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Winter accessories dilemma

Irina

Veteran

It’s not winter yet but I’m already struggling!
How to choose hats and scarves?

I have three colors of accessories in my wardrobe - black, cream and beige. I do not like patterns or any sassy hats. But my basic colors look boring sometimes. I’m thinking about adding some color but how?
- do I buy a set? A hat and a scarf in the same color? How to coordinate it with my sweaters?

- should I buy just a hat in some color? How to coordinate it with my outfits?
It seems I’m lacking the winter fashion gene. I love summer outfits but this is too complicated!
I have a beautiful cashmere scarf in cobalt but I never wear it because I hesitate.

I bought these three hats from Aritzia but I have no idea if I should keep any of them.

I like blue (not as bright in real life) and caramel. The brown one is a bit dull on me, so I will return it. Which one to keep and how to wear it? Do I need a matching scarf? These are expensive (to me) and I want to make sure I’m not making a mistake. I have other hats from Aritzia and like the quality.

My most worn puffer is navy. My boots navy or black. My bags for winter are black, navy and dark cherry (maybe). I might have a scarf that would work with a blue hat but nothing for caramel one.

What would you suggest? Should I just return all since I have no idea how to style these hats?

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26 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

LJP

Veteran

I really like the blue and the caramel too . And I don't do sassy or patterned either . What about pink? It might look really great with the cherry red bag . Or pale blue ? I think any of the colours you would choose would work with your sweaters - but is that the most important thing ( in other words aren’t you taking off a hat and scarf once indoors anyways ? ) ?

I am getting great ideas from the slow fashion brands and stores I follow - they have interesting styling with interesting colours for hats and scarves. Le Bon Shoppe, ad hoc, FieldStudy - these are good ones. They might read a bit too artsy for your style though. I wore one single hat all winter last year and it looked pretty linty and ragged by the end: a black cable knit cuffed toque like the ones above. I guess I'm going to have to spring for something fresh, and maybe new colour too. Having the same dilemma you are, but think I'll try for a red and another better black one. I don't do the matching scarf thing as I don't wear a ton of scarves to begin with . I have just ordered a red cashmere Le Bon Shoppe bandana from Field Study - which I hope to wear starting the minute I receive it ;). It will sit inside the neck of my coats and jackets rather than hanging all over the outside, which drives me nuts. Aritizia's cashmere scarves are beautiful . I did pick up a great cashmere scarf (despite my saying I never wear them) from BR at the end of last winter on deep deep sale and look forward to figuring out what to do with it - lol.

Julie

I think for winter accessories I mostly wear them with a coat and take them off when I get to where I'm going. So I don't worry about coordinating with outfits. (Though I do occasionally wear a beanie or scarf all day!) I love hats but had trouble when I had too many that weren't part of some kind of capsule, especially because if it's cold enough I need all the warm things . Now what I've settled on is: two scarf/hat/gloves capsules that are about the same color and warmth but not exactly matching. One capsule is grey and black and the other is cobalt. Either capsule works with my winter coats. Maybe something similar would work for you ...

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Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Hmm. Interesting point that the brown hat looks dull on you. I think it is important that hats and scarves are in colors you like on yourself - they are your winter hair really. Not sure if that I actionable advice though!

L'Abeille

Veteran

I usually match my gloves to either my hat or my scarf, so the bit around my face isn't too matchy-matchy. And I don't always use a scarf, if I'm driving and won't be walking far in the cold. Or I use a silk scarf or pashmina type scarf inside my coat collar.

At least, I think that's what I do! I have amnesia for the season I'm not in. I am so not ready to think about winter! (Just getting the snow removal lined up.)

Re: colour: a lot of my accessories are red, otherwise black or white. My winter coats are black, or grey, or black& white menswear prints, so I find the bright accents cheerful in a long dreary winter.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Why not treat the blue hat like you do colourful shoes in summer. A pop of isolated stand alone colour. Otherwise I would go with the caramel to co-ordinate better. Personally I like neutrals for these items. I have taupe, grey, dark brown, cream and then they all go together. Don't have to be exact matches, in fact I prefer them not to be.I have one pair of red gloves.

Runcarla

Veteran

I like the look of an all one colour outfit, and then either a hat or a bag in a different/bright/contrasting colour. Minimalist, but not boring! Winter accessories don’t have to be ‘bookended’ or ‘matchy-matchy’. I love the wool berets, but I love the recycled cashmere tuque the most! It’s the warmest!

I have accumulated a collection of hats and wear whatever I feel like for any given outing. I try to pick colours based on what looks good next to my face, and what makes me happy. On the other hand, I prefer gloves and mitts that are the same colour as my coat, rather than contrasting. Kind of like wearing shoes the same colour as your pants. That way, they just kind of…disappear!

My winter hat collection is in finds below. My winter coats are grey wool, burgundy puffer, black puffer.

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Jenni NZ

Veteran

Would your cobalt cashmere scarf tone with the blue hat?
I own an olive beanie (as we call them here) and like wearing it with my olive puffer. I wear black gloves with this.

Sal

Veteran

I don’t need hats as often but I do like wearing them.

I have a cream and a purple hat and I wear them with caramel and rose wool coats, an olive rain coat and a black puffer.

I could see a plum or burgundy hat working well. An icy blue might work too. I don’t think it needs to match but it needs to complement.

Jules

Veteran

Matching hat and scarf feels a bit off for your style. ‘Trying too hard’ maybe, when I see your style as ‘effortlessly curated’ (yes, a contradiction in terms!). I like the blue as a pop of colour, but for me a back up neutral (the caramel) would also be needed for those days I don’t feel like popping!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Get the blue set, Irina! That will make things easier. Works with your dark Winter colours.

The caramel will work with your blacks, taupes and creams.

My beanies have matching scarves. I miss-match the sets too. I can add a bag that matches my scarf OR hat when mismatching, if I like. For example, I'll wear a bright scarf with cream beanie and cream bag.

"There is always something pulling my bag, beanie, scarf and shoes together - even when they mismatch.

I never match my gloves. They get thrown in and work. Red works with everything in my wardrobe, IMO

The Cashmere Beanie

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Cashmere-blend Beanie

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The Cashmere Rib Beanie

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SCOTCH & SODA Soft rib knit stretch beanie

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Halogen Slouchy Cashmere Beanie

Sale

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Pure Cashmere Scarf

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The Cashmere Scarf

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JAileen

Veteran

The thing about bright colors is you can find them, and people can see you. If you drop a glove, you might find it faster if it’s bright. And I always think of safety - a bright colored hat might make you more visible.

Runcarla

Veteran

Seconding what JAileen wrote. If it’s a particularly dark and gloomy day, or snowing - I wear red.

I met DH after he had returned to Canada after living in Switzerland where he had done some ski patrol and avalanche rescue. His ski kit was yellow, red, and orange jacket with navy pants with red and yellow stripes, yellow tuque, etc. He had a strong opinion about winter sports kit and hated how many women seemed to gravitate to all white suits or folks in all black or all grey. Difficult to distinguish on the hill, and a challenge to find if caught in an avalanche.

Roberta

Veteran

I tend to think of outerwear as a separate outfit from whatever is underneath. So the scarf, gloves, and coat all go together. I only wear a hat if it is BITTER outside, as most of my winter coats have hoods. I keep gloves in every coat's pockets so I never have to look for them (I've accumulated many pairs over the years).

I love the cobalt blue hat and scarf, and second that it makes it much easier to find you in a group of black-clad folks!

Irina

Veteran

Thank you all for your advice. It was very helpful!
Today I took out all my winter accessories and a navy puffer for a styling session.

The blue hat is not working with my cobalt cashmere scarf and I don’t like it with a navy puffer.

I decided to keep a caramel hat - surprisingly I love it with my COS multi color scarf (picture below). A bonus that it works with the only two caramel sweaters that I have in my wardrobe.
I’m still going to look for other color combinations but maybe will wait for sales.

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Helena

Veteran

I love the combo you've landed on. That blue from Aritzia is so nice but I would also struggle to combine it with navy for whatever reason.

I'm trying to figure out a new hat and scarf for this year and was also admiring the cashmere sets at Uniqlo, they look quite nice if you need a 2nd option.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I’m sad that the blue hat didn’t go well with the cobalt scarf It sounded pretty. The caramel one looks like it will be great with your COS scarf.
Will you keep the blue hat?

Irina

Veteran

Helena, I bought a cream cashmere hat from Uniqlo last year. It is a bit big but still ok. I don’t like their cashmere scarf, though. This year they have hats in pretty colors and tried some in a store. It I should take a break now.

Jenni NZ, no, I’m going to return the blue hat and will keep the caramel one.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Chronic black-coat in winter here....love hats, etc. You can do a set, but I would make it 3--hat, gloves, scarf. Or you can do 2--hat and gloves, and scarf can be different.

I would nab any gloves, hats and scarfs in grey or black (not white) that you see...you can get them one at a time, and they need not match. Just to have.

Then if you really want to have fun with color, I would do like I said, the 3 or 2 combination. I could see you doing a pastel really well--lilac or light green, etc.

I have a sensational grey alpaca infinity scarf with multicolored threads running through. It never matters if I match stuff to it or not.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Julie--wow, love your stuff. You seem like you live in the mountains, or go there a lot .

Julie

Carol- thanks so much! Yes, I live at the edge of Salt Lake City at 5000 ft elevation. Mountain hiking and skiing are a short drive up the canyons.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Julie--I am from Colorado--another serious place for winter gear and winter sports.

Murph11

Veteran

I will add a brooch to my hat or scarf to "change things up" on occasion. An accessory for my accessory, if you will!

Cookie

Veteran

I feel your pain because I seem to keep accumulating coats and scarves without much intention about how they would coordinate. (The curly hair situation makes me reluctant to wear a hat unless it is really bitter cold.) But I like the scarf and hat you picked and think they will look good with a navy coat! A patterned or multicolor scarf really makes this easier in my experience.

lyn67

Veteran

Caramel beanie with the Cos multicolor scarf looks great-as you already decided to keep! Otherwise I would have had adviced on matching/coordinating colors for scarf and hat AND getting somewhere a little pattern or texture, exactly like your Cos scarf-so, it won't gave that matchy-matchy vibe like wearing a set of plains.

judy

Veteran

Agree that a plaid or a patterned scarf like your lovely COS one is great for winter. I have a traditional one (it's a knockoff of the Burberry plaid) that seems to go with all my coats in black, olive, taupe, charcoal as well as with all my also neutral color gloves, and occasionally, the dreaded hat (hate them too, Cookie!...I do furry earmuffs instead) Mostly my clothes are also neutrals, so I can keep it on inside if I want to. Remembering that things just have to "go with" rather than "match" is freeing.

Lisa

Veteran

The camel hat and scarf will be lovely paired together. When I lived in a colder climate and wore winter accessories I always enjoyed when at least two of the items matched/paired well together (hat and scarf, or hat and gloves) then I didn't worry if the third item didn't match. Two items paired together is enough to pull together a winter outerwear look to my eye.