Winter Wardrobe's Last Stand

The end of the season is a great time to get cheap clothes. The sweater featured in this post—original price (I can't remember), marked down to six dollars—is a prime example. Okay, so it has two flaws in the knit. But you can't see 'em, can you? Can you? Anyway, for six dollars, I can just patch up the holes and no one but a hawk would be any the wiser. I haven't gotten around to that yet, but next season, my sewing kit will be at the ready!

The wondrous thing about about this sweater (I actually have two—one in purple, which I bought with a 20% off coupon back when the winter season was far from ending) is that it comes with a "new scarf" (so the tag calls it) which is basically a long flat scarf joined at the ends to make a circle. I couldn't decide whether to wear it with or without the scarf, so I tried it both ways. What do you think?

I got to wear this outfit exactly once before I put my winter clothes into storage. That's the other exciting thing about shopping end-of-season clearance: when you pull out the clothes next fall, they still feel fresh and new, and you don't have to be quite so depressed about wearing long sleeves again.

Fortunately, the day I wore it, it was warm enough that I didn't have to worry about freezing my knees, as I did in my military getup this winter. That meant I got to try out the new brown skirt that I bought so impulsively on my last trip to the thrift store. Although originally I complained that it fit unattractively, I found that a long sweater hides its flaws nicely, making it quite a cute addition to my wardrobe.

And lastly, the boots. Well, I have a confession. These boots were designed by Ralph Lauren. We're talking brand-name merchandise. Even half-off at an end-of-season clearance sale, these boots were an exorbitant 80 dollars. Eighty dollars! Never, EVER, would an unfashionista like me dream of spending such a sum on a pair of footwear. Fortunately, this unfashionista did nothing of the sort. She accepted them—a generous gift—and wears them proudly. They unfortunately lurk in the shadows of the photos and are thus hard to see, but I give you my word, these are the most splendid pair of lace-up (with a hidden zipper - phew!) knee-high boots I will probably ever have the pleasure of wearing (though the balls of my feet may say otherwise). Even die-hard unfashionistas appreciate an overpriced gift.