Oh, coats, I think I miss you most of all!

I know I've been a bit quiet lately, mainly due to the adjustment to this whole "daily work thing." (I'm a little bit unpracticed with the concept of blowdrying my hair every morning and having to pick out an appropriately stylish ensemble. Really, how do people put up with the relentless daily requirement to look cute?)

Truth be told, we're also back to my least favorite time of year in Singapore, at least from a shopping perspective. (Though it's been really gloomy and rainy lately, which hasn't helped much either.) This is when the U.S. magazines start teasing us with the promise of cozy autumn clothing—things like little cropped wool coats and chunky knit sweaters and pretty patterned tights. Oh, and slouchy leather boots! We can't forget about them.

Of course, it's still really hot in most of the U.S., but at least if you live there, there's the promise of future wool-requiring weather. If you find something really amazing and snuggly now, you don't have to feel too guilty about buying it because eventually, sometime around October, it can be taken of the closet. Here, we don't have that hope—even though many stores still insist on stocking a lot of wintry pieces. The other day I was in Ted Baker—a somewhat pricey but quite nice U.K. brand—and there was this gorgeous, chunky, dark gray sweater dress. It was fantastic, and yet it didn't seem fair (to my bank account or the sweater) to buy it when it's likely I'll only be able to wear it once or twice this year.

Sigh. It's enough to make a fashion lover utterly depressed (though I do find a little bit of comfort in being able to play tennis outdoors in December). The first trickle of covetable fall items isn't helping much, especially when they're as perfect as this pale gray bell-shaped coat from July's Vogue. For you others in Singapore, how do you make the best of the impossible-to-wear cold-weather fashions? I could definitely use some tips to help get through the fall.