PONCHO

I still have a winter look I want to share before the season is over, for those of us still living with frigid temperatures (I was just in Vail, CO this past week and it was cold, cold, cold). This Poncho was given to my husband by his father, who is Peruvian and brought it back from Lima. Of course, I had to steal (technically borrow) it for myself. This poncho is made out of the softest alpaca and is one of the most warm and luxurious things I've ever worn - it's like wearing a large cashmere blanket - so cozy and comfortable. There was also a great poncho that came down the runway of the 3.1 Philip Lim Fall/Winter 2010 show. I also liked some ponchos/capes at the Vena Cava and Alexander Wang Fall 2010 shows as well. Since the poncho was the highlight of this cold weather look, I decided to keep the rest simple with black pant-weight leggings and flat, knee high boots.

FABULOUS

As I was waiting in line to see a documentary some weeks ago at the Sundance Film Festival, my husband turned to me and asked if, one day, I wanted to look like the woman standing by the tent doors. I turned to take a look and, sure enough, I saw one of the chicest women I'd seen during the whole festival. Of course I would love to look like her, any day! She was wearing a wonderful mix of textures and earthy colors that were supremely flattering. Her shoulder length bob with bangs, edgy glasses and red lips were totally cool but also classic and timeless. It's delightful to be reminded that we Modest Girls can look Fabulous At Any Age (to steal a phrase from Harper's Bazaar).

ALL BLACK

I love indulging in all black once in a while. My husband teases me sometimes and says I look like I'm going to a funeral, or am trying to be dramatic, but really sometimes it just feels so perfectly pulled together to wear all black. Here I've brought out said husband's fabulous Russian fur hat (that he actually brought back from Russia) and paired it with an H&M dress, Express leggings, and Forever 21 boots.

RE-MIX

We Good Girls at Thread Ethic love throwing somewhat-dressy and casual pieces together for a look that's not easy to define. In addition, all the pieces in this ensemble are things we've had in our closets for a while but decided to re-mix for a fresh and current feel. The base for this look is a Forever 21 skirt that is easy to dress up or down. Here, we decided to dress it down with a sporty jacket we've had for literally years (I really can hardly remember a time when we didn't have this jacket around...). The blouse is a thrift store find, the shades are from Wal-Mart, and the bag is Urban Outfitters. Sometimes it really is kind of fun to just shop from your own closet.

INDIE EDGE

This girl is perfectly on trend and working some of the most current fashions for cold weather. Her long overcoat is great, but the fur collar really makes it special and highlights the fur movement going on right now. Fabulous, long luxurious scarves are always beautiful and the hat is very au courant. The boots are very cool - bright and somehow a wee bit western, which gives them an indie edge. All the elements combine for a look rich in texture and interest. Not sure if you can rock all of these elements at once? Try incorporating just one or two strong pieces into your wardrobe and you'll still give off that cool, confident vibe.

BRIGHT COLOR TREND

I am already looking forward to warmer weather and cannot wait to start wearing bright colors. The bright color clothing trend is strong for Spring 2011 - everything from neons to bright coral, red, yellow, emerald and vibrant blues. Normally, I'm quite paranoid about wearing bright clothing. Maybe I lived in New York City for too long, or have seen too many fashion mistakes made with bright colors (think of any number of pop stars who might fall into this unfortunate category...) but I've usually been timid with color. This spring I'm facing my fears and am wearing red jeans. I know, it's not officially spring yet but I had to look ahead just a little bit. I've also recently purchased an emerald silk blouse I'm super excited about and have a royal blue button-down ready in the arsenal. Here we've shown Fire jeans from Nordstrom, a Banana Republic trench, and scarf from Forever 21. Keep in mind, when working the bright color trend, focus on one bold color per look or you could run into overload territory. Other than that, just enjoy breaking out of winter dullness with all the bright color around.