Winter is here and for many of us that means cold grey days with rain, ice, and very little sunshine. Black and grey from head to toe makes my mood even drearier, so I create my own sunshine by adding four ingredients to my Winter wardrobe. I can wear these items all the way into our cold and dreary Spring. 

1. Bright Coats and Accessories

Wearing bright wool coats makes me happy. There’s something about seeing them against a sea of black clothing and a grey landscape that makes them extra punchy and positive. Wear them with a neutral outfit if wearing one bright at a time is more your thing

If you prefer neutral outerwear, add bright accessories like scarves, hats, gloves and bags into the Winter mix. It’s a more subtle approach and less of a commitment than the bright coat strategy. 

Also, brights don’t need to mean acidic citron, shocking pink, apple green, turquoise, or tomato red. Choose your brights, which might mean a rich cranberry or ruby red, deep purple, earthy mustard, burnt orange, teal or cobalt blue. 

2. Shades of White 

Never underestimate the power of white wardrobe items throughout the year, and I’m talking about all shades of white. From bright optical white, to off-white, bone, cream and stone. White adds brightness, crispness, lightness, and a sense of modern chic to a wardrobe. Wear white jeans, wool trousers, chunky knitwear, leather jackets, puffers and wool coats in Winter. Sport a Winter white bag, scarf, hat, gloves or footwear. Adding shades of white to a Winter wardrobe is a great way of keeping it neutral, yet bright. 

If shades of white are too light for you, remix light neutrals like taupe and tan into your Winter wardrobe. They lighten and liven an outfit in a more subtle way. 

3. Pastels

Wear pastels in Winter. Wear them in Winter weight fabrications with brights, shades of white, and other neutrals. This is a relatively new Winter wardrobe injection for my own style, and I’m not looking back. I added blush pink last year, and light blue and mint this year instead of saving those shades for Spring and Summer. 

4. Ink Blue

Ink blue and navy (lighter than ink blue) is softer than black. It can be worn as a replacement for black, or with black. Ink blue looks particularly good with white and grey. It’s also fab matched with cognac footwear, bags and belts. One of my favorite casual Autumn and Winter combinations this year has been an ink blue and grey chunky high-low turtleneck worn with white boyfriend jeans, ink blue booties, and topped off with an ink blue blazer and military coat. A pastel turquoise clutch is the final touch. 

Working with clients in Winter, I realized that not everyone feels the way I do about livening up their cold weather wardrobes by adding brights, whites, pastels, and ink blue into the mix. Some clients want to wear grey and black all Winter long. They might add the odd dark eggplant, olive, or teal but that’s it. They wouldn’t dream of wearing a bright coat, a pastel bag, or white jeans until Summer time, if at all. 

Over to you. Do any of the ways I like to liven up my Winter wardrobe resonate with you? Or are you a dark neutrals gal through and through?