In the fall and spring, I’m able to prioritize fashionability over comfort and practicality much more than I can in the summer and winter months because of the extreme temperatures. This winter, in particular, has been especially snowy and cold in Western Massachusetts, and I simply can’t afford to wear my normal tights, tank tops, and mini skirts as I would during warmer months. But, that doesn’t mean I have to give up my fashion sense during the winter to be warm and comfortable. Winterizing your outfits is a safe way to keep showing off your style, and you get to use your creative muscles while doing so.
- Tights and leggings
-
In the past few years, fleece-lined tights and leggings have gained popularity, and for good reason. For starters they are quite accessible, I got my pair at FiveBelow, but you can find them in other stores such as Target, Amazon, and a variety of other retailers. But more importantly, they work, providing sufficient protection from the cold. I can vouch myself, as I frequently wear my pair in 20 degree weather and can confirm their comfort and effectiveness. If you can’t get your hands on a pair of fleece-lined tights, I would recommend layering your ordinary tights, especially if they are opaque and more breathable. Similarly, I will layer my black fishnet tights over my opaque red and white tights to give more pattern and dimension to my outfits, which is certainly warmer than just wearing fishnets.
If you are one to wear longer skirts, I would also recommend layering leggings underneath your maxi and midi skirts, for even more warmth. You can even wear leggings and tights underneath looser and baggier pants as well.
- Alternating Accessories
-
If you are a headband, scrunchie, or hair bow person, consider swapping out those accessories for a hat or a pair of earmuffs in the same or similar color, so you can keep the outfit as is, and avoid leaving your ears exposed. Or, you could find a way to mix and match, like putting bows around your earmuffs or changing up your hairstyle to accommodate a hat. Changing up the accessories like this will allow you to experiment with the proportions and silhouettes in your outfits.
- Mittens> Gloves
-
I am a big ring person, and I mean it. I cannot go anywhere without wearing a ring on each finger, and I am usually stacking tons of bulky bracelets on my wrists too. Unfortunately, it is very uncomfortable, impractical, and sometimes impossible to wear all my jewelry with gloves. You could choose to wear less or flatter jewelry or entirely take off your jewelry to put your gloves on and put them back on later, which may be irritating. Ever since I received a pair of chunky, roomy, mittens for Christmas, I’ve been able to wear all 10 rings without my fingers freezing off.
- Layering shirts
-
Sometimes, wearing just 1 top isn’t enough, even under a coat. When that happens, the best solution is to start layering your shirts. There’s the classic turtleneck, which could go under practically anything; tank tops, dresses, sweaters, t-shirts, and more, but you can also layer henley shirts and other smaller tops to add another layer against the cold without making it too obvious. Even putting a pair of cut-up tights as an edgy pair of sleeves with a tank top is better than nothing. This aspect of layering is really where the creative aspect of winterizing your outfits shines through. After all, constraints inspire creativity!
- Swapping out pieces
-
There are some instances, however, where you cannot layer or winterize certain aspects of your outfits. In these cases, it’s best to swap that piece of clothing out entirely for something more appropriate for the weather that is a similar color. For example, I had this pair of funky orange pants that I would always pair with a baby blue wrap top. I couldn’t just put a turtleneck underneath it because of the cut of the shirt, so I instead would wear it with a baby blue sweater during the winter. You could swap out a skirt for a pair of pants in a similar color, a long shirt instead of a crop top, or wear a black puffer instead of a leather jacket.
Everybody knows that early fall and mid spring are the best times to show off your fashion because of the bearable weather, but that doesn’t mean that your fashion sense can cease to exist just because the heat doesn’t. If you don’t want to try any of these tips, I would suggest making sure you have transportation to where you need to go!
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!