I feel for those living in places where the Winter has been particularly harsh in recent years. Below freezing temperatures, snowfall after snowfall, bitterly icy commutes, and far too much driveway shoveling. Not to mention the dangers of the extreme weather and the inconvenience of services and power outages. Much less important, but still top of mind because personal style is a passion of mine, is how I would continue to have fun with fashion if I wasn’t living in mild Seattle and had to contend with the deep freeze.
Here are some ideas that come to mind. Many of them involve spending money, so in practice I would have to prioritize these ideas and reduce my style budget in other places to accommodate the purchases. But for fun, I’m not going to worry about that aspect for now.
1. A capsule of puffer coats
I find heavyweight puffer coats much warmer than even the thickest of wool coats, which means that I would wear a puffer all Winter long. That means I’d need a few of them to combat the boredom of wearing the same coat for four months at a time. I already have a black puffer, so I’d add one in white, and perhaps others in colours.
2. A capsule of weatherproof boots
I’m assuming that my life would be urban and city-centered. So I wouldn’t need a collection of snow boots for deep snow, but rather a collection of fashionable styles in different neutrals. I would look at brands like Aquatalia, La Canadienne, Blondo, and the white duck boots from L.L. Bean. Impractical in white I know, but I would want them anyway.
3. More chunky warm knitwear across many colours
I already have a large knitwear collection, but I’d need heavier and warmer knitwear. I’d make sure that colour — both bright and pastel — was adequately represented.
4. Scarves and hats
I tend to wear scarves and hats for practical reasons and not decorative ones. They really do help to keep you warm. So out of practical necessity I’d build a capsule of woolly scarves in happy colours to complement my puffer coats. I’d also find a few more insulating hats that work on my relatively tiny head.
5. More make-up variety
Changing up the colour of your lipstick, which I wear daily, is one way to subtly change the look of an outfit. I wear two shades of lipstick regularly at the moment. I expect that I’d add a few more shades to my beauty routine to increase my daily outfit variety. Perhaps I’d throw in a little finger nail polish too.
6. Alternative pairs of brightly coloured specs
This would be a very expensive exercise, but worth it because I wear specs daily. I have enjoyed my bright apple green specs more than any other pair, so any additional pairs would be brightly coloured too. Three extra pairs — in white, blue and pink — would be ideal. But that would be a tall order for my budget.
7. A more dramatic hairstyle
Maybe I’d become a redhead or brunette with blue streaks in Winter. Who knows, but I think a little more hair drama would really help to create outfit excitement in the depths of Winter.
I’d also expect to have an extensive collection of thermal undies and knee-high socks, swap out my snow boots for fashionable footwear if I worked in an office, wear tapered wool trousers in patterns and colours, and drink even more piping hot tea than I already do.
Of course, I’m not speaking from experience. So I’m very interested to hear from those who are experiencing the deep freeze. How do you express your personal style and stay content with your fashion during the harsh winter months?
