Winter, what is this winter of which you speak? - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Winter, what is this winter of which you speak?

Thistle

Veteran

Ever feel like trends ignore the fact that there is a winter?

Perhaps it is just the part of the world I live in where we have winters, long cold ones, that all the styles that look so cute sockless, or with bare ankles make me cranky.

Perhaps they are targeted at those that don't actually have to work, or maybe they are just embracing growing markets that don't endure cold, harsh winters.

Perhaps just sour grapes on my end for feeling excluded.

Shopping

38 replies

Latest reply was from Von

abc

Veteran

sorry Thistle

Gail

Veteran

I know exactly what you mean! Bare ankles and bare legs- not happening on my body in winter.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Funny, I don't feel this way at all. I can't wait to wear fur-lined boots and chunky sweaters, layers upon layers, big wool scarves, nordic knits, cozy hats... Maybe your tastes just don't quite align with your climate? I certainly feel that way in the summer, sometimes.

Thistle

Veteran

There is this evil part of me that wants to bring all of the fashion designers here in January when it's -20F without the wind chill and dress them in the winter wear from their lines and let them stand outside for 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes. . .

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Heh, I guess this is how I feel when I see "summer style" that includes long sleeves, sweaters, and full-length jeans. Uh, not happening in 95 degrees with 90% humidity.

But yeah, I see where the cropped pants and denim styles that are being shown, along with flares and boot cuts, are just not practical for anyplace that has truly WINTRY weather. I think in those cases, practicality has to win out, fashion be darned. Cozy boots, thick tights, and warm pants FTW!

Anonymous

Laughing with you.

My biggest fashion lesson was learning to dress for my body and my climate (especially my climate). I now review fashion spreads for entertainment purposes only. I long ago stopped thinking they could apply to my real life. Thank goodness.

Peri

Veteran

Oh my goodness, surely you don't think women's fashion has anything to do with what is practical or comfortable, do you?? It is all about what looks good! Sleeveless party dresses in December! High heels! With paper thin soles! Zero cushioning or support! Shoes with no socks or stockings! Clothes that only work with Spanx! Most swim suits! Things men would never put up with, ever! Women do, so that's what we get.

Sal

Veteran

Haha!

Wearing a tiny short fragile dress or stiletto heels to collect my son from rugby.... or a totally sheer pair of culottes to work.

Luckily there are plenty of other options around. I think with extreme weather - hot/cold/wet we get so sick of the weather itself that we can take some of the frustration out on the clothes.

I see those blogs and pics as eye candy and inspiration rather than providing me with useful information how to actually dress for my life.

abc

Veteran

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.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I figure I have six weeks tops on the cropped trend

missvee

Veteran

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.

Echo

Veteran

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!

Thistle

Veteran

You are right, Peri, men would never tolerate it. I think they've got the right of it!

catgirl

Veteran

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.

unfrumped

Veteran

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.

zcarenow

Where i live you really can't wear winter clothes for long. There is really no winter where i am..lol

Elly

Veteran

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.

Shelly

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

Suz

(website)

Veteran

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.

L'Abeille

Veteran

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!

Kari

Veteran

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.

Anonymous

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.

JAileen

Veteran

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.

tulle

Veteran

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!

Gigi

Veteran

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.

Ginger

Veteran

Ha! From the title I expected a moan about how summer won't ever go away, and instead it's the reverse!

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.

Windchime

Veteran

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...

Sara L.

Veteran

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?

Anonymous

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.

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