Winter Work Wear: Gray Layers + Burgundy Leather Accents

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J.Crew lady day coat & tee, skirt made by the talented SPG (similar – use MONDAY for extra 40% off)
AT factory tights (similar), AT loafer pumps (similar – use CYBER for 50% off), H&M; blazer & gloves

Even though winter doesn’t start for another month, it sure feels like it now in the northeast. For those headed back to work after a long weekend, morning temps in the 20’s may make it even tougher. I’ve lined up my coat with Thinsulate, thickest tights, warm tweed, and leather gloves to battle the elements.
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Stylish winter workwear that doesn’t involve black tights is always challenging for me. My past attempts with colored hosiery have not fared well, but I’m looking to experiment more with tights in dark navy, hunter green, and possibly deep burgundy. Dark “melange” or heathered gray can be an good bridge between black and colors, and looks nice against non-black shoes.

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I love so many things about these leather gloves -$15 sale price, buttery soft material, pretty wine color (also in cognac and black), slim fit- but the length is almost embarrassing on my short fingers. From certain angles, it’s evident that the last segment in each finger is completely empty. I’ve contemplated self-altering gloves, but the linings are usually seamless knits. I have never found any leather gloves that fit 2.5″ fingers, so I’d love to hear any solutions from fellow short-fingered ladies.

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86 Comments

  1. Javanillachai wrote:

    Beautiful outfit, love the skirt and orange blouse combination, and love the necklace in particular!

    Posted 11.28.12 Reply
  2. chachamisu wrote:

    Great outfit as always. My colorful tights sadly end up under my jeans. Thanks for the inspiration how to style them.
    As for the gloves, I have same problem. However I likely wearing mittens now when it's too cold. My tiny fingers freezing easily.

    Posted 11.27.12 Reply
  3. Gina wrote:

    Buy vintage gloves! They're usually real leather, good prices, and are made for tiny hands…that's how I get all my gloves!

    Posted 11.27.12 Reply
  4. Kim wrote:

    Goddd! I've never found gloves that fit my 2.5" index fingers either!! (3" for middle finger). Gloves I love are always too long, but I have to bare with them if I wanted to own ANY gloves. Question: Is this justice? .. to just.. bare with it? 🙂 Can we please form a union and revolt against gloves that are made for "long fingers" only? lol 🙂

    Posted 11.27.12 Reply
  5. Petitetomatoes wrote:

    Beautiful outfit. I love the necklace.

    Posted 11.27.12 Reply
  6. Jackie wrote:

    I love these colors! The colors in the skirt are so subtle, I love that!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  7. Anonymous wrote:

    Hi Jean,

    I'm also a short-fingered lady. A few years ago, I received Wilson's Leather gloves as a present and they fit me to a tee. If there are no brick and mortar stores by you, you can check them out online. Hope this information is helpful. Happy holidays!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  8. Anonymous wrote:

    I've worn Ralph Lauren leather gloves for the last 4 years or so and they are great! I have very small fingers/hands as well, and these fit great! As I said they are pretty old, so I don't have a link for them or anything, but I'd be willing to bet they generally run small!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  9. newpetite wrote:

    Love the Orange peeking between the grey!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  10. Suzie Q wrote:

    I love the burgundy accents with your heels and gloves. I can't live without thick leggings during the cold winter months. That is such a pretty coat!

    xoxo,
    Suzie Q
    http://www.StyleCueBySuzieQ.com

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  11. Anonymous wrote:

    Re: Gloves with long sloppy fingers… My family suffers from short, fat fingers, so my mother always stuffed the fingertips of her gloves with cotton balls.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  12. Anonymous wrote:

    Perhaps ask your cobbler or tailor if they'd be able to take in the last finger? If it has a knit lining, you could ask a friend who knits to re-do the lining after the leather is taken in. If the knitter can work socks or has knit gloves before, it basically just involves a small snip at the tip and unraveling the yarn a few rounds/cm and then re-knitting the tip of the finger. A re-weaver specialist (shops which repair knit items) could also do it but treating a good knitter to lunch is probably cheaper!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  13. Eva Wu wrote:

    i will so wear tommorow to the job. inspired!xx

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  14. the-glitter-life.com wrote:

    So super cute! Love the shoes!

    Check out our weekend wrap-up: holiday edition on The Glitter Life! http://the-glitter-life.com/2012/11/26/weekend-wrap-up-holiday-edition/

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  15. Erin wrote:

    I love your ideas for winterizing work outfits. The grey tights are an awesome choice! And that long grey coat is so chic.

    -Erin-
    OneTwoSummer

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  16. Joanna Le wrote:

    I'm surprised by how much I like the look of burgundy against grays!

    http://www.xjole.com

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  17. Anonymous wrote:

    I have tiny hands, even for my 5' frame. I got leather gloves from Banana Republic during an after Christmas sale 3 years ago and they are the best! The size S fits my stubby fingers perfectly and if this is still too large for you, their gloves do come in XS as well. They are beautifully lined, excellent quality, and the leather is buttery soft.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  18. Janki wrote:

    This may sound silly, but perhaps some well made children's gloves would fit the bill? I don't have petite hands at ALL– they are very wide and my fingers are somewhat long enough to fit most standard gloves. It seems that many stores are making items of quality for kids.

    This may sound silly, but do you find your shoes slip off more with tights? I can hardly wear tights and my heels since it feel there isn't any grip. Most cold days I have to wear pants, or else I'm shivering!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  19. Quinn wrote:

    Love the combination of gloves and necklace. The entire outfit really pop out the color of burgundy. Good job.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  20. Anonymous wrote:

    I'm pretty sure the specific jacket she's wearing here is already made with Thinsulate. It's from J.Crew but they offer this same style – Lady Day Jacket – every year in different colors with Thinsulate.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  21. teeny wrote:

    LOVE the gray and orange combo! and i agree, winter outfits that don't require black tights are difficult to come by. winter outfits in general are so much harder for me. thanks for sharing your ideas 🙂

    mylettchronicals

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  22. Mary-Irene wrote:

    This entire ensemble is beautiful. I really love the necklace you are wearing too. It brings the whole outfit together.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  23. Julie wrote:

    Haha, so that's why we don't see the full length of your gloves! I loved the gloves at H&M; but they weren't $15 at my location 🙁 So soft though!

    xoxo, Julie @ OBSESSED

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  24. Isabelle Carpenter wrote:
    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  25. AubreyOhDang! wrote:

    wow another wonderful SPG creation!

    haha i tried on these gloves after reading your post, they were def too long for my fingers too. Still trying to see if there's some way to fix this issue…

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  26. Ignorant Awareness wrote:

    I've wanted tan leather gloves for aaages, so I was over the moon when you tipped us off about the H&M; ones. But even though I'm 5ft3 I felt like such a giant trying them on- even the large size wouldn't fit my hands 🙁

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  27. Carla Krae wrote:

    Some coats come with a removable warm liner.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  28. Fashionable Memories wrote:

    Love the burgundy pumps and gloves:)

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  29. hkgirl1218 wrote:

    Jean, thanks so much for the tip on the H&M; gloves a couple posts ago, I picked up a pair myself with the 40% off coupon a couple weeks ago and they've been keeping my hands warmer ever since! I love your blog and though I'm not petite, I adore how you style your outfits~

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  30. Coupon Shopaholic wrote:

    Thanks for the coupon, Jean! I've shared it with my friends. I definitely like your trench coat.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  31. Anonymous wrote:

    Can you do a tutorial on how you lined your winter coat with thinsulate? I live in a cold city and would love to see how you did that.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  32. Caroline Goldingham wrote:

    These colours look amazing together. So in love.

    I've just started a new blog link up My Style Sunday . I'd love you to join if you are interested.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  33. CC wrote:

    Kids gloves usually work for me. I don't know that you can find them in high quality leather, but it would be worth checking out.

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  34. Anonymous wrote:

    do you have any suggestions on how to maintain the nude louboutins?
    i tested out a patent protector on another pair of shoes and the patent looked dull.

    thank you!
    pansy

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  35. Betty wrote:

    I found a pair of ladies' purple real leather gloves from Mexx that fit most of my fingers! (for reference, I have 2.5 inches index fingers…the gloves were almost perfect for my 1.5 inches pinkies). They were about $10 CAD too!

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  36. Divya wrote:

    I love your necklace, where is it from?

    Posted 11.26.12 Reply
  37. Angie | Pandaphilia.com wrote:

    there's something so brilliant about these muted and darker greys paired with burgundy – i like the little pops. my favourite ensemble you've put together recently. i also have the tiniest fingers anyone's seen and have yet to find gloves that fit properly too – it's a wonder how we play piano, eh?

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  38. jenn~the stylish housewife wrote:

    i struggle with colored tights too. i tried a pair of fuchsia tights last year, and i felt like "barney" all day. maybe the darker tones are the way to go! =) and those heels are GORGEOUS girl!

    xoxo, jenn
    the stylish housewife

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  39. Anonymous wrote:

    I love your outfit! Gray, burgundy, tweed – all my favorite things.

    Could I make a request for a blog post on where to buy/how to pick casual clothes? Not put-together casual outfits with heels (though I appreciate those posts too!), but true casual clothes – clothes you wear around the house, to the grocery store, or on vacation. I'm so tired of defaulting to leggings in these situations!

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  40. Lulu wrote:

    Another stunning look! You have the most stylish work wardrobe.

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  41. Rachelle wrote:

    This look is awesome, but your shoes are killing me, they are so adorable. 🙂
    xo
    Rachelle
    http://pinksole.com

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  42. Anonymous wrote:

    I know you're not a huge Anthro fan, but they currently have some really fabulous colored tights that you might like.
    Opaque Ombre tights (I have both colors, they are great! Run a little big, though) http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shoes-legwear/25471996.jsp
    Opaque tights (I have black, navy, blue and plum) http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shoes-legwear/25541392.jsp

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  43. Anonymous wrote:

    Love, love, love the skirt that SPG made for you. Do you think she'd be willing to sell them the way she did on Etsy with the the peplum skirt this summer? I know she's back to work now but the texture of the tweed/herringbone looks amazing!

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  44. Lauren wrote:

    I too am petite with very short fingers and small hands, but found a winner last year at Banana Republic! I bought these gloves in size small (though they may have also come in xs), and they are the best fitting leather gloves I have ever worn!

    http://www.polyvore.com/banana_republic_leather_ruffle_glove/thing?id=43146275

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  45. Jessy | The Little Dust Princess wrote:

    If you're ever in Toronto (or Canada) again, you should check out Danier. Their gloves come in different sizes and some styles run super slim. I bought a pair for myself last year! Even their jackets come in 3XS and are super fitted on me. You can see find their leather apparel on the website and order by phone to ship to the US. : )

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  46. lin wrote:

    i really like the color combination here, especially that pop of burgandy. you look great as always. thanks for the sale update and ideas on how to stay warm when wearing skirts during the winter.

    i don't really have any suggestions on short-fingered gloves since i don't have that problem but good luck on your search.

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  47. Meanne wrote:

    http://www.leatherglovesonline.com Great sales, Italian made, buttery soft leather, and wide range of sizes.

    Do you ever wear a parka when it gets too cold or do you layer with wool?

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  48. Cher wrote:

    I haven't done well with colored tights either. I am willing to try grey, but I will NOT do navy. In high school I wore a uniform and the tights were navy, so I'm totally over that. LOL. As for gloves, I can't help. I have tiny hands, but my fingers are very long so I can usually fill the fingers, no problem. I do love the color of those gloves though!

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  49. Ella Pretty Blog wrote:

    Love the burgundy accents – I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate burgundy into my winter wardrobe – I like little pops of it (like a scarf or handbag) rather than a sweater or top.

    I also struggle with colored tights in winter – this past week I wore a navy lace dress and planned to coordinate it with brown tights and boots…however – when I put the outfit together – it just looked WRONG…it didn't look like I was wearing tights – instead it looked like I had really tanned legs! I went back to my "safe" black boots and tights combo LOL!

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply
  50. Fiona Wu wrote:

    Please share anything you find for smaller/short-fingered gloves, I have the hardest time finding good ones!

    Posted 11.25.12 Reply

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