By Sophia Harris / Columnist
It is finally that time of year where people sip warm hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream, loudly sing to nostalgic music, bake all kinds of fun concoctions, spend time with family and friends reminiscing, and do everything in their power to stay warm.
However, as the temperature drops, it gets increasingly difficult to feel confident and fashionable; and people often find themselves sacrificing their style in order to not freeze. But, if we learn to embrace a few simple practices, we can achieve top tier style, while also staying warm.
First, it is critical to layer properly. Layering done well can set up the entire outfit for success because it keeps the wearer both warm and put together. If you are anything like me, you are probably scared of layering, but though it seems like a daunting task to “layer correctly,” there are many ways to go about doing this.
Personally, excessive amounts of clothing overwhelm my features, and are generally inconvenient. So ironically, in my opinion, the trick to proper layering is limiting the amount necessary. After doing some research, I recommend looking for underlayers that are fleece lined. This way, you can get away with wearing only one jacket when you would have needed two, and as a result, look and feel a little bit less like a marshmallow. Furthermore, it is important to keep cohesion among the many different elements of your outfit. When there is continuity between the various layers, a person looks less eclectic and more put together. My personal favorite way to create consistency is to use a technique called “sandwiching,” a viral trend that was introduced by stylist Lydia Tomlinson.
If you imagine a sandwich, the two pieces of bread are the foundation that hold all of the other ingredients together. The “sandwiching” method for clothing works in the same way, by relating two pieces of the outfit together that sandwich a more eccentric aspect of the look, the entire ensemble is made to look effortlessly chic. As an example, if it is incredibly cold and you need to layer a coat on top of a jacket, the outfit looks coherent if the coat ties back to the base layer. In this way, the coat and the base layer sandwich the jacket.
Although color is the most obvious way to use “sandwiching,” this method can also be done with material, pattern, and fit. For example, if you have a chunky knit sweater underneath a long sleek coat, that chunky knit material can be replicated in a hat, adding balance to the outfit.
In addition, you can use “sandwiching” to highlight a certain feature in an article of clothing. In other words, your ensembles do not always need to look bluntly sandwiched – pink, blue, pink. Let’s say that you have a cute cream sweater with little red hearts underneath a black puffer. It is not necessary to find a piece of outerwear that is cream with little red hearts, rather, all you need is something red or cream to tie back into the sweater.
Lastly, it almost goes without saying, but it is crucial to have outerwear that makes you feel confident. This is a season where your jackets and coats are the most prominent feature in your outfit, and therefore, they are an imperative investment.
I would advise getting outerwear that you love and honors your features. If you have a sharper bone structure, more structured coats and jackets with geometric patterns can compliment you. For people with softer lines, I suggest softer and more stereotypically feminine styles. This can be expressed in fur coats, puffers, soft wrap cardigans, or jackets with ruffle details. Most importantly, your clothing should represent who you are.
Winter is a season that absolutely presents challenges for dressing, but done right, winter fashion can appear more sophisticated than clothing in any other season. This season is a great opportunity to embrace fashion for what it is, wearable art that relays a message. So this year, while you sip hot chocolate, sing, bake, and spend time with your family and friends, choose clothing that tells your story, and also keeps you warm.
