the north face

So I wake up on this "spring-ish" Boston morning, the birds chirping, the college kids screaming, the sun shining through the blinds- and my room freezing.

I'm talking freeeeeezing.

(How is it that, even when we know it's warm outside, that first step out of bed never fails to sends chills up our spines?)

Anyways, it's so cold because I'm forced to get up early for a day of training. I figure that I have to look presentable, but still, I'm freezing! With the knowledge that this weekend is supposed to remain in the 50s and 60s, I know right off the bat that a sweater for the day is a bad idea. And wasn't I the one who just rambled about the season for long coats being SO over? Unfortunately for me, my long pea coats are the only jackets I have- those, and my down vest (which is way too casual to sport over a black button-down shirt). So what do I do?

Well, lucky for me, it was just warm enough to get away with my corduroy blazer. The Fens were a little windy for my taste, but clearly, I made it though my morning walk alive.

This experience, and numerous other New England mornings like this one, made an important fact clear: I need a spring jacket. Time to stop preaching about my favorites from Target and Gap and actually go out and buy one.

Now, being in college, and being in Boston, I realize I really don't have the money to buy my fancy trench coat just yet, as Target seems to be between seasons (aka picked over). So, carefully considering my situation, I come up with the obvious answer: I need a practical and light jacket which can be worn with anything from sweatpants to pinstriped slacks. Very few items, not even the college sweatshirt, can pass as this type of item.

The I remember The North Face.

The North Face fleece jackets are a staple on college campuses. They're light-weight, easy to store, good quality, easy to clean, and most importantly, WARM. So I decided to reward myself for working so gosh-darn hard over these past few weeks and take a trip up to Newbury Street.

Now, I'll admit, I thought this was going to be easy. I figured that as soon as I stepped into the The North Face store, the famous fleece jacket would pop out at me immediately, and all would be right in the world. Of course, that wasn't exactly the case.

The North Face, a famous brand for active outerwear with a nearly spotless reputation, has a HUGE selection. I'm not exactly complaining. Anything you can think of, whether it be attire for Yoga classes or hard-core hiking gear, can be found in that store. Talk about something even I didn't expect. They even have shoes!

But back to my jacket search.

After about 20 minutes of comparing fleeces (ok...price tags) I found the one I was looking for. $79.00, all fleece, light-weight and advertised by the salesman as "easy to stuff away when it gets too warm to wear it" was my ideal spring jacket. But which color? Again, I've only seen the black around campus. They also come in light purple, light blue and cream (and that was just what I saw).

And might I add just SO cute and comfortable.

I practically skipped home with my new purchase, fully in love already with my new fleece. $79 was a bit steep for a broke college kid, but hey, it was worth it.

As soon as I got home, I naturally ripped it from the bag, posing with it on in front of the mirror and generally dancing around the room. I loved it. It couldn't be more perfect-

Then I stuck my hands in the pockets.

The deep pockets.

The deep fleece-lined pockets.

Is there anything better than warm, deep pockets? Oh, I don't think so.

"So this is love....hmm-hmmmm-hmmm-hmm...."