Piece Perfect - The Outerwear Vest

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I love a good vest. They can add interest and color to an outfit without too much thought. During the winter they can also add an extra layer of warmth without making me look like the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the original Ghost Busters movie. 

Today I am styling an outerwear vest with a detachable faux fur collar. While some wear the outerwear vest as a replacement for a jacket, I will actually wear something like this to work. Our office is a bit drafty and having an extra layer that can be on or off is very helpful.

For this post, I threw the vest over an olive long sleeve tee that has a rose gold sheen to it. I got this tee from my mom for Christmas.

Here is a side view to show you more detail on the vest. The vest has a full zipper, a fairly deep zipper pocket on each side and is lined. It is not down filled, but rather has something like a polyester fiber fill. While it is not as warm as a true down vest would be it definitely adds a solid layer of warmth to my core. 

Here is a view of the back. The diagonal lines and the more fitted cut of the vest make it appear more figure flattering. 

To keep the look run around casual, I wore my jeans from Christopher and Banks, an olive military style belt and black suede oxfords. I did a front tuck on the long sleeve tee, put on a necklace I got from my daughter for Christmas and carried a snakeskin clutch that has a short silver chain so it can be worn over the shoulder.

I actually picked out this gold chain with cranberry colored wood beads at Charming Charlie when my daughter and I were out birthday shopping for her back in November. I love the combination of gold and cranberry and have gotten more interested in wood jewelry since following Janeane of Designing From My Closet. Check out any one of many of her posts and you will see her love for unique wood and other earth materials jewelry.

Snakeskin seems to slither its way into many fashionable forms and this cute clutch I found thrifting had to be added to my collection.

Here you can see a close up of the fur collar.

The collar simply buttons on and off.

Here it is without the fur.

One more look at the whole outfit.

How many of you wear vests? Do you have a heavier one like this that you wear out instead of a jacket, or do you wear it to keep you warm inside and add interest to an outfit? Let me know in the comments section below.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Check back on the blog next week for another idea on how to chase away the winter blues with what you wear. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. I appreciate all your support. 

Shopping for a Vest:

Nordstrom Rack - $34.97

Macy's - $66.99

JC Penney - $39.99