In the end...

A few months ago, I made up a list of 5 fall winter items I felt:

1. were missing wardrobe staples
2. would be pertinent to my lifestyle
3. could shake things up a bit.

As we're drawing hopefully very soon towards the end of the season, even if as I'm writing it's snowing heavily and steadily, here are the results of my shopping ventures.

1) thinner knits: done.

COS provided 2 merino mixed knits one navy, the other burgundy. Effective, useful complements to my mainly black-grey clothes. Also got a second hand Etoile IM baby alpaca grey knit.
Last and final winter knit addition is a (a not so thin) mohair tunic, again a consignement store bargain.

All 4 will remain in rotation for spring till the warmth eventually settles in.

2) pants: so-so.

Steering away from my boot cuts and slim pants was trying. Partly because shopping for smart pants is not fun, there are so many options but getting the right fit, material and cut is a different matter, especially on a tight budget.

And also because in theory, I like the wider leg but for winter, the practical and comfortable slim/skinny wins without contest.

I ended up getting grey mannish pants, an effective compromise, during the sales and that's it.

3) outerwear: done.

It was not on the list but I got a camel coat by Sandro (second-hand) with which I'll finish winter and transition into spring.

As much as I wanted a shearling, I simply couldn't afford the real deal or when I found reasonable priced second hands, the item was sadly ill-fit, too heavy. 

So again, practical, lightweight and warm down coat (Uniqlo) turned out to be my champion for cold days/bad weather.

But then, I might as well start saving up (big time) for this one bellow...

Isabel Marant F-W 2014 (style.com)

4) skirts: failed.

Nothing worked. At least that's how I felt after trying several ones: it was either too cheap, badly made, too short, too pricy, too trendy...
So no new skirt this winter. 

5) boots: done.

Footwear has been about sensible yet relatively unexpected choices.

Instead of going for the classic flat riding boots, I got the Stuart Weitzman 50/50 over the knee which have been my go-to casual days boots. They get me plenty of stares, something I'm not really comfortable with, but the power of these boots is to make me feel like a badass wannabee so I try to act like it!  

Another addition in sensible tough footwear: shearling Doc Martens.

Again, I had never given these shoes more than a passing thought, they seemed unlikely for me, even too connoted with so many, sometimes contradictory, tags.

I just tried them on for fun and suddenly became obsessed with the utility boots. I wear them with tight fitting or loose pants rolled up, knit dresses and a tailored coat.

5 bis) The everyday tote: done.

I was extremely lucky to find the Céline horizontal small cabas in black which ended up as my christmas gift and I'm really really happy about it, so much that I've been wearing it constantly since, neglecting my other bags.

Voilà, my winter 2013 purchases laid out.

I mainly splurged on the not so subsidiary accessories, especially footwear and on the vital outerwear.

For the rest of clothing, the strategy has been (and remains) to rely on carefully chosen items from highstreet brands and consignement stores to keep my budget in check.

I did stray from the original plan but everything I got is on rotation, fits a gap, is incorporated in work outfits and/or off days.