Earlier this week, I headed to Anchorage, Alaska for the winter vacation of a lifetime. I had a lot of fun picking out clothing for the trip, and as I prepared to leave, I thought I would share a few things that I’m taking with me.

1. Sweaters and coats.

As a Florida native, I had to do a lot of research into winter clothing in preparation for this trip. I ultimately learned that the warmest and most comfortable sweaters to buy were those made of merino wool and cashmere. I truly hate itchy sweaters, and with that in mind, I decided that cashmere would be my best bet.

I fell in love with this cashmere sweater from Nordstrom Rack. It has adorable bow details on the sides, and I liked it so much that I bought it in both gray and black.

Unfortunately, this exact sweater is no longer for sale, but these are the other cashmere sweaters that Nordstrom Rack has available.

My other sweater purchase comes from Aran Sweater Market, an Ireland-based company that specializes in helping customers stay warm. I chose the lambswool v-neck sweater in navy.

I like this sweater because it was one of the less-bulky options the company offers. I feel like it’s more feminine and form fitting than some other sweaters, but it’s still very warm.

I bought my coat for this trip during last year’s winter clearance from JC Penney. It’s black parka by a.n.a that cinches in at the waist and has a faux-fur lined hood.

Though this specific parka is no longer available, this is a very similar one by the same designer.

2. Boots.

I’m bringing two pairs of boots with me one this trip—one fashionable pair for day to day activities like visiting the Alaska Heritage Center and the Anchorage mall, and one pair of sturdy snow boots to wear on our hiking trip through Chugach State Park.

I ordered this pair of knee-high riding boots by Tommy Hilfiger from Macy’s a few weeks ago, and I have worn them to death in the 60 degree weather that has been common in Orlando since then.

This pair of cream colored snow boots actually comes from JC Penney, where I got a fantastic deal on them by ordering them in July.

3. Dresses.

I did decide to bring a few sweater dresses along on this trip. With the right amount of layering, I think they will keep me both warm and fashionable.

I bought this dress from Charlotte Russe many years ago. I’m in love with the tribal print, but I hardly ever get to wear it in Florida.

This is a somewhat similar Aztec print dress from Express.

The other dress I’m taking with me is also from Charlotte Russe. It’s a simple ribbed black sweater dress. It’s very thin, but again, with the right amount of layering, I think it will be fine.

4. Accessories.

I packed two scarves away for this trip. The first is this plaid blanket scarf from Kohl’s.

The other is this cream colored scarf from JC Penney.

I also brought along this hat and these gloves from Kohl’s. I’ll admit it— the gloves I only bought to get free shipping.

My warmer option for gloves was these thinsulate gloves I got from Amazon.

Last but not least were these merino wool socks I also picked up from Amazon.

Not pictured in this blog post are the long underwear I purchased, the fleece leggings I wore underneath my sweater dresses, and my favorite pair of blue jeans that I bought three years ago.

Stay tuned for more travel blogs about the actual trip next week!