Fitting Debate: White Jeans in the Winter?

The Right Fits is a blog about fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion. However, it often is heavy on the fitness side. But today, I actually have a fashion post for you!

I follow "Putting Me Together", and I was inspired by her recent post about white jeans in the winter.

I purchased a pair of white ankle length jeans from JCrew  at the end of last summer. I didn't have a lot of time to wear them before summer was over, so I figured they would have to wait for me at the back of my closet until next summer. But alas, Audrey showed me that white jeans can work in winter as well!

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She paired hers with a navy top and a winter colored scarf. I tried for a similar look for work last week. I paired my JCrew ankle jeans (similar HERE on sale for $59.99) with a gray tunic from Len Druskin (from a few years ago), and a white and gray scarf from Target (similar HERE)

I wore my cognac knee-high boots (similar HERE).

What do you think? Would you wear white in the winter? 

Overall, I think that the white jeans actually do work in the winter! I know that traditionally, you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day, but guess what? I think it is the Right Fit!

PS: I bought these white jeans in a size 2 at the end of the summer. The jeans were snug then...but manageable. When I tried them on this week, I could barely squeeze them on over my butt! I had to do some work to stretch the pants out (I followed some of these tips),  I don't think that my diet or exercise has changed drastically over the winter, but apparently it has. Time to cut back on that comfort food!

Weekly Recap: Pear Sweaters, Cookies, Lucy Apparel, and I'm Running Again!

Happy Saturday friends! I hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. After being in Chicago last weekend, I'm happy to have a weekend at home to catch up on all the present wrapping, cookie baking, and holiday prepping!

A friend is hosting a cookie exchange this week, so I have to make five dozen cookies to bring- yes, FIVE dozen! I've decided to make these cuties:

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So, I have some downtime right now between cookie batches, so I wanted to fill you in on what's been going on in fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion!

What's new in Fashion?
I received my second package from Stitch Fix, so stay tuned for a full post about what I received.  Until then, I'm loving this pear sweater from JCrew factory! I saw it on Chicisimo and in Lucky Magazine as the Outfit of Yesterday.

Currently marked down to $44 (find it HERE)  this cheeky sweater is a lot of fun, 

even when toned down with a gray blazer for the office.

What's new in Fitness Fashion?
Remember when I posted about the bkr water bottles? You can find them now at the lucy store in the Galleria in Edina. They just came out with a larger sized bottle. Check it out here! They make great Christmas presents. Stay hydrated all winter long!

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I often forget about the lucy store in the Galleria, but I was there the other day, and they have lots of cute fitness apparel. I love these Hatha leggings or any of the fun colors of the Hatha capris.

What's New in Fitness? 
I didn't share a weekly recap last week, so here it is. I'll keep it brief....

Monday- Some time on the elliptical for some cardio, and then a Balanced Barre class
Tuesday- More elliptical time and then Surfset Yoga at Anytime Fitness (such a fun class!)
Wednesday- Kettlebells at Balance Fitness,  and lots of snow shoveling afterwards!
Thursday- More elliptical...boring.
Friday- barre class at The Barre
Saturday- Flywheel spin class <--- review to come- loved it!
Sunday- Rest!

And guess what? This week was super special because...I'm running again! Yay!

I eased back into it with some easy treadmill runs, but I'm hoping I'll be getting back to normal by next week. It's amazing how tough it is to run after just two weeks off. I feel like I am so out of shape!

But I know that I just need to stick with it. SkinnyRunner actually posted some good tips for "What to do When Your Pace Blows" I'm going to follow of a few of her tips, like Leave the Garmin at Home and of course, Run with Someone (as I did this morning.)

Monday- short run on the treadmill, Balanced Barre
Tuesday- short run on the treadmill
Wednesday- The Barre, swam laps for 30 minutes (I definitely want to keep up with this swimming thing. I feel great afterwards!)
Thursday- Kettlebells at Balance Fitness
Friday- short run...outside!!! I hadn't run outside since the recent snowfall, and I forgot how much harder it is to run on the slippery snow.
Saturday- "longer" run....outside again! Yes! I was so happy to be running outside. Matilda (the dog) and I met up with my friend Abby at 6:30 am for a couple of lakes. Yes, 6:30 am on a Saturday. I hadn't run with her in a long time and she had to be somewhere at 9 am, so we were up before the sun, but I really enjoyed the company.

There were a few fresh inches of snow, so I decided to bring out the YakTrax Run

But apparently, I had them on backwards! Total blonde moment there....They seemed to work just fine though. Next time, I'll put them on right and see if they work even better.

With the snow and my return from an injury, I wasn't too concerned with my pace this morning, so I didn't worry about the Garmin. I just enjoyed catching up with my friend.

I can't say that Matilda enjoyed it quite as much. She kept lifting up a paw and running on three legs, poor thing. But it wasn't really too bad out this morning: 10 degrees and beautiful fresh snow. Its sad that 10 degrees feels warm, but last week we were in the negative temperatures, so it is a bit of a heat wave.

I wore two layers on bottom (two pairs of Brooks tights), a tank top, my Athleta long sleeve twist top, and the bright Brooks toplayer you see, a neck gator, ear band, my snowboarding gloves (couldn't find my Craft ones?) and my wool snowboarding socks. Lots of layers, but I felt pretty cozy. Oh, and of course I had on the backwards YakTrax Run. 

Tomorrow I plan to do a class at The Barre to finish out the week in fitness. 

FYI, newbies to The Barre, they are currently offering a free first class! You just have to set up an account online, and when you go to check out, select "First class free." But let me know when you're going- if I bring you as my friend, I get a free class too! Who wouldn't want to take advantage of this opportunity! Let me know, local readers, if you want a "barre" buddy.

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, and stay tuned for my Stitch Fix #2!

Friday's Favorite Fit: The Field Jacket.

By Jess in Minneapolis

Friday's Favorite Fit is coming to you a little late today. It was a busy week with a couple two-a-day workout days, a concert, and then handing out candy for trick-or-treaters last night. We had quite a few adorable kids stop by. Matilda dressed up as an ice cream sundae, and I donned a candy corn hat for the occasion.  All high-fructose corn syrup costumes at our house- (Failed Fit!)

I'm not sure she liked the hat part so much, so that came off pretty quickly. She barked every time the doorbell rang, but at least she didn't jump up and scare all the little kids. By the end of the night, all her "protecting" wore her out, and she was zonked out on the couch by 9 pm.

We also had a visit from an adorable little butterfly named Darla (and her mom, my friend from run club). In fact, the entire run club stopped by during their run! It was such a fun surprise to have so many friends at the door for some mid-run fuel. A very nice surprise.

So, Halloween and whatnot kept me busy this week, but I'm finally getting around to this week's favorite fit which is the Jcrew field jacket.

JCrew isn't the only company that makes a solid field jacket, but they do have several variations of this fall "must-have" and for a reasonable price ($128 now, with an additional 25% off with code SHOPNOW)

If you've been reading for a little while, you may remember the wardrobe consultation that I had with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting back in June. (If you missed it, you can check it out HERE) One of Carly's recommendations at the time was for me to purchase a field jacket. I put it off, since it was only the beginning of summer, and who was thinking about jackets in June? Yet, I kept the idea in the back of my mind. I must have mentioned it to Dustin at some point, and he actually remembered! I was so excited to find out that he had bought me one for my birthday this year.

Carly had told me I would love this jacket. In fact, she said I would "treasure it for life", and I think she was right. It's such a classic type of jacket, that I think it will be in style for a long time to come. It works with a lot of different ensembles, and is quite useful this time of year!

My jacket is actually the "long" field jacket- find it HERE, though it is currently sold out. I like both the longer length and the short version- whatever works for your body type!

The olive color is versatile, and it is thin enough that you can layer up underneath if necessary, yet it offers the perfect amount of warmth for these fall temps. I have been wearing my field jacket nearly every day to work over the past few weeks!

Emily from the "Life with Emily" style blog listed the JCrew fieldjacket as one of her fall essentials, and she paired it with a bright plaid top, jeans, and boots for a quintessential fall ensemble.

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What's this? Even Michelle Obama is rocking the field jacket this season!

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I think Carly from A La Mode was right. This is the go-to jacket for your fall wardrobe. It works over jeans, skirts, dresses, sweatshirts, whatever! Wear on a date, to the dog park, to work, or to dinner. Wear it anywhere!

The versatility and classic style of this jacket are what make it this week's favorite fit. 

And PS- it looks pretty good on the men too!

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Speaking of men's fashion, I bought Dustin a gift card back in July for his birthday, for a wardrobe consultation with Carly. He's finally cashing in on it this Sunday! I will be sure to share some tips from his consultation. I am excited to see what Carly recommends for him! I enjoyed my consult so much, I am sure he will have a good time as well, and maybe it will help me with some Christmas present ideas for my guy.

Throwing a Fit: Yellow Gold

By LL

When I was in high school and college, I never thought that I would wear yellow gold. It reminded me too much of the late 80s and early 90s. It seemed fake and over the top. But here I am now, gravitating toward yellow gold - jewelry, accents, you name it. I particularly think that yellow gold looks great with a summer glow. Not sold yet? Here are a few of the pieces that I am throwing a fit over right now.

{Steve Madden Serenite - $49.95}

Confession: I already have these, but am thinking about replacing them with the ones below!

{P-Stacie in Cognac by Steve Madden - $59.95}

{J.Crew Enamel and Gold Bangles - $49.50}

{Kate Spade Necklace - on sale for $54.50}

{TopShop tank and clutch - sold out!}

There are many different ways to start integrating yellow gold into your wardrobe. But you must remember to edit. Wearing too much gold or the wrong gold pieces paired together can make you look cheap and over-the-top. Try adding a few gold bangles and pairing it with a gold-accented tank. Space the gold out into different parts of your look. Try to avoid yellow gold jewelry with a yellow gold dress - I do not think that I need to explain this one!

Throwing a Fit for Fair Isles Sweaters!

By Cool J

Remember when you were a kid, and fair isles sweaters were part of your every day winter wardrobe?

Well, they're back, and I'm throwing a fit for this look! Fair Isles sweaters are definitely a perennial winter fashion favorite of mine; that Nordic-style knit which conjures up images of Aspen lodges and hot toddies sipped on bearskin rugs before crackling fires. Pair yours with leggings, edgy boots and simple silver jewelry to balance proportions and keep your look modern!

J.Crew has a "Farmyard Fair Isles", mixing orange and navy with little cats dancing across it. Love it!

Buy it HERE for $98

How about this "Harley of Scotland" version, also from J.Crew?

The Harley of Scotland version is a little pricey for this budget minded gal, at $225.
(Check it out HERE)
How about some options that Fit the Bill?

I found some affordable ones at American Eagle.
 (Fun fact- LL worked at American Eagle for many many years in high school and college!)
This reversible cardigan is on sale right now for only $60:

H&M has several affordable options, running around $35.

Pair your fair isles sweater with a funky hat and sunglasses like our friend Victoria Beckham below. Apparently she's throwing a fit for Fair Isles as well!

                                                       

So, go ahead! Bring back your favorite winter sweater look from your childhood.

 I know I will be sporting one today!

Throwing a Fit: Nautical Themes Follow-Up

By Cool J

Enough of the nautical themes already, right?

Well, my dizzy anchors dress finally arrived. It was backordered for a month or two. It arrived just in time for a day trip to Duluth, MN from the cabin (about 45 minutes away).

A lighthouse, Lake Superior, dizzy anchors, oh my!

Throwing a Fit: Nautical Themes!

By Cool J


Nautical is everywhere, isn't it? It seems like red, white, and blue are not just for the 4th of July anymore, and we're seeing anchors, sailboats, and fish from several different retailers. Bold stripes and maritime colors abound, but one retailer in particular seems to be a perfect match for this trend.

That retailer is one of my personal favorites, JCrew!

LL posted about the popularity of maritime fashion in a post here called "Throwing a Fit: On a Boat!"

I'm sure some people are tired of this nautical onslaught, but personally, I adore it.

I have embraced it and am loving JCrew's new line! I too was throwing a fit for some of these pieces. 

I love the t-shirt dress with dizzy anchors (backordered at this time)

...so instead of dizzy anchors,  I splurged on a red/navy number. It may not have quite as blatant in its look, but the red and navy stripes definitely are reminiscent of the nautical themes that abound.

The D-man's birthday was yesterday, so I wore my stripes out to dinner and drinks with friends. 

Dinner: Saffron

Drinks: Brit's Pub

It was a gorgeous evening in Minneapolis, especially on the rooftop at Brit's Pub, and the D-man's birthday evening was great fun. I believe he's ready to sail away into the next year of life!

Featured Fit: Stripes and Polka Dots, oh my!

By: Cool J
Stripes and polka-dots, oh my!

What a beautiful day in the Midwest! The sun was shining, and the temps were in the 60's again. I embraced some mixed patterns on this lovely day. Polka dots and stripes are a safe way to try out this look.

Next attempt? Mixed patterns of DIFFERENT colors!

The polka dots were courtesy of Jcrew- the retro polka dot tunic. It's actually sold as a "beach cover-up."

Cover-up? Well, it's a top for me!

I do like the combination of the polka dots with yellow, so will definitely try that out as well. I think this "cover-up" will be a versatile addition to my wardrobe!