swings and for the past three days, she hasn't been able to decide between sunshine, rain, and downright wind chill. How is my wardrobe to adjust so quickly to such fickle dress codes?? The answer's quite easy, really.. I look back at what I'd been wearing to accommodate for the weather change and realize that all of my looks have been centered around... well, the basics. Here's the run down:

Wednesday's casual night out caught me wearing my James Perse tunic (bought last week from his sample sale at Chelsea Market) as a dress, with black argyle tights, finished off with a navy blazer. Though the tunic was extremely simple in a light heather gray, it had a slight cowl at the neck and gathered sleeves (which were slightly ribbed in texture). And because I'm petite, I was able to wear this baby as a dress!

Thursday was a bit of a 'girls' night out', so I kept it simple by layering a long, black tank top from H&M under a basic black top with a huge scoop neck and deep Dolman sleeves, making it appear to be a single black dress. Topped it off with a few gold accessories (a chain necklace from Forever 21, 2 bracelets from different vintage shops, and a simple geometric bracelet from the Philippines), wore striped over-the-knee stockings for a bit of interest, and finally black suede boots. With a light, double-breasted jacket from H&M to fight the rain, I had no problem transitioning from an indoor hangout to a walk around the city.

Today, I went for warmth. Because it was so ridiculously chilly compared to the rest of the week, I decided to wear my long sleeved jersey tunic with a drop sleeve (H&M, as well!). Over it, I wore a black cardigan with a shawl collar and underneath, footless wool tights with brown over-the-knee stockings. Slipping into fur-lined Bare Traps boots and a Jones New York trench, I'd say I was pretty prepared to take on the wind.

I can't emphasize how important it is to have the basics in your everyday wardrobe. Just pair them off with different key items and you've got a different look for every day. If you're looking for extremely comfortable basic items with great attention to detail, I highly recommend checking out James Perse. His prices are pretty reasonable and the quality is basically... well. Exquisite.

-- Aisha K.