How many J Crew puffer vests are too many? Does the number increase if you live “up north”? I actually like it when the brand reissues a style or color from a past season that I already have, as then I’m not tempted to buy another. This fun mustard (chartreuse, if you’re fancy) color is from this fall, and I thought it would be great for a pop of color with blacks and grays (I wear the red-orange one from last season all the time). Or, as in these pictures, to warm up – visually and literally – an already colorful, casual outfit. Interestingly, I used to not see the point in vests. When is the occasion when someone would need something so warm on their chest and back, but not at all on their arms? Especially in Minnesota, when the swing in temperature from one day to the next can be extreme. One day it’s 70 degrees (too warm for a vest) and the next it’s 40 degrees (too cold for a vest). But they really are super versatile – including as a staple piece for indoors. The drafts in the winter months, especially in an office building, can be surprisingly chilly, and the extra warmth is more than welcome.

J Crew vest | Banana Republic shirt and sweater (similar here) | AG Jeans | Tory Burch sunglasses, boots, and handbag (this season’s red, here)

Reality Check. Trevor and I set off with the intention of finding a setting for a “fall colors” post (thus the red and yellow in the outfit). Going off of last week’s theme of visiting some old stomping grounds, we drove to the more “woodsy” area of the lake where my dad’s side of the family used to have a cabin. I’m not sure why if I didn’t see the bright reds and yellows elsewhere (the colors hadn’t really turned vibrant yet at this point) I thought we would find them where there was even less sunlight, but sometimes we don’t really think things through. Thank goodness for the chipped red paint on the old gate – the only real pop of color we found on our excursion!