Friday 22 April 2016

3 Classic Winter essentials and buying guide

Welcome back and Hello to new readers!

Winter is suddenly upon us (again) and Capetonians go scrambling from their light layers to coats, knits and boots. Shortly after organising my closet for Winter; and then after a warm respite, having to dig into those warmer winter pieces again. Ahhh, the joys of living in Cape Town means not being sure when the warm weather has actually left us. As I’m writing this the wind is howling and I have a view of the mountain blanketed in ominous dark clouds. 

I have a few Winter favourites which have been in my closet for a good couple of years and the great thing is that they are still trendy and on point. This helps as I usually don’t have to buy so many pieces, which is especially important as a mum, where one has to constantly buy clothes for rapidly growing kids. I find winter to be an expensive season to shop for, the leather boots, good quality coats and knits and sweats. I am fussy with my knits as they need to retain shape, and look good for a while. Since we experience very wet winters, I prefer my boots to be good quality leather, this has paid off for me as some pieces in my collection of leather boots have been in my closet for more than seven years! I just add a new pair if I feel I’d like to update what I currently have. This is a more cost effective way of updating my winter wardrobe as I do not have to spend on several pairs of boots each year.

 Essential pieces for Winter and shopping guidelines:


  1. A good quality trench coat - Ensure that the cut is classic, take note of buttons and belt placement. Plain buttons are best as they are classic and timeless, with a length preferably just below or on the knee for a classic cut. The classic Burberry trench is always finished off with a single back vent.
  2. Good pair of leather heeled ankle boots - these can be worn for office wear as well as casually on weekends. A medium height chunky heel works well for comfort and timeless elegance. Stacked heels are so on trend right now as well, so it’s easy to find. Look for good leather, with toned down accents- if the accents are too gold, or with big buckles, it will date very quickly. 
  3. Classic knits - there are a variety of knits available in stores right now. From cotton knit to cable knits, crop tops and oversized knits. The main factor for me with knits is that they retain shape, breathe well and do not develop little balls of fluff on them. These can be avoided by buying natural fibres such as wool blends (wool percentage greater than 50%) and cotton blends. Cashmere is first prize, but so costly and not readily available. 
Good luck!


Todays outfit features a Trenery trench coat I have had for over six years, and when I bought it initially it was extremely heavy on the wallet as they weren’t available in many stores. However, years down the line  it has proven to be a gem in my closet. The boots are last season from Mimco and handbag from Country Road.

















Outfit details:
Trenery trench coat
Legit skirt
Marks & Spencer tights
Mimco boots
Country Road handbag
Scarf old
Necklace gifted

Caio for now, 
RuBe xoxo

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