When I head out to work in the morning, I want to be dressed professionally, of course, but I also want to make sure I’ll stay warm throughout the day. Dropping off/picking up two kids in two locations, going back and forth between buildings… I manage to get out in the cold a lot, so keeping myself toasty is a tall order.

We know to turn to Lands’ End for outerwear that is incredibly warm (I love the LE parka I bought a couple of years ago), but it’s also a great place to look for… innerwear? Underwear? Uh, regular clothes that will keep you warm as well.

Here’s what I mean.

This sweater is perfect for work.

It’s soft – a combination of cotton and cashmere – and has a very nice fit. The rib-knit trim adds nice detail. It comes in a lot of colors – I personally have the Fern Green Heather pictured above as well as the Deep Amethyst Heather (hey if I find something I love, I like to have multiples!).

It’s nice to have something underneath, though, to add a layer of warmth. The Feminine Silk Camisole is perfect.

It’s light and breathable and holds in body heat while wicking away moisture.

The cami also has a partner, the Feminine Silk Crop Pants.

Made from the same material as the cami, these are great to wear under dress pants, like these, for example.

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Lands’ End’s new chinos are, well, perfect. I love them so much. I have a black pair and a steel gray pair (back to that finding something that works thing…). They are extremely comfortable and look great. They’ll even hem them for free.

But back to the outfit at hand!

As I said, I’m in and out a number of times throughout the day, sloughing through snow to get where I’m going. I need snow boots, but I’m not ready to wear my puffy 1980s puffy plastic ones to work. Fortunately, Lands’ End saves the day with Weatherfield Boots.

These boots are perfect – they’re easy to put on (I love the toggles!), water-resistant and warm. They’ve got a 200-gram brushed tricot insulated lining – I don’t know what that is, exactly, but it means they are WARM. The sturdy rubber midsole make them functional as well. Check out the traction on those babies! They’re ideal for women on the go.

Lands’ End will keep you warm – from your cami to your parka!

I love, love, love the Circle Cardigan Sweater.

I have it in Natural, but I love it so much that I seriously had to hold myself back from buying the Maplewood version at the Lands’ End Shop at Sears last weekend. Now that I see the website, though, I think I might need it in avocado, too. Hmmm… But I digress. The circle sweater is made from a cotton and wool blend, and it’s nice and warm and cozy. The details make it feminine and dressy. And p.s. it’s on sale for $34.99 which is a freaking STEAL, I tell you!

I like to wear that sweater with my trusty Cotton Modal Crew tops (hello, $9.99 right now) which I would estimate I wear at least three times a week. They are the perfect layering T.

Those tops would look great with regular jeans, or mix things up a little and wear the Modern 14-wale Corduroy Slim Leg Jeans.

I have them in brown, which is goes nicely with my Natural circle sweater. I love the pants – they are super comfortable. They are slimming, yet have a bit of stretch (which is nice after a holiday meal!). They are Fit 1, which is my favorite, and the slim leg has a close fit. Lands’ End will also hem them for you for free.

For comfy, cozy shoes, try the Chalet Shearling Clogs…

Or the Chalet Midshaft Pull On Boots.

There you have it – my outfit for Christmas day. I’m sure Jenny will be decked out in her Lands’ End Starfish Collection clothes… we’ll both be very comfortable and very well dressed!

I had been in Chicago for a few days, and upon my return home tonight (last night by the time you read this!), I realized that I left my favoritest boots in the whole wide world in my hotel room.

La Canadienne Kara boots. Aren’t they lovely?

And now they are gone. My heart is broken.

Is that sad or WHAT?

You want to get it right… professional, yet festive and a little more fun than what you’d normally wear. And, of course, if you’re going to shell out the cash for something new, you want it to serve several functions. After all, versatility is key!

Lands’ End has a number of things that would be perfect for a holiday office party or whatever special occasion you’ve got coming up this month.

My pick for a festive top is the Women’s Regular Cotton Cashmere Sequin V-neck Sweater:

I love the dark berry color pictured above, but it also comes in black, dark sand heather, pewter heather, avocado and dark grape. It’s made of Lands’ End’s signature fine gauge cotton with a bit of cashmere. The sequined V-neck adds some flair without revealing too much!

I paired that sweater with black Women’s Regular Ponté Demi Boot-cut Pants

I. Love. These. Pants. I love everything I’ve tried from the new Ponté Collection. The fabric has a polished, tailored look, but it is as comfortable as knit. The boot-cut pants are Fit 1, which is my personal favorite from Lands’ End, so they sit just below the waist. They really do look and feel great.

Complete the outfit with the Women’s Mid Heel Bombay Booties.

Booties are all the rage this year. Wear them with trousers, skinny jeans, or even skirts (although I must admit I have not yet tried to pull off that look!). These booties have a full-grain leather upper and a 2 1/2 inch heal. The sides have elastic and they slip on and off easily. They are seriously comfortable and seriously cute!

There you go – the eternal question of what to wear to the office party has been answered! And not only that, but these pieces are solid wardrobe staples. Visit LandsEnd.com for more!

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P.S. Lands’ End sent me this outfit, in case you were wondering.

Here’s one outfit that would be perfect for work and a date night.

The mainstay in this outfit is the Women’s Regular Tweedy Ponté Skirt

I like this skirt a lot – in fact, I felt so good in it that it’s what I chose to wear to my thesis defense. It is a knit tweed so it’s extremely soft and comfortable. It has a curved silhouette that is flattering yet professional. Even better – it’s machine washable, which I was pleasantly surprised to find!

For work, I’d wear that skirt with a white Women’s Regular 3/4-sleeve No Iron Stretch Ruffle Front Shirt.

I love the detail on this shirt – the darts and the ruffles make for a really pulled-together look. I also have a thing for 3/4 length sleeves, so that was a bonus – and of course, the no-iron thing is key! You could wear it tucked in or with a thin black belt.

Add some Matte Tights…

…and slip on Women’s Emma Kitten Heel Ballet Shoes, and head out the door to work.

But wait! Headed out with the hubs?

Add the Women’s Regular Fine Gauge Supima Wrap Cardigan Sweater

A Women’s Silver Letter Pin for a little bling…

…and change the kitten heel ballets for the Women’s Elizabeth Mid Heel Boot With Buckle.

The cardigan is SO cozy, and a wrap design is always flattering to the waistline. It’s made from Supima, the most refined cotton grown in America, and is machine washable. I might have to get the camel colored one too.

The Elizabeth boots are wonderful too. I have the black, which are made with suede, but they also come in a calfskin espresso. The brushed metal buckle adds a nice touch and dresses them up just a bit more. They are pull ons, and have little elasticized slits (the website calls them gore) at the top, preventing what I like to call “boot muffin top.” Not that that’s ever happened to me. *ahem* These boots are super versatile and can be worn with anything – and as we all know, versatility is key!

And there you have it – a stylish, comfortable outfit that can go quickly from day to night. Love it!

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Lands’ End hooked me up with this outfit, but my love for it – and for them – is real.

The key word in the last sentence was versatility. I rarely buy clothes that won’t serve a number of purposes, and when I’m shopping, I’m always thinking about how I could pair different pieces or accessories together to make things work for work, evenings, weekends, whatever. My clothes are like me – they need to multitask!

For you WOHMs out there, let me ask you – how often do you leave work and head directly home? If you’re like me, you’re often heading straight from the office to basketball practice, swim meets, piano lessons, etc., and usually I don’t want to wear exactly what I wore to work. (Read: I want to get comfortable!) Lands’ End makes it easy to switch out a few things and be ready to go.

Here’s an outfit I tried out recently that is perfect for going straight from work to kids’ activities (or a night out with the girls… we can dream, right?).

First of all – the staple piece: the Women’s Regular Cotton Rib Waist Cardigan Sweater.

I love this sweater – it is so cozy, and the front closures give it a more tailored, fitted look. The Women’s Woven Tab Belt is flexible and comfortable, and adds a polished look to the cardigan.

The white top in the picture above looks great, but I wanted to try something a little different. Did you know flannel is back in style? I’m sure I’m late to this party but let me tell you – I could not be happier about this trend. I’d estimate that I spent 83% of my high school years swathed in some sort of flannel.

Not a good look, my friends.

Thankfully, though, the huge, baggy, grunge-era shirts are not making a comeback (yet). Instead, we can get the same comforting feeling while looking great in the Flannel Ruffle Popover Shirt.

So, I paired that sweater, shirt and belt with the new Lands’ End Boot-cut Chino Pants in steel gray, and had a great outfit for work.

Let’s chat for a moment about the new chinos, shall we?

O.M.G. people, I love these things. LOVE THEM. The boot-cut version I have is Fit 1, which is a more modern fit that sits below the waist. They’re tapered to the knee and then have a slight flare. They look great and they are so comfortable. They also come in khaki, black and French walnut, and I am considering ordering three pairs in each color. They are that wonderful.

And did I mention Lands’ End will hem them for free? They’ll arrive the perfect length and ready to wear.

So – sweater, belt, blouse, chinos – all set for a day at work. Running to your kids’ play practice as soon as you get home? Un-belt/buckle the sweater, swap out the blouse for a Lightweight Cotton Modal Crew Top (I highly recommend them, I have 10 of them myself)…

And you’re ready to go!

Of course, you could change out of the chinos into your favorite jeans or leggings, but they are so comfortable you don’t need to. They are spectacular, people.

Lands’ End is my first choice for clothing for the office or wherever I’m going!

Help me plan for future posts – what are your wardrobe challenges?

P.S. If you haven’t entered Jenny’s latest Lands’ End Starfish Collection giveaway, now’s the time!

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Lands’ End provided me with the above outfit so I could check it out properly!

You know we love their clothes (zomg have you seen the new Ponte Collection? I’m in love) but we also love their outerwear. I was about to say “particularly for our kids” but that’s not really true – our coat closet is full of LE for all of us. It’s the best.

(I really want this, in case any of you are wondering what to get me for Christmas.)

We have a trade agreement in our family that clothes and such follow a pattern that goes: Kate-to-Sophie-to-Lily and Joshua-to-Sam-to-Jonah. The Lands’ End stuff our kids have go through those three steps and still come out looking great – it’s really kind of amazing.

Here’s a little video of the coats and jackets that have taken our kids through several seasons:

Our kids are set for their coats this year, but they needed some new winter-wear accessories, and LE was kind enough to send us some of their new things to try out. I am so anxious for Sam to try out this stuff that I am almost looking forward to cold weather. I can’t wait to see this hat on his head – it certainly looks great on Jonah!

And finally – boots.

As Jenny said, it makes sense for us to buy quality outerwear that will not only last our own kids a couple of winters, but will still look great when we pass them down to their cousins. (And with the exception of the new accessories, we did actually buy it all!)

Lands’ End is the only place we look, because they agree with us – Quality Matters.

What are you doing to get your family ready for the winter?

Not only am I a bad shoe shopper, but my feet are terrible and I get awful blisters from many kinds of shoes – which is why I love Naturalizer. They are so comfortable – they’re flexible, light, and soft. And they’re cute!

They’ve got lots of fun styles for fall, from tall boots to flats. Check them out on www.naturalizer.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Naturalizer.

It is perfect, and I love it.

It was a splurge (though on a much lower level than the Burberry!) but it is great quality and a classic, and I know I’ll wear it for years to come. And it makes me feel great, so it was worth it!

What is something you’ve splurged on that was absolutely worth it?

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Oh, and if you’re dying to buy this trench (or anything else at Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy or Piperlime), now’s a great time to do it. From March 17-20, you can use this coupon to get 30% off your entire purchase… and even better, they’ll give 5% of what you spend to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is an organization very close to my heart!

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For more Things I Love Thursday posts, check out The Diaper Diaries.

Last week my pal Cortney and I and our kiddos (minus poor Joshua who gets left out of most playdates ’cause he’s at school) met at the mall to give the stir-crazy kiddos some time at the play place. Then, we hit Chick-Fil-A, and Cortney wanted to stop in Gap Kids. (Because she is a *tad* obsessed. It is rumored that her three-year-old wears only Gap underwear. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…)

Anyhoo, while Cortney and her 18-month-old (trapped in the stroller) shopped, I chased our three-year-olds around the store. But pretty soon it turned from chasing into cracking up and taking pictures (sadly my point-and-shoot wasn’t performing too well. But you’ll get the idea.) Sophie and Evan were soon engrossed in examining all the fashions that Gap had to offer. Sophie was picking up shirts and pants and saying about each one. “Is it pretty? Ooh that’s pretty, mama!” Evan was was thoughtfully choosing which color of basketball shorts he liked best. He knows a boy’s gotta look his best when shooting hoops!

Don’t sweat it E, you know your mama’s gonna buy you one in every color!

Sophie, meanwhile, was checking out the girls’ sweatpants. ‘Cause she knows a girl’s gotta look cute when she lounges!

And then she moved on to every girl’s love…the shoes!

Finally, the two joined forces and started comparing notes. I saw them transform before my eyes into the preschool version of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly from TLC’s What Not to Wear. (which their mamas coincidentally both *love*.)

I mean, they weren’t exactly discussing fit and body types yet, but I am pretty sure I heard the words “fabulous” and “drape”.

Pretty sure.

Soon toddler fashion became passe to these two haute couture cuties, and they moved next door to the adult Gap clothes. Sophie was all, “Evan! You MUST see this dark-wash denim!”

Evan immediately spotted some jeans he thought his mama would look good in.

While Sophie told her captive audience about why a great pair of dressy jeans is an essential piece of every wardrobe.

All they need is a mini-Ted and a mini-Carmindy, and they are ready to go! “What Not to Wear to Preschool” would be a GREAT addition to TLC’s lineup – it could come on right after “Toddlers and Tiaras”.

So watch out, Stacy and Clinton! You’ve got some cute competition!