For Years, Every Jacket I Owned Was Gray, Navy or Beige. Then I Tried This One, and Now Strangers Stop Me to Ask Where I Got It.

A cheerful art print on the outside. A soft, fuzzy lining on the inside. And just long enough to keep the chill off.

Take a look at the jackets in your hall closet. I'll bet I can guess the colors.

Black. Navy. Gray. Maybe a sensible beige.

That was my closet for years. Every winter, I'd zip up something dark and practical and head out into a gray, gloomy day. And I'd come home feeling just as gray.

I never really thought about it. Until one day I caught my reflection in a store window and barely recognized the woman looking back.

This fall, I tried something different. A jacket covered in big, happy blocks of color. Orange, teal, mustard, red. Colors I would never have picked for myself.

The first time I wore it to the grocery store, the young woman at the checkout said, "I love your jacket!" Then a lady in the parking lot stopped me to ask where I found it.

I drove home smiling. I hadn't felt noticed like that in years.

A little color, a lot more hellos

Here's what I didn't expect. That jacket started conversations.

At the pharmacy. In line at the bank. On my morning walk. Women I'd never met would smile and say, "What a fun jacket!" And one of those little chats turned into twenty minutes on a park bench, talking about our grandkids.

It sounds like such a small thing. But when the days get short and quiet, those little moments add up. I come home with more energy. I feel more like myself.

It turns out that when you feel bright on the outside, you start to feel brighter on the inside, too.

It's warmer than it looks

I'll be honest, I expected it to be pretty but thin. It's not.

Open it up and the whole inside is lined with soft, fuzzy sherpa. It feels like a warm blanket around my shoulders. On chilly mornings, I zip it up and I'm cozy right away.

Just the right length

It falls a little longer than a regular jacket, so it covers my hips and keeps the cold off my back. The cut is relaxed, with room for a sweater underneath. It doesn't cling, and I can move my arms freely.

And it goes with everything I own. Which makes sense, because everything I own is black, navy or beige!

So I went back for a second one

Yes, really. After a few weeks of compliments, I treated myself to a second print, a painterly one with every color of a fall sunset.

Now they hang side by side by my front door, and every morning I pick the one that matches my mood.

And there are so many more prints to choose from. Here are my two, and a few others I had my eye on:

MineColor Blocks MineAbstract Art Artist's Palette Cat Face Rainbow Stripe

+20more prints

See them all

And it's not just me. Here's what other women said after wearing theirs:

Swipe →

A few things you might wonder

If your closet looks like mine did, I hope you'll give yourself a little color this winter. It made a bigger difference than I ever expected.

Stay warm and colorful,

Barbara 🤍