People ask me all of the time how I survive the winters – 3 years in Chicago and now my first winter in New York.  The answer is actually pretty simple… I’ve become a coat & jacket hoarder.

Just kidding! Well, maybe a little bit. It’s funny to see what southern roots will do to a girl who moves to one of the coldest cities in the country. She arrives with 0 actual coats, has to buy 2 the first weekend she’s there when her moving truck doesn’t arrive, and then it just got out of control.

The crazy thing about living in really cold climates is that you really do need different coats for different things. You need one that’s what I call “winter weather resistant” – waterproof, hooded, and long to keep you warm and dry no matter what the conditions are (think freezing rain, ugh). You need a heavy wool coat that you can wear to nicer events to keep you warm in case you decide to brave the night in tights and heels.

While there are numerous others that I can argue a case for, I’ve become really fond of a cropped shearling jacket. The trick is to make sure your upper body is warm, so I’ve found that thicker coats even when they’re a little shorter are perfect for days when you really don’t want to lug around a long, heavy coat.

I purchased this cropped jacket at the end of winter seasons – seriously this is the very best time to get a coat you know you’ll wear and want next year because they’re all on sale to clear the racks for Spring. Hope you’re staying warm in this crazy winter weather as of late!

GET THE LOOK

JACKET: Mango shearling jacket via ASOS (similar here and here)  •  TOP: Banana Republic chambray shirt (similar)  •  SCARF: Talbot’s plaid scarf c/o  •  JEANS: Madewell skinny legging jeans  •  BOOTS: Sam Edelman over the knee boots (similar)

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Photos: Amanda Holstein