During these past couple of frigid weeks, I can’t help but notice the fateful combo of a jacket and jeans on every single person in the halls. Trust me, I get it. For most people, when you can barely feel your toes, the last thing you’re thinking about is how cute your outfit is or isn’t. But for those who are interested, I’m going to help you maximize your winter accessorizing until you look like a huge, chic ball of wool.
Never underestimate the power of a winter coat. The beauty of this is you really only need one, solid, reliable coat that you can apply to any winter fit. Tans and corduroys are always a strong choice for this because you can add it to really any outfit without much thought. Without giving any credit to TikTok fashion boys, Carhartt is the exact style of winter jacket that you’d be going for here. So for those who are already hitting the Bob Dylan shiver walk, now you’ll fit the look too. Another extremely viable option is a good, oversized leather jacket. Add it to the t-shirt, jeans combo and you’ve immediately elevated your fit tremendously.
Something many people forget they can do during winter is wear skirts, I swear it’s legal. The beauteous invention of tights has been keeping our legs warm for decades, so let’s not let traditions die. Tights are the perfect accent piece for a simpler winter ensemble in need of some spice. You can start small with basic color tights and then go wherever your heart desires. Striped tights, polka dot tights, tights with eyeballs, tights with ladybugs, the possibilities are endless.
Now to address the numb feet, I have the perfect fix. To pair with your single winter coat, you’re going to need one pair of boots at the very least. Boots have this magical power of making any outfit immediately the best I’ve ever seen in my life, and I don’t understand why every person on this earth doesn’t own a pair of good boots. The hunt to find this magical pair can be tiring, but if you peruse thrift stores long enough, you can find anything. A local thrift store I’ve gotten many pairs from, not just of boots, is Red White and Blue. They hold really any shoe you can imagine, including Timbs and Timbs-adjacents’, another winter shoe recommendation of mine.
The key to a winter outfit you’ll be proud of is layering- and you can decide what this looks like to you. Some consider “over-layering” controversial in fashion, but I don’t believe such a thing exists. Layering adds so much texture and proportion to the simplest of outfits. You probably already do this in some way when it’s as cold as it has been, so why not do it fashionably? If you don’t know how to go about this, start by buying some simple waffle long-sleeved tops and cardigans that you can slip under or on top of any shirt. Then once you start to get a feel for what you like with layering, you can experiment with the most divisive of fashion combinations, including even….skirts on top of jeans. It sounds frightening now, but you’ll see how fun it can be once you get into it.
To conclude this winter fashion 101, I leave you with the most important piece of advice for achieving THE winter fit, accessorizing. Accessorizing, accessorizing, accessorizing. You can layer as much as you want, and wear as many pairs of boots as your feet can hold, but an epic winter outfit can’t be complete without your accessories. This can be scarves, leg warmers, beanies, ushankas, anything you want. Dressing to the seasons is one of the most fun parts of being into fashion, and it shouldn’t be something to avoid, if anything, play into it.
You might feel ridiculous the first time you step out of the house, and you’re being weighed down by 20 pounds of clothing, but the results are worth it. I hope we get many more weeks of 40-degree weather so we can all continue playing dress up every day and having fun with our outfits. Remember, play into it- don’t pick up the hoodie-jeans combo every day, I believe in you.
