I spent the last two weeks of November up at our Adirondack cabin. I wanted to be on site while we had a new garage built, have lots of time to prep for Thanksgiving, spend time with my oldest son and his girlfriend (who tried not to work the whole week they were there), go for long walks in the woods, feed “my” deer. The day before we headed back to the city, we were gifted with a picture-perfect snowfall. Obviously I couldn’t pass up a backdrop like this for this snowflake hat-and-sweater set. It took a little cajoling, but Chris agreed to be my photographer. #thankful!

It was actually down to the teens temp-wise when we shot this post, but thanks to my cozy layers I wasn’t feeling the cold at all. As beautiful as late spring, summer and fall are in the Adirondacks, it feels like winter is the most magical season of all. No doubt, a big reason why the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid. Staying cozy in sometimes arctic conditions does require dressing smartly — without sacrificing style, of course.

And the coziness starts underneath it all. My two must-haves are Uniqlo HEATTECH from basic to ultra, camis to turtlenecks. My collection includes all of these versatile options in off-white, grey and black. I’ve also just discovered the underwear from Au Natural. Founded by three sisters who wanted a high-quality, sustainable bikini or thong that they felt good in no matter what their day brought. So they went back to nature to source a renewable miracle fiber. Merino wool! Which is more breathable than cotton, super comfortable and machine washable. They come beautifully packaged and would be great stocking stuffers or gifting options for a holiday GNO. I’m always delighted to support a woman-owned business, and in this case even more so since I’ve known Christina, Erica and Rebecca from our early days in Glen Ridge, NJ when they were the “three adorable girls” down the block who matched my boys in age.

Don’t hate me, but this snowflake sweater-and-hat set is not available online. If you’ve got a Marshall’s near you I’d head there to check out their in-store collection. To make up for this misstep, I’ve pulled together some very giftable alternatives. By now you know I’m a loyal Madewell denim wearer, and this black wash jean is always a go-to.

Speaking of gifts, if you have a Birkenstock fan on your list (possibly yourself?), you’ve got to check out the Arizona Big Buckle in allover shearling. Talk about keeping your tootsies toasty! (FYI, I sized up since I want to be able to wear them with chunky socks.) These are from Bombas, the brand that believes a more comfortable world is a better world. They truly have perfected socks (and more) that you’ll never want to take off. And for every item you purchase, they’ll donate an item to someone affected by homelessness. So we can all look and feel good while doing good!

When I’m not checking off my gift list, I’ll be cooking up some soup (like the recipe from this post), baking cookies (a family favorite here), cuddling my fur baby (or humans), sitting by a fire, sipping a hot toddy. How will you make the shorter, darker days ahead cozier? Let me know!

Sweater & Hat Set: Christian Siriano (available in-store @ Marshall’s). Other cute ideas here (cashmere gloves), here (hoodie sweater, 50% off with code COZY) and here (pretty in pink, 25% off with code FLASH).

Jeans: (old, Madewell) Similar here (20% ff with code HOLLYJOLLY) and here (under $35!).

Shoes: (Birkenstock) More affordable versions here (under $20!) and here.

Socks: (old, Bombas) Love this snowflake gift set (now 15% off!).

Undershirt: (Uniqlo)

Thong: (Au Natural)

Photos by MP & Chris Allegaert, photo editing by Kristin Moore-Gantz @artdirectthis.

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