COLD WEATHER GUIDE
FINDING WARMTH IN THE CHILLY DAYS AHEAD
As cold weather arrives we begin to turn inward. We find comfort in our favorite sweaters and evenings spent hunkered down under woolen throws. The sensory experience of this season is vast; the scent of a spiced warm drink, the taste of a comforting meal cooked with sage and rosemary, an evening on the couch with a page turning read, a vintage album turning on the record player, the twinkling lights, the early evenings, the sound of splashing through icy puddles, the smell of fresh pine, the brilliant show of changing leaves followed by a dormant landscape waiting to start anew again.
Our Cold Weather Guide will help you find a sense of light and warmth no matter how dark the days may seem to be getting. There is always beauty to be found in allowing the bigness of the world to wash away; in drawing into tiny but significant moments that bring us happiness. The best way to begin is to start small; appreciating what our senses are telling us about what we can hear, see, taste, touch, and smell.
Sound | Blundstones Opening the door and being greeted by chilly Autumnal and Winter air is a seasonal highlight, given we are dressed and prepared for the weather ahead. Whether we’re sloshing through the slippery streets of New York, trodding through warm and arid Western mountains, or meandering about in foggy rural hills on a December morning, the sound of earth treading beneath our feet as we explore our corner of the world is one of our most intrinsic human joys.
Trim, versatile, with artisan stitching on top of being weather-resistant (without looking weather-resistant), our newest sidekick on daily urban outings and our most adventurous year round outdoor treks are Blundstone boots. Making their way into our curated closets, they have secured a spot as both a beautiful thing to own and a carefully crafted wardrobe staple, that, contrary to their smart appearance, are durable enough to last through our most rugged days and years.
With a rich heritage, this 150 year old company had once designed boots for the feet of the Australian military during WWII-- during the war, Americans would barter to trade and upgrade their boots in for a pair of hard-working Blundies. To this day, we Americans are still lusting after these boots, with more of their iconic tags appearing on the street by the day. We can safely say this classic 15 year lifespan boot is here to stay in our wardrobes for many seasons to come.
Sight | Babaá The soft golden light that can linger all day during winter months; the brisk salty spray coming off the ocean; the flowing drape of a woolen sweater, the sizable ebbing folds of the sleeves; the perfectly knitted nooks sizable enough to for a child to burrow their cold face into; there are few sweeter moments in time than these.
The coziness of a woolen sweater is a universal comfort, but Babaá takes the beauty of this wardrobe staple to a whole new level visually; their classic one size fits most design is reminiscent of our favorite vintage fisherman sweaters from the northeast—perfectly unfitted without becoming amorphous.
The knit of Babaá’s sweaters are a visual delight; the waves of eco Spanish wool undulating and draping in just the right way, creating a sweater that is as earth-conscious and photogenic as it is comfortable to wear. Their high quality wool is soft, pillowy, and just fine enough, that throwing this 100% wool sweater over an earthy Undyed Wild Cotton Tee is not only comfortable, but often our go-to weekday look, mixing just the right amount of tousle and elevation.
Taste | An al fresco cup of coffee | Bialetti The joy of coffee is boundless; but one of life's small pleasures we never tire of is a hot cup on a cold day. Whether you find yourself at home on a Sunday morning, or on a road trip with a pocket ignitor and a small canister of butane (we highly suggest trying out this set up), one of our favorite approaches to a simple and good cup of coffee includes classic stovetop espresso maker, Bialetti.
As true believers in the beauty of simplicity (and the knowhow of Italians regarding coffee), we forego the fancy and expensive electric contraptions, and instead choose to concoct a life-giving earthy espresso & americano over an open flame.
Years of consumption will give this finely engineered stainless steel delight a well-loved patina (which you can shine up, if that's your style). For us though, it's the more used, the less shiny, the better.
Touch | Coco & Ives Brisk, cutting air juxtaposed with the warmth of a buttery soft scarf wrapped around your neck can make the most bitingly cold days bearable. There is also no better companion to a day spent at a home desk gazing upon the frigid world outside than a cozy woolen cloaked around your neck. Wherever you are, when it comes to tactile pleasure, a heritage scarf is an exquisitely crafted comfort.
Scoured in the waters of local Scottish rivers, and hand teaseled with the heads of dried teasel plants, the soft, singular touch of Coco & Ives cashmere scarves are without compare. Other equally lovely varieties include perfectly textured lambswool scarves, and merinos that catch light in the most romantic ways.
Made from fibre to finish at Johnston's of Elgin in Scotland, this 200 year old mill has a long history of crafting the world's finest scarves; ranging from iconic fashion houses to the Royal Family. Despite their renowned reputation for craft, the understated design of their classic scarves make these pieces luxury items without being loud about it.
Smell | Old 35mm Camera Pulling out a generations old 35mm camera and capturing a few shots is an intentional and slower way to create photos. For us though, there is extra magic not only in the image, but in the smell of opening the old leather camera bag and taking a pause to think of all the hands that have previously held that camera.
Scent is one of our most powerful associations with our memories. A familiar smell can instantly transport us decades back in time, which is why the scents of this season can envelope and shape our mood. Just think: those sugar cookies don't just smell great coming out of the oven because of their ingredients; it's more likely their specific scent has been bringing you joy since you were a child and were handed your first coveted bite from the hands of a person you love.
We can time travel with intention via our olfactory receptors by exploring and revisiting scents that have shaped our lives throughout the years; be it pausing to smell freshly cut greens, appreciating the Autumnal morning musk of a damp forest floor covered in fallen leaves, or cooking a generations old recipe whose aroma has filled our house every year of our lives and remembering all of the people who have been a part of its tradition.
Photos, memories and scents from the past will always bring us warmth, and there is no better day than today to continue (or begin) the tradition of a scent memory, laying the foundation for joyful revisiting in the years ahead.
---
Wherever you find yourself this Autumn & Winter season, we hope you take a moment to return to the basics; observing, studying and appreciating the things you can smell, touch, taste, hear and feel-- whether it's lighting tea lights to give your room a glow, playing a record your parents used to listen to during your childhood, treating yourself to a tactile woolen comfort, stopping for a moment to admire the sun before it disappears over the horizon, or perhaps pausing for that first delicate kiss of snow and the incredible silence that befalls the streets thereafter. There is an abundance of warmth and light to be found amidst the darkest of days.
SOURCE GUIDE
BLUNDSTONE
WOMEN'S #1351 HIGH TOP RUSTIC BROWN
WOMEN'S #1609 ANTIQUE BROWN
CHILDREN'S #565 RUSTIC BROWN
BABAÁ KNITWEAR
WOMEN'S JUMPER NO. 13 NATURAL
BIALETTI
STOVETOP 6 CUP STAINLESS STEEL KITTY
COCO & IVES
COCO & IVES WOMEN'S UNDYED WILD COTTON T-SHIRT (ARRIVING SS'21)
COCO & IVES CHILD'S LINEN SHIRT (ARRIVING SS'21)
COCO & IVES CASHMERE SCARF, CAMEL, MADE IN JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN MILL
COCO & IVES LAMBSWOOL SCARF, HONEY, MADE IN JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN MILL
CAMERAS
VINTAGE 35MM MINOLTA
VINTAGE 35MM CANON
