As real winter weather approaches more and more quickly and the desire to stay in bed grows hard to fight, the most direct route to comfortable, warm dressing becomes the priority in the morning. We won't be feeling real spring until possibly the end of April, and as much as we might want to, it's really not an option (nor does it help any sort of winter-induced depression) to live in sweats and Uggs for six-ish months. So, we're pretty lucky this season because we can go with the next best thing. 

Obviously, sweaters have always been winter's go-to, but this season sweaters are made of thick knits and are oversized as ever. Whether they're crew necked, turtlenecked, long sleeved, batwing sleeved, or otherwise stylized, they'll work. Forget just wearing them with skinny jeans or leggings and boots (which obviously works!), sweaters over a-line and pencil skirts, boyfriend jeans, maxi dresses, leather leggings, layered over shirts, under leather jackets and more are the preferred methods of pairing for these heavy winter items. You don't even have to give them up when dressing up. The street stylers (and one model) above got the look exactly right.

Cheap options are all over if you want to stock up, but pricier (and, frankly, better quality) choices are available, too if you want to be sparing with your collection. Get started with some great choices at Uniqlo, H&M, Joe Fresh, J.Crew, Club Monaco and ASOS. But they really are everywhere right now, so browsing around will offer much success. I just picked up this one, this one and this one over the weekend (I know, I went a little crazy). 

Jennifer Lawrence eclipsed fellow famous Jennifer Aniston in hair cutting news last week when she appeared in pictures in a fresh pixie cut while kicking off the press tour for Catching Fire. Reactions were unanimously shocked and decidedly mixed on the new look, and Lawrence claimed damage from dyeing as the reason for the dramatic chop. I was on the end of not thrilled when I first saw the cut in the picture on the left and later that day in shots from the cast's Google Hangout. I think that Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful in a very unconventional way and this pixie did nothing to complement her face. Also, never forget Kate Gosselin. But when I saw the first red carpet photos of her hair styled in a sleeker, younger and much more flattering style, I was floored. Though the Dior she wore to the world premiere of the second Hunger Games, threatened to steal the attention from her face, I don't think it does (despite the backless, drapey, sparkly, ankle length situation going on below the neck). Her face looks natural and fresh and her hair looks so cool and fits her personality much better. This just goes to show how important styling is. And that whoever was responsible for her San Francisco press day probably shouldn't be given the privilege of styling her hair again.

As it gets colder, I have to motivate myself to really dress up. But one benefit of the cold invites the opportunity for one of my favorite items of clothing that exists: the long sleeved mini dress. Especially for cold weather festivities, it's nice to be able to dress up and look feminine and not want to freeze to death. Another bonus of this item is that you don't have to reach for an awkwardly non-complementary jacket or sweater and you don't have to go on an endless search for one because this dress does the job on its own. And this one is no exception. This outfit was part of The Cut's date night suggestions (more here) for fall, and it's so easy and cute. The winter white works well for the temperature in a heavier, embroidered fabric, and the statement necklace is the perfect addition to the simple high neck. I'm usually not crazy about black shoes with white, but the white on these shoes (which I would donate a kidney for) pull the contrasting colors together in a seasonally appropriate way. The red box clutch is the perfect pop of color to finish it off, and this look can go from date night to holiday party with no changes necessary. For those that are less daring with bare legs in the cold, this look can work just as well with tights.

what it is: Tibi
why I love it: Midi master and structural genius brand Tibi pops up all the time in street style and on fashion blogs, and for good reason. Famous for vibrant, solid, sculptured pieces as well as loud and proud prints in feminine and flowy shapes, the brand has so many genres covered. The solid basics serve as the perfect foundation for outfits, whether they're kept simple or layered over and over. The printed pieces are ideal for standing alone or part of pattern mixing and offsetting neutrals and basics. Expertise in fit and silhouette makes every item look thoughtfully designed and well constructed, with nuanced details like perfectly placed pleats and peplums as well as the perfect amount of flare. Not to mention the shoes, which are just as structural and versatile and make you wonder how you lived without them once you see a new pair. I wouldn't complain about adding an item (or five) (or more) to my closet.
where to get it: Tibi.com

There is no limit to the number of reasons why Zara is great. It's the pricier but better quality fast fashion cousin of H&M and Forever 21, the silhouettes are fashion forward, flattering and can trick any number of untrained (and trained, for that matter) eyes into thinking you're sporting designer duds. Who wouldn't want that?

Well, it seems that most fashion fans also have this idea. As I skim different fashion blogs and street style outlets for looks I want to write about for outfit lab, the H&Ms and Forever 21s start to become less and less as the blogger becomes more well known, more successful and starts to receive gifts. However Zara usually stays strong. The three bloggers above blog from London/Paris, LA/San Francisco and Barcelona respectively, so it's definitely not a regional trend, and when street style stars are photographed outside shows, a good amount of Zara makes it in amongst the designers that prevail. 

The sophisticated structure, thoughtfully placed colors and grown up patterns that still manage to be fashion forward, not to mention relatively successful and abundant runway copies (or close enough) make Zara a go-to for all items from basics to outerwear as well accessories. Zara works as a stand alone, even their plain items speak for themselves and are bold enough to carry an outfit, but the basic nature and good construction of each item also makes them ideal for layering and manipulating and styling as each person desires.

This common thread that runs internationally really speaks volumes about the brand, and it helps explain why when I walk into any Zara store I have to aggressively talk myself out of purchases in order to maintain a balance in my bank account.

I've been having so much fun browsing through the Street Winker + Ted Baker site with fun share-able GIFs, Ted Baker street style and videos. Go take a look here and click the tags on top to browse through the site's features!

Sometimes black and white is just so easy, and with unexpected items can still be very interesting. I found this top at TJ Maxx earlier this summer and loved that it looks so much more expensive than the $16 it cost, plus it's extremely versatile. Here I have it hanging loose over a pair of leggings that have a tuxedo stripe down the side, and layered under a sheer baseball jacket. I finished off the look with mid-calf black leather boots to give the outfit some edge, but counteracted that with some feminine, sparkly jewelry. I focused more on rings than a necklace because with the collar and the baseball jacket that has a smaller circular neck, there's already a lot going on in that area.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest art fan. I like my share of certain types of modern art, I love street art and I'm a fan of photography, but when it comes to fancy art museums and analyzing a brush stroke or a color choice, I'm pretty lost. Nor do I care so much. But when it comes to fashion in art, I can easily get on board. The Cut put up a slideshow with images from a book about fashion illustration, and I excitedly clicked through and it got me to thinking. I love the internet for bringing creative people to the masses and introducing fashion fans to people who combine fashion and art. Whether it's painting, illustration, graphic design with a message or comical depictions of industry realities, I can't get enough. It's easy to keep an eye out around the web, but some of my favorite sources for fashion art are below! 

The Cut: Between illustrated fashion personalities, photographs re-imagined or fashion shows drawn andpainted, New York Magazine's fashion blog really knows how to find and commission people who create some of the coolest fashion art. Search through the site for more.

Paper Fashion: I follow Paper Fashion on Instagram, and I love the beautiful embellished drawings that come up in my feed. Katie Rodgers is extremely talented and really has an eye for bringing out the subtleties.

Honestly WTF: One of my favorite blogs, they cover real art, which I almost always love, but also fashion art and illustration. They find people from all over the world and bring it to their great blog. It's led me down a lot of hours of rabbit holes.

Pinterest: My board titled "Create" logs all the artistic ideas I find on Pinterest and all around the Internet. It's not just fashion art, but there's a lot of fashion art in there, and each pin will lead to where I found the work if it wasn't from my Pinterest feed.

UPDATE: Honestly WTF highlighted Vogue's December cover spread which used inspiration from iconic art pieces for recreations featuring Jessica Chastain.

Boots, besides weather specific ones, are not part of the "must-have" mens wardrobe. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be a part of them anyway, though. Options are fairly limited when it comes to cold weather and you have to wear socks, so boots expand those options both for dress and for casual.

There are several different kinds of boots, and they fall under a number of different categories, but today we'll split them into casual and dress. Pretty self explanatory, but casual can be worn with most things while dress are best kept with suits. Ben Ferrari has some great examples of casual options in this slideshow for GQ. 

Dress boots are a little more daring, so we'll go there first. Dress boots are typically leather and much more simple than casual boots. Boots with embellishments like buckles, plain boots and chelsea boots are the best to wear with suits. Some dress boots look sort of like a taller version of a dress shoes, and those work too. You want something that easily and invisibly fits under the pant leg and doesn't have too heavy of a sole for a formal look. They're easy to find at any store that sells men's shoes, but I advise trying them on with the pants you'll wear them with before committing, because it definitely gives the suit a different look.

Now for casual boots. There's a much bigger variety here, whether it's in color, sole type, closure type, height and style. Much of the choice comes down to opinion, but there are "norms" for wearing boots and what you should wear them with. Casual boots can go with pretty much anything you'd wear your casual shoes/loafers/boat shoes with. Jeans, cords, khakis, and the different colors those come in. Boots can really elevate the look of an outfit, but make sure your pants either fit over them, you will cuff them right or that you'll master the sloppy pant tuck. Desert, hiking, duck, chukka--there are lots of options, but for cooler weather and the possibility of snow in the not so far future, leather is good for the seasons to come, and the risk is definitely worth it. Take the chance, and make the investment.

Ashley Madekwe of Revenge is publicly a fashion lover with a fashion blog photographed by her photographer husband. There aren't a ton of close up detail shots, but when there are, it shows her excellent accessorizing sense, especially when it comes to rings. Whether casual or more formal, she likes to load on the rings of all different shapes, sizes and metals, and she's so good at doing it without looking too heavy or crowded. Here are some of the shots that showcase her ability best. Check out her blog for even more.