1 ITEM, 3 WAYS // LEATHER JACKET

Until we moved to Pittsburgh I had rarely experienced temperatures below 15F and prior to living in Pittsburgh we'd been living in India, enjoying year-round temperatures of 90F.  So it's safe to say that when we entered our first winter here in Pittsburgh I was quite unprepared for it...and was pretty miserable too.  I lived in my snowboarding coat and looked forlornly at my beloved leather jacket hanging with the other coats that I deemed to cold to wear.

This year, I was adamant that I wasn't going to let that happen again.  I bought a few vital layering pieces (here and here) got creative with my jackets and layered like a boss.  Yes, this winter might not have been quite as brutal as the last but on those days when the temperatures did plummet to something silly, I was prepared and (dare I say it) actually enjoyed pulling together outfits to face the cold in!

Faux fur coat - Zara / Leather jacket - Whistles / Vintage t-shirt - Juju / Jeans - Levis / boots - Hong Kong - Ring - Frost Finery

 This year I've been playing around with layering my leather jacket under my coats and I think my favorite combination has to be when I wear it with this faux fur coat.  I absolutely love the way it lines the cropped jacket, especially in the sleeves where the cuff of the leather jacket peeks out.  Once I realized I could layer this leather number under my coats, it opened up a whole host of outfit opportunities.

Sleeveless Duster - Zara / Leather Jacket - Whistles / Sweater  - Whistles / Faux leather pants - Zara / boots - Aldo

This second outfit is another way I like to wear my leather jacket in the winter, I love the way it adds a leather sleeve to the duster and I'm a big fan of the obviously different lengths too.  Long-line vests are essential for layering in cold weather and look great layered both under or over coats.
 

Leather Jacket - Whistles / Faux Fur Scarf - Warehouse / Skinny Flares - Kristi Boutique / ring - Frost Finery / Bag - Angel Jackson

On those days when the weather isn't too brutal, I add a little extra warmth and texture to my leather jacket with this faux fur scarf.  I really loved the fur timed leather jackets that filled the shops before Christmas but I couldn't justify splurging on one, so instead, I bought this faux fur scarf in the sale after Christmas and achieved the same look by layering over my jacket.  It was a simple, easy and inexpensive solution!


THE DETAILS

It sounds obvious now that I type this post; but once I'd come to the realization that my coats and jackets could (and should) be part of my outfit rather than something I carelessly throw on top of a carefully curated outfit as I'm rushing out the door, I stopped seeing them as outerwear I started to build outfits around them that were not only warm but that I felt great in too!

LEATHER JACKET ALSO SEEN IN:

1. 1 Item 3 ways  //  Leather skirt
2. 1 Item, 3 ways  //  Denim shirt
3. 1 Item, 3 ways  //  Knitted Tabard