"Yes, it does say SAMPLE on my back."

The other night I pulled all of my winter clothes out of my closet and did the ol' switcheroo - packing up the summer skirts and tees and hanging up the sweaters and tucking the scarves into my dresser. While I love fall and am kind of excited to get to wear sweaters, I came to the following conclusion: I hate all my fall and winter clothes. Then I remembered how depressing switching out my clothes can be. I mean, imagine what it is like when on Christmas you expect to see wonderfully crisp new clothes and you open a package to find a two seasons old long sleeved tee that is faded and was originally a sample so it has the word "sample" written on the small of the back (so you can only wear it under sweaters.) Not good, right?

When I first moved here I lived in a sublet with a very generous girl who bequeathed me two pairs of gently worn designer boots (that I have worn the living daylights out of) and whose former roommate was a beauty editor at Vogue who left tons of stuff behind. I combed through the piles of clothes, found a couple of things that would fit my normal sized body, and walked away from that month-long situation with many samples of lotion and fancy European "sun cream" in my possession. Since money was tight, I told myself I wasn't going to go nuts buying weather appropriate clothes. But let's face it, I'm from Southern CA where it is 72 and sunny year round. My version of warm outerwear was donning a sweatshirt over a short sleeved tee. In December, no less! But like a good thrifty girl I wore hand-me-downs and those samples for the past two Fall and Winter seasons. Yet pulling that stuff from the back of the closet just depressed me. According to the confirmation email I received last night, I have two pair of boots on their way to me via USPS. Those were my big purchases. But there is a hole in the sleeve of my comfy Gap tee and that sample shirt is just sad so I might have to get my wallet to give a bit and buy some new sweaters and long-sleeved tees. Nothing too fancy here. I'm going for quantity at this point.

Anyone have any suggestions? My "style" is comfortable and versitile. I'm very casual but have recently adopted a more "girly look" (and by girly I mean wearing tops with ruffles and dresses). I need things I can pair with jeans or pants to go from work to weekend. Feel free to link me if you feel so inclined.