For several seasons now, runway models are wearing and retail catalogues are showing what I call seasonally confused outfits for Fall and Winter. These outfits combine cold weather clothing with hot weather footwear. Think woolly trousers, cashmere knitwear and heavy coats worn with breezy sandals. Or puffer coats, scarves and beanies worn with jeans and open toe footwear.
The outfit below — a Fall coat and woolly culottes worn with sandals — illustrates the point quite well, although it’s not that extreme.
This trend makes little sense to me visually or practically. Wearing warm, insulated clothing with bare feet looks unbalanced and off to my eye. As if the wearer is going to topple over. And if it’s cold enough to wear Fall and Winter layers, your feet are going to freeze in sandals.
That said, I have a double standard with regards to other types of seasonally confused outfits. For example, a Summery dress or pair of shorts and top worn with booties or mid-calf boots looks perfectly fab and balanced to my eye. Somehow, wearing cold weather footwear with warm weather clothing is ok. And you can absolutely feel comfortable in closed-toe footwear in the Summertime. I know, because that’s my own preference.
Perhaps it’s because I run very cold that I’m overly sensitive to warm layers worn with naked feet. Over to you. How do you feel about the seasonally confused outfit?
