Turtlenecks for our semi-cool weather

MANILA, Philippines - Living in a country where the heat permeates year round, it’s difficult to justify some of the ridiculous and fantastic clothes I like to buy, considering there is very little occasion to wear a furry red jacket or a forest green '90s trench in the Philippines. The romantic in me likes to cling to the hope I may be called to Paris urgently at any time, but realistically, my pea coat will almost never see the light of day. I always look forward to the first few months of the year because it’s only around this time that certain beautiful things get to come out of my wardrobe storage for me to finally play with. With the wind in my hair and the cold night chill making it actually possible for me to enjoy walking outdoors without breaking a sweat, I can finally indulge my obsession with turtlenecks (which I’ve been collecting in different colors over the past few years). There is nothing quite as chic as covering all the way up and wearing a classic turtleneck with tweed pants à la Annie Hall, or a sexy pencil skirt, like Marilyn Monroe. Paired with an oversized double-breasted blazer, or even cropped then worn with some high-waist leather pants, the turtleneck has me absolutely obsessed with its ability to match almost everything in my closet. — Carla Villanueva