This might be more of a “snooze” for some of you, but I loved this casual outfit so, so much. It was one of those slapped-together-at-the-last-minute looks that turned out nicer than expected. The combination of the cozy scarf (one of the most versatile and practical ones I’ve got) and the chunky sweater gave me the warm & fuzzies … literally and figuratively.

My boots are new-ish, and a Winners clearance rack score. I already have a pair of ankle boots I really like, but I thought a flat-heeled Chelsea boot might be a good addition — and what could be better than (discounted) Fryes? Well, here’s the thing. I like the look a lot, and I have no reason to expect the quality to be anything but good, but I have some reservations about these boots. The shaft is very — and I mean VERY — tight/skinny, which makes them a pain to put on and take off. Most of my skinny jeans are too bulky to tuck into the boots, and even if I get them in, they get un-tucked almost immediately. It means that I have to tuck them into socks first, which doesn’t help with the getting-my-foot-into-the-boots thing and … ugh, too much work. I’m hoping the leather will soften up with age, making this whole process less of a PITA.

My bag, on the other hand, is not new. I bought it last year to replace my still-regretted purple version (which, much to my current chagrin, I sold a few years ago) and while I got a great deal on it, it has quite a bit of, um, patina. To wit, colour-fading. The soft, croc-embossed nubuck is definitely delicate, so this is not surprising. It’s what’s kept me from putting the bag through its paces … until the holidays. I wore it non-stop for a week, and loved how versatile and easy to use it was. (I usually keep the straps free, for easy access, and find that there little danger of spillage.) And I came to love its imperfections because I realized that (a) they make it look like a well-loved bag (which it should be) and (b) make me less worried about damaging it.

NOTE: A new chapter of A Temporary Engagement is up, and you can read it here.

The title of the post is a misnomer insofar as it might lead you to expect a post about festive style. It is not. It’s a post about what I wore during my week off from work between Christmas and New Year, which time was blessedly short on super festive occasions. I’m not a Grinch, but I like my holidays a tad more low key. With a few exceptions, most of my outfits were along the lines of this supa casual look. In fact, I ended up wearing this particular combo *twice* over the holidays. Loose, relaxed, forgiving. I am very gung-ho about sampling the season’s culinary delights, after all.

I wore this grey Joe Fresh tube dress quite a lot earlier in the year, but less so recently. I blame that on the weather and the footwear dilemma. To wit, the dress doesn’t work with knee-high boots (I’ve tried, and they bulge weirdly under the dress) and I was reluctantly to try it with ankle boots, which are the only other option available at this time of year. It turns out, however, that it works fairly well with ankle boots, without making me look like a stump. Since it’s a good piece to layer under my many casual sweaters, this is an outfit formula I may need to revisit in the future.

As promised, here are my best purchases of the year, as judged by me. They are basically a mix of things I love and things I find terribly useful, and sometimes both. I had a hard time narrowing down the selection, and ended up with a somewhat arbitrary 20 … so I decided to prepare a separate list for accessories capped at — wait for it — 16. It all makes sense, eh? And now you guys will have to come back tomorrow to check out my final “best of 2016” installment. [That’s how clickbait works, right?]

My greige Theory blazer should also be familiar to eagle-eyed readers ($8/15 wears). Although it’s a size bigger than ideal, the colour is so wonderfully versatile that I don’t mind the boxier fit. Whenever I’m not sure what topper to throw in with an outfit, this blazer is usually the answer.

The burgundy H&M blazer ($8/3 wears) is shaping up to be in the same category. The colour is a perfect “neutral” for my wardrobe palette. The fit is also great, though I have reservations about the quality; I like the ponte material, but the lining is not very breathable. I will definitely be looking to upgrade this piece next year, thrift gods willing.

Speaking of the “black column”, my black Club Monaco turtleneck ($38/5 wears) is going to be giving my black crew-neck sweater a run for its money in 2017. I bought it (and its green and plum counterparts) in the latter part of December, but I have already worn it/them multiple times. Definitely a core wardrobe item, and great quality for the price point. As the rest of this post attests, I have bought very few things at regular retail stores this year, but I am happy I made an exception in this case.

This Madewell sweater ($7/7 wears) has been one of my fave casual wardrobe additions; I love the colour, texture and fit. It rivals my grey Joe Fresh sleeveless sweater (pic on the right) for versatility. [Note: I was convinced the Joe Fresh sweater was a 2015 buy, but it turns out I was wrong. I bought it in early 2016 ($29/21 wears). If I had a do-over on this post, I would probably pick it over the green sweater as a fave, but it would be a close call.]

Who knew white jeans would make the fave list this year? Well, consider me a convert — I’m crazy about them. I do wish these Pilcros ($12/8 wears) were just regular cropped skinnies instead of cropped flares, but it’s a minor quibble. They fit nicely and are a good weight/thickness — a small miracle for white denim.

An honourable mention goes to my Nicole Miller gown ($3.50/1 wear) which may or may not see the light of day again, but which made me feel like a million bucks for at least one, memorable evening.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to check out my last “best of 2016” post!