hrrrrr and let's champagne.

although it appears as though complaining about the darkness of finnish winters is de rigueur, i am not going to write about wanting to wear color because it's so dark and gloomy or feeling uninspired because i just want to wrap myself in blankets and wait for spring when there is more light. to be honest, i do not mind darkness. at all, really. i do not get moody or depressed when wintertime darkens nor do i really care whether i can catch the few rays of light during those precious few hours of the day. i actually dislike light summer nights more than the darkness because i love walking amidst city lights. my inner vampire must be taking over...

the thing i do hate about winter is the temperature: i dislike the cold intensely and passionately. i do not find chirpy below zero weather refreshing and i never glee at the sight of snow. don't get me wrong, i can appreciate aesthetically the ice-covered treetops and the way branches bend from the pure weight of snow. nevertheless, visible snow equals cold in my books – thus, not a sight i marvel except from the comfort of my sofa.

thus, i avoid going outside as much as i can. this saturday i had to succumb to the realities of everyday life as i was preparing for a party. for the event itself i chose a tried and tested look – namely the same stuff i wore to my last little xmas party – but my day look provided more of a challenge. getting a present was top priority and i hit the streets with such vigor slower companions were left out of breath. i needed warmth and easy workable layers for those sweaty moments inside stores.

dedicated to my monochrome ways i attempted some layering. it does not come naturally to me, and therefore what you're seeing might appear blah to the nth extreme, but required some effort on my part. one's style mannerisms aren't easily changed...

bra by calvin klein, grey tank by american apparel, black tank by t by alexander wang, cardigan by marimekko, jeans by sass&bide, fur second hand, beanie by cos, scarf by vivienne westwood, bag by louis vuitton, boots by dr martens, bracelets by muji and absolut vodka (yup!).

the repetition of grey and black are what work for me here. the asymmetric wang tank top gets an instant boost from the grey tank underneath and the problematic skin revelation factor is toned down. i wore the tank in the summer with just a statement bra, but it hardly works during the day and the mere idea gives me the chills during winter. still, it pleases me to get some wear out of summery garments in the cold season.

with a fur coat one hardly needs many additional layers, but a wool cardi does the trick of warming up quite perfectly. add a beanie, boots and a large bag for all the shopping, and i was good go go.

i succeeded in getting a little something for silver's 27th bday and had a blast at the party sipping champagne amongst the beautiful people. since i attended sans camera, i must direct you to aurora's, petra's and piret's blogs to get a glimpse of the celebration.