Style Scenario: A dreary night in with a good book

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. There’s practically no better time to read a book than on a dreary night, with a beverage by your side. Plus, if you have trouble getting to sleep and are used to staring at a screen in the evening, establishing a non-digital reading habit might just help you retrain your brain to fall asleep faster.

The Sweater: Banana Republic Factory Honeycomb Cardigan in Caramel – $45.89 ($89.99). Cold and dreary nights practically beg for thick, cozy cardigans. 100% combed cotton, so it won’t feel too out of place even as the weather warms up. Working on a big BR Factory Round up for spring. Stand by for that.

The Shirt:GapFit Recycled Active T-shirt in Dusk Navy – $44. Wait for a sale. Or whatever your favorite long sleeve tee or henely happens to be. The GapFit stuff is weirdly good though. Breathable, affordable, and the poly/modal fabric they use on some of their items (such as this one) looks and feels more like a refined tee, and less like poly gym-wear.

The Pants: Bonobos Corduroy Drawstring Pants – $49 FINAL ($99). Cords. Joggers. They’re both. They’re… jords. No returns on these since they’re final sale.

The Slippers: Greys Slipper Boots –  $108 ($108). If you need a reminder as you why, here you go.

The Watch: Casio Black and Blue Dive Watch – $75. Now “shipped and sold by Amazon.” Much, MUCH better in terms of peace of mind than being shipped and sold by some no-name 3rd party seller. Would look dynamite on a NATO strap. Glad to see Casio expanding the color combos on this model. Bottom line: Wear a watch, and lose your phone for the evening.

The Lamp: Naval-Style Brass Oil Lamp – $44. Originally designed to keep upright on a ship as it pitched and rolled at sea, this copper & brass lamp has a tip-resistant, rounded, weighted bottom. Weebles wobble and all that. Just a warning: oil lamps can get hot. Real hot. Those glass chimneys/bulbs can really focus the flame’s heat. But they’re great all the same. Makes you almost wish the power would go out. Almost.

The Drink: Balvenie 14 Yr Caribbean Cask – $97.99. Splurge alert. But this is a slow, meandering sipper perfect for a night in. And think about all that money you’re saving not buying $8 beers and $15 drinks out on the town (unless you love a dive bar, then more power to you. Well booze! Cheap taps!). Anyway, back to the Scotch. Balvenie Caribbean Cask is a Speyside (not peat-y) that’s been finished in Rum casks “for a rounded taste with vanilla and sweet oak notes and a fruity character.” It wins awards all the time. For good reason. For the Booze Free Crowd: A little Ritual & Sunnte “The Gentleman” Kombucha can make for a terrific evening cocktail.

The Chair: Stone & Beam Wingard Leather Wingback Chair – $747.23. Heyyyy more spendy Amazon sourced furniture (yet it’s relatively affordable for what you’re getting.) Reviewed as comfortable and wide, with the only drawback being getting the legs on. But wingbacks are classic, and perfect for settling into for a good long read. If you’ve got a favorite spot for reading, use it. No need to buy anything new.

The Book(s): Something not overly heavy…

• Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings, and why we return, by Jon Day – $17.99
• Bossypants, by Tina Fey – $11.69
• The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance, by David Epstein – $15.99
• The False Inspector Dew, by Peter Lovesey – $16.95

The weather and the world are heavy enough right now. Reach for a read that’s compelling, fun, thought provoking, but not immensely dark.

The Pre-Book Meal: Bison Bacon Butternut Squash Chili. Digging back into the archives of Dappered to resurface this recipe for a hearty, cold-weather appropriate chili. Rich in protein and lower in carbs, it shouldn’t put you into too much of a food coma. We’ll let the Scotch and coziness of the evening take care of the relaxation part.