The Boss and I had a few errands to run over the weekend, and when we woke up on Sunday, we decided that we’d hit our to-do list early. Normally we say that, but because our weekends consist of long, leisurely breakfasts and lazying around in our pajamas, we don’t get to our errands until after 4 p.m. But not this time. We gave ourselves 10 minutes to get ready, and left the house around noon.

Since we challenged ourselves to leave the house quickly, I threw on one of The Boss’s intramural basketball T-shirts (1999-2000 season!), a long black sweater, and another long gray sweater in place of a jacket. I also wore leg warmers under my skirt because that wind here is ruthless; I can actually hear it slam against our windows as I type this.

Oh, and that face. Yes. I should probably acknowledge that. That’s the face I make when we’re four days shy of April, AND IT’S TWENTY THREE DEGREES OUTSIDE.

Skirt, gift from MIL from Macy’s
T-shirt, found in The Boss’s closet
Black sweater, TBD at Nordstrom
Gray sweater, BP Nordstrom
Sun glasses, Chanel at Chanel (circa when I had a full-time job)
Hijab, Target
Fitted yellow shirt under The Boss’s Tee, Blue Heaven at Bloomingdale’s
Earrings, H&M

When I went home last week, I only took a handful of clothes with me: two skirts, two tops and two hijabs for the week. I didn’t have any overly important things to do outside of the house, so I hung around in jeans and tanks for the most part. But on this day, the weather was UN-BE-LEIVEABLE so bff Tina and I made plans for lunch. Plans that included SITTING OUTSIDE! Something that I haven’t been able to do since we left L.A. and moved to Connecticut. I threw on a long skirt, one of my standard oversized tops, and my is-that-your-favorite-hijab-hijab that I get questioned about from time to time by those who love me; it’s a monthly hijab intervention I’ve come to expect.

I think it’s a common misconception that I have a TON of clothes. I don’t. I used to, but then I had a number of these moments, and now I have a few basic pieces that I build around. Over the last several years, I’ve made a conscious effort to live with less, and being unemployed for two years makes that a little easier since buying new clothes can’t exactly be high atop an unemployed person’s list of priorities.

A few years ago, I made a shirt for myself that says, “I Repeat Outfits” as a way to alleviate this common misconception surrounding my wardrobe, and someday when I’m famous I’m totally going to wear the same outfit on Oprah and Jay Leno in the same month to make a statement to the world: Repeating outfits is OK, no matter what Hollywood (or that girl in your history class who’s totally going to gain 30 pounds in 10 years) says.

Hijab, Target
Top, H&M
Skirt, Shopbop.com

I wore this to the Harvard Museum of Natural History on Saturday, and layered up with tights, leg warmers and cashmere socks because I didn’t want to haul my bulky coat through each exhibit. The weather over the weekend was around 35, which is quite a few steps up from Degrees 3, 4, and 1. Yes, 1 degree. I know, it doesn’t make any sense. Although the weather was warmer than it’s been, Boston, with all its tall buildings, creates a giant vortex that makes it hard to breathe when walking into the wind, which is why it’s a good idea (genius, really) to walk backwards. Of course walking backwards has its own quirks. Case in point: Getting whiplash after the man you married yanks your arm with sudden force to pull you back onto the safety of a sidewalk because your backwards walking didn’t allow for you to see the car taking a right turn going 10 mph. A RED LIGHT DOES NOT MEAN ROLLING STOP. People should really adhere to traffic laws more carefully.

Hijab, from my mama
Top, H&M
Skirt, ShopBop.com
Oversized Sweatshirt, BP at Nordstrom
Leg warmers, Urban Outfitters
Ankle Booties, L.A. Fashion District
Earrings, H&M
Bracelets, Target and BP at Nordstrom
Ring, ShopBop.com
Necklaces, Lucky Brand at Macy’s

Over the weekend, I went out to brunch with MIL and my brother-in-law. It was freezing cold outside (I’m talking ZERO DEGREES during the day, and NEGATIVE FOUR after dark!) so I layered up. I wore a long skirt with another black skirt underneath, a fitted tank for extra chest-warmth, then threw on a long-sleeve gray top and a purple cardigan; I also wrapped myself in a massive coat that screams NOT FROM HERE! I wish I had some profound fashion explanation for why I chose the pink hijab, but the only real reason is because I was feeling too lazy to find a headband and pins. Later in the day, MIL casually asked, “Is that your favorite hijab?” You Guys, that was just a really nice way of saying DO YOU OWN ANYTHING ELSE? I also wore a pair of cashmere socks and leg warmers with my rain/snow boots which kept me warm, and gave me a little extra coverage in case the wind caught my skirt.

Hijab, Target
Ring, H&M
Earrings, Airport in Boston
Skirt, ShopBop.com
Top, a gift from MIL, Forever 21
Sweater, Target
Leg warmers, Urban Outfitters
Socks, Nordstrom