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6 Chic Winter Wardrobe Staples to Unleash Your Inner Miranda Priestly

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Toronto MU chapter.


Think violet croc boots, sumptuous layers of wool, and bows on everything! Listed below are recommendations for winter necessities, how to style them, and alternatives so you don’t chase around fashion because fashion is you.

Sustainable beauty is where it’s at this year and forever! Plus, admitting you need to buy every trendy piece you can grasp is just ‘embarrassante!’ So, let us dive straight into the snow for five classic closet essentials (plus a bonus at the end!) you should look into this winter!

A Huge Wool Coat

Because the drama of an oversized silhouette is too fabulous to ignore

When high-quality material and dreamy silhouettes embrace, you get the perfect winter coat.

To ensure this, remember to read the care labels tucked in the inside of the lining — 70% wool and above is what you should be looking for!

Colour options are limitless, although I’d advise you to stick with the neutrals — sombre navy, black, and charismatic yarn blends. Affordable options are often available in the most mysterious locations — like a thrift store. I know it’s not the most glamorous place to scout, but treasures usually take some adventure to find, no?

A Warm Scarf

Scottish tartan or cream merino — to give “English countess dabbling in the countryside

The easiest way to add some interest to an otherwise morose winter get-up is a scarf! Charming to its core, it’s so fun to knot a heavy merino around your neck and call it a day for serving fashion in the laziest way possible!

Uniqlo offers 100% cashmere this season in a gorgeous frothy cream that would pair well with a rich coffee before class. A fab example of cashmere goodness, Uniqlo debuts their scarves for this season (which are currently on sale!).

Well-fitting Leather Gloves

The colour doesn’t matter!

Soft, supple leather encasing your hands is an understated and lovely way to bring a slight edge to anything you choose to don in the cold.

Several vintage stores offer an array of violet, mustard, crimson, and neutral gloves — it becomes a matter of personal preference here! I know there are several options littering downtown Toronto and a few options available in higher-end stores as well.

In a range of raspberry, cornflower and olive green, Poppy Barley has incredible options!

A Beautiful, Sentimental Necklace To Dangle Over Your Sweaters

Because one accessory is good, but a meaningful accessory is superb

Personally, I say only one necklace is sufficient in the winter because it is simply too difficult to wear three or four when you are already in so many layers of sweaters and fleece. One chain is enough to communicate snowy sophistication.

Sentimentality is another way to make wearing minimal amounts of jewelry special. I adore wearing a gold lock-and-key that was gifted to me by my mother. The look of a singular pendant down scruffs of wool is understated chic!

A stunning option in 18k gold, this Monica Vinader pendant ($115) is on sale.

Sturdy Boots

As important as fashion is, it’s impossible to look stunning if you’re sprawled all over the snow

As a university student, I refuse to take my odds against the snowy grime that covers the TTC stations and stairs. And so I say, with tenderness and love, do keep the heeled boots for light-hearted occasions when Ubers are involved. 

Honourable Mention: The Sandy Liang Bow and Subtle Ways to Include It.

Frail bows are all the rage this winter — take advantage of such a girly thrill by tying little ribbons around your bags, wrists, or anywhere you can manage. Whether they are printed onto sweaters or tights, it’s a fun trend to participate in!

Rhinestone studded bow earrings à la Anthropologie ($48).

Maryam Ahmed

Toronto MU '25

Asides from licking dessert bowls clean and having an addiction to scouring the Dior website, I am a full-time psychology student at Toronto Metropolitan University. I am Indian ethnically, but I was born and raised in Kuwait— a desert sweetly snuggled between the elbows of Saudia Arabia and the beach of the Arabian Gulf. I spent several happy years studying in an international school, in awe with my beloved Art and History professors whose lessons went beyond our books. My love for writing germinated along with my already burdgeoning love for reading and has never really died since. Reading had seen to the rise of certain hobbies and had become the only way to relate to the incredible charaters on paper— fencing, horse-riding, and a matronly interest in embroidery (although I'm quite good at the last one). I love painting fantastical landscapes and collecting artsy posters of cats or vintage magazine prints. HerCampus initiates an amazing circle of empowerment and friendship for female students across the world, and I am so proud to be apart of this year's writer line-up. I cannot think of a better way to reach out to vibrant, talented women than through this platform, and I look forward to intergrating myself into this fabulous community!