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Connecticut has been fun, but this winter is bringing new adventures. In October, I went to Chicago once and fell in love with the vibes, the food, and of course, the people. In true 2020 fashion, the unexpected happened, and I’ll be able to spend this winter in Chi Town.  I’ve had Chicago on my list for years, planned to visit every summer, and then somehow it just never happened. Had a press trip planned to Chicago this November pre-covid and then, sure enough, it got cancelled but I decided to visit anyway. Chicago was on my way home from LA so why not? Turns out it’s actually way more awesome than I thought it would be. Not going to lie though, I am very nervous about my first Midwestern winter. To get ahead of it, I stocked up on all of my winter essentials because it’s always better to be prepared, right?

One of the biggest questions on my mind is “woah, what will I wear when it’s freezing?” We all know I love activewear, so I knew that would have to travel with me and I’d just have to find ways to layer. Love the selection of brands I can find on Backcountry.com, especially for activewear. I’ve seriously gotten some of my fave sets from the site. They’ve got brands like Alo, Nike and Free People which are just a few of my faves. To winterize I knew I needed a few amazing sweatshirts and a really good coat. A good sweatshirt is perfect for layering when you want to stay cozy and comfy yet still feel put together. This Richer Poorer Sweatshirt is one of my favorite cozy pieces.

I found that I had a few great pieces in my closet to help winterize my activewear, but I was still missing a really solid coat to keep me warm in my favorite set. Let’s take one of my fave sets from Backcountry, this set from Free People Movement as an example. So cute in the summer and spring but needed a good coat to take me through winter. I spent hours looking through the different options online and knew I needed something long with tons of pockets and of course, a hood too. Knowing that I wanted to compare a few brands and have expert assistance as well, I decided to take my search to Backcountry.  Found the Canada Goose Alliston Parka early on and instantly loved it but did look through all of the other options on the site and there were so many great coats to choose from. After years of looking into Canada Goose as a cold weather staple, I finally decided to take the leap and purchase the parka of my dreams. It’s awesome that you can pay over time for such a large purchase and that there are so many brands on the site so you can really find the coat you’re looking for.

This winter is definitely bringing more adventures than I ever envisioned, but at least I know I’ll be warm as I navigate a new city and all that’s to come. Sharing the full deets on my coat, outfit and fave layering pieces here!

Currently, they are having a sale on Backcountry gear & apparel –up to 40% Off Select Styles!! Get it before the sale ends on the 20th! For anything not on sale, don’t forget to use code KIRA15 for 15% off your first purchase (exclusions apply)!