YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Winter, what is this winter of which you speak? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 20 May 2026 20:55:21 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Von on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561877 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:22:22 +0000 Von 1561877@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ We do NOT have harsh winters, I'm in NC and I can't tell you how many times I've swooned over fur lined boots - More specifically, Sorel Joan of Artic boots. I mean, if you're going with fur...may as well go all out, true? But alas, it will NEVER be cold enough to justify fancy boots I could wear 5 days per year when we have snow or ice! (We wear rain boots or old tennis shoes in the snow!) The flip side is we have horrible summers, high humidity always, and what you see on blogs as "summer fashion" around here is laughable! Every fashion blog doesn't cater to everyone's true seasons.  Spring/summer wear for a CA blogger = my fall/winter outfit ideas. Marley on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561576 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 01:08:43 +0000 Marley 1561576@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh Thistle - I know what you mean!  It's that 'blogger outfit' phenomena, isn't it?  You know, those that post pics of their "winter" outfits, standing outside, bare-legged in heels, and a cute "winter" coat thrown over their shoulders.  Drives me crazy!  - and I live in So CAL where you could actually dress like that in the winter.  However, I have spent the last 2 winters staying with my mother back in the midwest and Oh My Gosh - fashion is quickly thrown out the window - and survival is my primary motivation for how I choose to dress! K. Period. on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561557 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:39:04 +0000 K. Period. 1561557@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You made me laugh! I was just talking with a friend about a similar thing. Where I live now is temperate.  I have several lighter jackets (denim, leather, trenches, light down) and I wear them a lot.  I have one heavy coat that I wear only in the deepest winter. But where I grew up winters were much colder.  Almost everyone I knew had one or two lighter jackets and two or three deep winter jackets: the heavy down one(s) and the heavy wool dress one.  And no one would bat an eye at someone showing up to a fancy party with a full length down coat.  But I also had a heck of a lot of wonderful heavy woolly sweaters, warm boots, scarves and gloves!  So not better or worse--just different!    Elizabeth P on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561523 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 23:42:05 +0000 Elizabeth P 1561523@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ If this post had been posted a few months from now, I swear I'd be outside in the snow, wearing pumps and bare ankles, posting some OOTD's One fairly common theme here, which I have honestly never fallen victim to, is this hatred of winter coats and boots.  I've always dressed for the indoors... I love sweaters, scarves, layering etc... and throw on my coat as a purely serviceable way to get from indoors to indoors.  Sure, I have several pairs of boots, you have to.  And several coats.  And I change purses and scarves to mix things up a bit. But if my coat looks good and keeps me warm, I truly am happy to wear it constantly... with my need for variety just waiting to reveal itself once I get where I am going. TraceyLiz65 on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561418 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:02:44 +0000 TraceyLiz65 1561418@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ After a lifetime in VA and one winter in Boston even my DD24 is getting practical and giving up requesting any additions to her boot collection as she is resigned to wearing snow boots all season. Keix on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561396 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 18:09:46 +0000 Keix 1561396@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Having moved to California last year from the East Coast, I can confirm that fashion designers are targeting CA climate for some unknown reason. I never understood the point of 3/4 sleeve sweaters, as someone who perpetually runs cold, until I lived here. And I can wear closed-toe shoes without socks through December, if I'm willing to let my feet be a bit chilly outdoors. On the other hand, I miss seasons! Crisp fall, the warming sun of spring. Even humid summer nights, because it's rare that I can go out in a thin silk dress here without dragging along a coverup for evening. Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561354 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:29:38 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1561354@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm one of those praying for fall, since it was +100 here yesterday! But yeah, it gets frustrating. Like joy, I grew up in the Midwest which doesn't cool down at night in the summers, and it wasn't until I moved to the west coast that I understood why denim jackets existed. In my world, if it was cold enough for a jacket, you needed one a lot warmer than that. A lot of bloggers are as bad about this as the fashion magazines - I remember the shots of people in town for spring NYFW last year when it was still mega-winter temps and a foot of snow on the ground and they were wearing little dresses and opentoed shoes. Ridiculous. I do think the status thing holds weight - if you go from place to car and never have to suffer through a frigid Uninsulated office or a house without air conditioning or walk any instance or take transit, you really can be seasonally inappropriate, assuming you're willing to suffer, and are healthy enough to do so. I guess i don't find that that interesting, because for me dressing is about the combination f aesthetics and practicality. Fashion mags and catalogs are like sculptures, whereas WIWs are like a chair - a sculpture just has to be beautiful or striking while a chair can be both pretty and useful. celia on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561347 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:05:49 +0000 celia 1561347@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What, you don't sit by a frozen lake with a cute suede mini skirt and high heels tall boots, wrapped up in your poncho in January ? Shame on you. Jokes apart, I used to love dressing for winter when I could go with a wool blazer as outerwear for most part of the season or a cute long coat for extra cold days. With winters as long and cold as we have here it is difficult to keep the love for our puffer coats and gloves and scarves and snow boots. I guess as in many other things what is sold is a concept. In this case that you live in warm houses and commute directly to garages in your warm car. milehighstyle (Linda) on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak/page/2#post-1561331 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:54:18 +0000 milehighstyle (Linda) 1561331@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always figured that they were designing primarily for the California residents.  Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense with a lot of designers being based in NYC. Anonymous on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561291 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:33:08 +0000 Anonymous 1561291@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I need warm clothes in winter, but can't find them in the stores. My DDs and I are convinced that the paper-thin sweaters and socks are designed to make you buy and wear multiple layers, which translates to more profits for the stores. We live in the South, but it can and does snow, and the temperatures can dip down to almost zero. It's not like we have warm winters. Sara L. on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561284 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:13:06 +0000 Sara L. 1561284@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ We dont't get super cold winters here but it's still too cold to go sockless and with bare ankles.  I always wonder about bloggers in seasonally confused outfits - do they just wear that to take the photo and then go back in and change? Windchime on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561281 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:09:54 +0000 Windchime 1561281@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Endless winters here, too. I'd feel a lot better about winter if it was a clearly-defined three-month season. Instead it seems to drag on from November well into April. I recently read about a fashion designer who's focusing on making clothes that are truly warm and also beautiful. Now if I could only remember who it was... Ginger on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561279 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:02:57 +0000 Ginger 1561279@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ha! From the title I expected a moan about how summer won't ever go away, and instead it's the reverse! :D On Sunday I spent several hours trying out autumn outfits and experimenting with shoes, and I just about melted even in the A/C (at 80) and with a fan on me.  Still, I was getting excited about fall... until the 2-week forecast showed highs in the mid 90s (MID, not even low 90s) and lows in the low 70s. I just wanted to give up then and there.  At least we do get a real winter. Just takes a long time to get started. But seriously, it IS the same issue for us, just with the season reversed. Suz really put her finger on it: it's the length of the season as much as the extremity of the temperature. I can put up with silly summer things (long tight pants, heavy footwear, the insanity of a "summer sweater," what is this thing) for a few weeks or a month. But when it's still 95 at 10 PM for months at a time, you just get tired of it. It's got to be the same for you. When I get grumpy, I try to focus on the FUN challenge of interpreting fashion in seasonally-appropriate ways! Yay! Doesn't always work (like yesterday) but I keep trying. Gigi on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561159 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 04:20:04 +0000 Gigi 1561159@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hear you, Thistle. I remember last year, when I was checking the BR website waiting for their new winter collection. And it was full of...sleeveless stuff! Really? Irritating. I love your idea of making the designers stand outside on a -20-degree day. tulle on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561150 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 03:40:38 +0000 tulle 1561150@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Amen.  Designers working away in arctic air-conditioned, overheated city lofts, maybe?  I shake my head when I see Summer lines full of leather pants and cashmere sweaters, and Winter ones with chiffon tunics over cropped pants and open-toed shoes.  We could use another Claire McCardle, who responded to the women she saw shivering in bare silk dresses at Winter parties back in the '40s by designing gorgeous wool jersey cocktail dresses--with sleeves! JAileen on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561122 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 03:01:11 +0000 JAileen 1561122@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yeah, no way I want bare ankles in winter. And my winter isn't near as bad as yours. Having said that, I've been buying jacket after jacket after jacket. Not fashion, gear. Today I returned five jackets and bought one more. Down, shells, fleece - you name it - I've bought and returned it. And even though it was 94 yesterday it will get cold again, I'm sure. I believe in the Godzilla El Nino. I'm praying for Godzilla El Nino. Joy, that sounds exactly like my climate! Spring and fall last a nanosecond, the rest of the year is split evenly between a blistering summer and a cold, desiccating winter. Anonymous on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561051 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 01:15:51 +0000 Anonymous 1561051@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ As a teen in Nebraska, we have both long very hot summers and long very cold winters but very short springs and falls. I never understood a popular fashion magazine look of shorts and sandals with a long sleeved shirt and worse, a pullover or sweatshirt. Then we moved to Southern California beach country and I understood. It made sense to throw on a pullover for cool mornings or evenings at the beach. Kari on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561042 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 00:46:39 +0000 Kari 1561042@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was thinking along the same lines as Una. In my climate it's not usually practical to wear true summer clothes until July! Even then it's rarely really hot. Winter doesn't impact me as much though as our winters tend to be mild. Fall clothing actually gets me through a substantial amount of the year. L'Abeille on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561041 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 00:39:36 +0000 L'Abeille 1561041@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ When I was too new on YLF to figure out how to put it in Link Love, I read an interesting article that cited the popularity of seasonally confused or inappropriate outfits. Like boots, sweaters and scarves in summer, and sleeveless dresses and bare ankles in winter. And labelled this as the modern equivalent of past ways of showing off wealth. You know, the pre-WW1 fad for pale skin, and later the fad for tans, to show that one belonged to the leisure class and didn't have to work. Now, it is about celebrities etc who can ride in their climate controlled vehicles from their climate controlled homes to parties in climate controlled venues, perhaps walking on outdoor carpets for the few steps outside... I wish I could have re-found the link, and I wish I could express it more eloquently. But thinking about it that way helps me put it in perspective or laugh it off. Such as at peep-toe booties. Not in my world! Suz on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561018 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:46:12 +0000 Suz 1561018@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Preach it, Sister.  But you knew I would say that. :) I think part of our problem is that winter is SO LONG.  We could probably handle it if it lasted 3 months.  I have learned to breathe deep and try to remember that others' climate related needs are much different. I just wish there were more fun and fashionable options for those of us who have six months of deep freeze.  Shelly on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1561004 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:30:44 +0000 Shelly 1561004@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I also will never be 6' tall or a size 0, which is the reason I love this site and blog so much. I follow a few bloggers, but there are really only two that are all about me or you, and not about the bloggers themselves. I am at a stage in my life that I prefer to look nice and put together rather than worry about being a fashion plate. So I think I am getting better at looking at fashion and discounting what does and doesn't work for me and that does include clothes for extreme cold. I hope I have stopped buying coats that I might only wear for a few hours once a year :) Elly on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560987 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:11:18 +0000 Elly 1560987@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I feel you-- I really do-- I always thought that such things were so impractical (although I wear bootcuts and flares even in the snow). Now I'm moving somewhere where these trends are a great winter option when I won't be able to wear my normal heavy woolies. However, I'm sure I will be lamenting the heat come May. zcarenow on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560983 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:10:05 +0000 zcarenow 1560983@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Where i live you really can't wear winter clothes for long. There is really no winter where i am..lol unfrumped on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560979 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:08:32 +0000 unfrumped 1560979@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree and I'm in the South! For me it's more keeping the percentage of items aligned with seasons. But, it really brings home the pants-footwear interaction. A lot of modern footwear does not work with full-length trousers. Then, a lot of ankle boots do not work with trousers that are "straight".  This is something I have to pay a lot of attention to when adding in winter pants or footwear. The re-trending of flares and bootcuts are good for me because they work with boots but we have very few snow days, and moderate rain, so there are lots of days to wear long trousers. catgirl on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560965 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:02:55 +0000 catgirl 1560965@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I just had lunch with my Nordstrom SA (she's a friend now!) and she was talking about how the rest of the country doesn't get that we are not ready to shop for shorts here in March, and that we need REAL winter coats, not cute fashion-y flimsy things. Thistle on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560954 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:53:25 +0000 Thistle 1560954@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You are right, Peri, men would never tolerate it. I think they've got the right of it! Echo on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560953 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:52:42 +0000 Echo 1560953@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ First of all, I live in the same climate you do, Thistle - just a little north west of you, in fact. However, I am well aware that half the country lives in a much more temperate climate than we do. Additionally, while sockless is never practical during WI winters, lots of people only walk from car to work and back again. Indeed, I wear more dresses in the winter than I do in the summer because I prefer to wear dark tights (my legs aren't what they once were!). However, no matter how impractical my wardrobe might be, I DID just buy an almost-ankle length puffer coat with a huge hood. I have recess duty outdoors every day, after all! missvee on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560952 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:52:12 +0000 missvee 1560952@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I know...I have the same reaction to many of the so- called winter fashions. As if we're going to schlep across a slushy parking lot in high heeled boots or ankle pants. And while we're on the subject, don't you just hate " winter " coats that are made of fabric that's mostly polyester? Where's the warmth in that I ask? I guess the solution is to analyze " the look " and then try to adapt it to cold/snow/slush as best we can. UmmLila (Lisa) on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560943 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:42:43 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1560943@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I figure I have six weeks tops on the cropped trend abc on "Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/winter-what-is-this-winter-of-which-you-speak#post-1560936 Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:27:27 +0000 abc 1560936@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Coming back to say I feel for you, I can't imagine living in that cold.  Recently I was looking at a blogger site and I loved her style, but for me, it was really impractical - the same way you mentioned the outfits weren't practical for your climate. This is a blogger living in NYC that wears stilettos (or at least takes photos in them).  Of COURSE she looks a ton taller and thinner with them, but in MY daily life (in a huge city like NYC) those shoes just would. not. work.  A different flavor, but similar frustration.  :(