As temperatures plummet, we’re adding Winter accessories like hats, scarves and gloves to our outfits. Our icy and snowy anniversary trip to Whidbey Island reminded me how effective these accessories are at keeping out the cold. They make all the difference.
Of course, insulating against the cold is the priority, and after a certain point you’re concerned more with keeping warm than matching your Winter accessories. But a little thought can go a long way when pulling together your Winter look. That way you’ll feel fab when you’re all bundled up.
1. Match the Hat, Scarf and Gloves
The simplest way to coordinate is to match the colour (pattern or solid) of all three Winter accessories. In some instances you can also match the fabrication if they’re woolly knits. The Matchy-Matchy trend is alive and well, and totally in style. Why not!
2. Match Two of the Items
This strategy is popular with my clients. Match two of the three Winter accessories. Matching the colour (solid or pattern) of your hat and scarf is probably the easiest option. This is a slightly trickier option than the first one, because you need to do the third item in a colour that is complementary to the first two and to the colours in the rest of your outfit.
3. Create a Complementary Combination
Wear a hat, scarf and pair of gloves that aren’t an exact colour match, but complement each other and work well with the other components of your outfit — your coat and footwear in particular. Given all the variables, this is definitely the hardest way to combine Winter accessories and feel pulled together, but it can lead to a very interesting look.
These days, I like to match the colour of my hats and gloves and throw on a non-matching scarf that works with the outfit. I wear a hat that is low contrast to my hair, which means off-white or cream. My gloves are off-white and black so they match in a less “matchy-matchy” way. And then I choose between three Winter scarves. A tan Burberry check, a chunky tomato red woolly number, or a chartreuse pattern. The exact items are represented in the collection. None of the items are an exact match, but they work well together.
Over to you. How do you combine your Winter hat, scarf and gloves?