Guest Post: Kayley of Sidewalk Ready

As I'm galavanting about North Carolina on vacation this week, I have some lovely bloggers lined up to share some tidbits on how they keep their style zesty in the dreary winter months. First up, we have the lovely Kayley of Sidewalk Ready. Sidewalk Ready holds a special place in my heart as it is one of the first blogs I got into when I started Ruby Girl a couple of years ago. Kayley consistently delivers chic, wearable looks and the photography is stunning (c/o her talented hubby Kai). I love Kayley's style and knew you would too!

Hi Ruby Girl readers! Allow me to introduce myself: I"m Kayley Heeringa from a little blog called Sidewalk Ready - Everyday Fashion. I live in Grand Rapids, MI and have been blogging for over two years now. During my time as a blogger, I've persevered through two winters and am enduring my third. Dressing in the winter can definitely be a challenge. It takes a lot of motivation to still look put together when all we really want to do is wrap ourselves in the largest parka and chunkiest boots we can find - so I am here to impart the tiniest bit of knowledge I have acquired over these past few snowy seasons! My first tip doesn't necessarily correlate with the photos I'm about to share, but it needs to be said. Invest in a cute, warm coat in a neutral color. Seriously. It's worth the money if you're going to wear it nearly every day. Next: Buy seasonal clothes. 've been through many style changes over the past few years. I went from layering warm weather dresses over tights nearly every day in the winter, to actually purchasing winter appropriate skirts and dresses - huge improvement! Look for clothing with heavy material - wool is always a good choice. Just because you can only wear it in the winter doesn't make it a bad purchase. It took me forever to accept the fac that it's okay to have two separate warm and cold weather wardrobes. Okay, moving on. Layer. This is a pretty obvious one, but can be hard to achieve successfully. I absolutely love to layer because I think it adds so much visual interest to an outfit, as well as additional warmth. I really think the key understanding layering to just to try a bunch of different combinations and see what works. It's definitely a learned ability so don't get frustrated if your first attempts look ridiculous. It happens to the best of us!

  Now, on to footwear. My favorites this year are my ankle boots. I have a few pairs in different colors and am constantly rotating them. They are perfect with all cuts of pants. I love the wide heel on these because they are less treacherous when walking on slippery ground. Other great options are knee high boots, trendy sneakers, and really any other shoe that covers your entire foot. If it's not completely freezing out, spring for a heel, but make sure it's a closed toe. My favorite winter accessory is a chunky scarf. They are super cozy and have such a natural, laid-back look to them. In this outfit, I layered my scarf over a necklace. I love jewelry and don't want to have to sacrifice wearing a necklace because I need a scarf for warmth. In order to elongate this piece and make it visible, I used a bracelet as an extender. I hope this gives you some inspiration to carry you through the rest of the season! If you live in a climate where the winters are chilly, don't be hesitant to buy nice winter clothing. Quality garments will last longer and, in my opinion, tend to be warmer. For more information on the outfit above, you can view the original post on Sidewalk Ready here! Thanks to you for reading and thanks to Lindsey for asking me to guest post. I am honored!

 

Thanks, Kayley for stepping in for the day! 

I'm instagramming my little vaca in North Carolina. Obvi. Including my dream chaise. Hot pink? Check. Tufted? Check. Unparalleled awesomeness shape? Check.

Stay tuned, catch my riveting feed --> @rubygirl1

Follow @lindsey_herzog