It’s finally starting to feel like winter; that is, no amount of scarves, gloves, and fleeced tights can make me feel warm when walking outside. I’ve also decided to continue my outerwear search, this time widening the scope to include puffers. Stay tuned for more reviews.
 |
| J. Crew Chateau Parka in Stadium Cloth (reviewed here) | Gap Stripe Boatneck Sweater | Gap 1969 Legging Jeans | Kate Spade 2 Park Avenue Fabric Lux Small Beau Satchel | Smartwool Hike Medium Crew Socks | Sorel Winter Fancy™ Lace II Boot |
I’ve been borrowing my mom’s copy of the J. Crew Chateau Parka because I find the reddish brown color (J. Crew named it “Heather Chestnut”) so surprisingly versatile (and easier to care for than the easily dirtied Dusty Ginger, which has been dry-cleaned twice in the last month).
About my boots:
I am the proud owner of Sperry Duck Boots but wanted waterproof shoes that were a little warmer for the winter. After trying on a number of styles, I finally decided on the Sorel Winter Fancy Lace II Warm Waterproof Boot, which were generally well reviewed for snowy conditions (though perhaps not suitable for blizzards).
PRICE The Sorel Winter Fancy Boots retail for $150 and are typically excluded from store-wide promotions; the most consistent discount I’ve seen on this style is 25% off (Both L+T and the Sorel website offered 25% off discounts on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, with Amazon quickly following suit).
SIZING These boots run about a half size to a full size small. I normally wear sizes 6.5/7, ordered these in size 7, and found that they fit well with thick boot socks; though, if they were even a hair smaller I would’ve considered going up another size. Reviewers online warned that the style felt narrow and most people elected to size up (depending on the person, between a half size and a size and a half).
COMFORT I have only worn these boots with Smartwool hiking socks and at most have walked about six miles in them, without experiencing any discomfort or pain. I thought they were fairly lightweight (compared to Hunter boots), extremely comfortable, and require no break-in period.
I turn to these boots on cold, wet days when Ugg boots (very warm but not waterproof) are insufficient and when there isn’t enough snow on the ground to warrant putting on Welly socks and Hunter boots. I find that they are perfect, when worn with the right socks, for “normal” winter conditions—above freezing temperature and somewhat wet,
slippery roads (though you must exercise caution when walking on wet, smooth metal
surfaces).
Buy them from Sorel, Zappos, UO, Bloomingdale‘s, and Lord + Taylor in three colorways.
