This year marks my second New Year's Eve here in New York and, unsurprisingly, I haven't been able to find anyone to willingly watch the ball drop in Times Square with me. But! I have a backup plan. (As any smart New Yorker should.) This year, my friends and I are hopping on an Amtrak train to head up to Montreal. I've never been and have been dying to make this a little train excursion for some months now. We're already planning out what cheese, crackers and wine we'll be packing for the train trip and I'm also already busy sorting out what I'm going to be wearing for the evening.

Luckily, I think a few trends are working in my favor, with our temps dropping into Polar Vortex territory (that just hurts to type) so I teamed up with Express to show you some of my favorites. The first? Lots of velvet. Crushed or shaved, it's deliciously luxurious and arguably warmer than it's satin, silk or sequin counterparts. The second? Layering turtlenecks underneath everything for a little 90s nod. I picked up both of these pieces recently at Express and I was practically skipping out of the dressing room at the store, with the store associates nodding in approval. As someone who was borderline obsessed with Clueless (like most other girls born in the 80s), I feel Cher Horowitz would be proud. I topped off the look with some much needed icing -- these earrings make for the perfect New Year's Eve statement and an oh-so-kissable-at-midnight red lip.

Now, I just need recommendations for Montreal. Ready, set go! Merci!

OUTFIT DETAILS: Express dress // Express turtleneck // Express earrings // Celine sunglasses // Olympia Le-Tan clutch

This post was in collaboration with Express. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Alisha Siegel