Staying warm in the winter.. and still be fashionable!!

“Baby it’s cold outside!”

Brrrrr!!! If you live in the north, these winters lately have been awfully, awfully COLD. I wrote a post on winter clothes, but now I’m writing on how to stay warm in this brutal winter. Here are some things I think you will need / should buy:

-Thermal underwear: You can get them in many places like Target, Macy’s, and Old Navy for your basic thermals. BUT for the really professional stuff that skiers use, you need Under Amour, which you can buy at Under Armour, or you can simply buy on Amazon.com (Which is cheaper btw). Me personally I need the leggings for my legs always feel cold in the winter. If you need it, get it! No one is going to know what you wear underneath your clothes. The point is you want to be WARM.

Above: Under Amour Coldgear fitted mock, starting at $37 on Amazon.com

-Thick sweaters: Sweaters are wonderful because they hardly wrinkle, & you can get them virtually anywhere. I usually pick mine up at Forever21, Macy’s, and H&M. For me my staples are black & white turtlenecks, & a cardigan. For the thinner turtlenecks I can layer them on with cardigans / other sweaters; for thicker ones I think it’s lovely just to wear that with a statement necklace. A cardigan I can always throw on if I’m feeling a little cold.

-A scarf: Whether you choose long, thin, or thick, is up to you. I think the most fashionable scarves are the round infinity scarves. You can get those at H&M, Target, and Nordstrom Rack. Check below for links.

-Fashion no no: Don’t wear a ski mask. Unless you’re actually going skiing. I had a coworker who once wore a ski mask to keep his face warm. He looked like he was going to rob a bank. Scarves are wonderful because you can wrap them around you & keep your face, neck & ears warm. Pull on that hat/hood, and wrap that scarf around your face.

-A hat: I think it’s best to buy a men’s (inspired hat). Whether they’re newsboy caps, working man hats; I think they look the most fashionable in the winter. And definitely wear one, if your coat doesn’t come with a hood. Don’t get me wrong, I love things like floppy hats, but this time of year most likely they will fly off your head because of the wind. You can find a large selection of hats at Target.com, Zappos.com (thousands of hats!), some at ASOS.COM, and Modcloth.com

-Fashion no no: Please do not wear hats with pom poms, animals, or silly messages written all over them. They were cute in high school, but not past high school.

-A warm coat: Some people are fine with jackets, but the most fashionable coat to wear in the winter I think is a trench coat, or a military inspired one. You can find some lovely thick coats on Amazon.com, Macy’s, and Century21. Tip: Be prepared: any decent coat will cost you at least $100. But usually it’s a good investment & it’s a garment that you will wear again & again. Check out Macy’s & Century21 when they have their sales, to snatch up a good deal.

-The warmest outerwear: would be down coats/jackets. This is tricky because it’s hard to find a fashionable one; quite often you end up looking like a quilted snowman. I think the most flattering down coats are ones that are fitted & flared. Zara, and BCBG usually make lovely looking down coats. Coats with fur trim, whether it be on the neckline or on the hood, I find almost always flattering. But please, go with faux fur (don’t hurt animals). Also a white coat almost always looks good; the only drawback is that they will get dirty easily.

Tip: If you want a REALLY warm coat, I find the Canadian brands to be the best. Brands like Ookpik, Pajar, or anything with the Canadian Goose Down label are the warmest. (For the more budget friendly stick to the 2 brands mentioned, for anything with REAL Canadian goose down is quite pricey!)

Tip: Unless you’re tall, try not to buy a coat that’s too long. I made that mistake once or twice & the ends of my coat would always end up muddy. I think the longest you should go is knee length.

Another tip: If you’re going trench coat vs. down coat, a down coat is easier to care for. Unless you find a trench coat that’s machine washable, trench coats are usually made from animal fibers like wool/cashmere, which most likely you will need to dry clean. Always take into consideration the care of a garment before you buy it, and if you can afford it. A down coat (if it doesn’t have real fur trim) you can just toss into the washing machine, but you will need to dry it in the dryer. ANYTHING with down is not meant to be air-dried. The down gets wet & will clump together & you will end up with a sour mildew/moldy smell in your coat, which you don’t want.

-A fashionable jacket for women in the winter: A cape / poncho. Nowadays they make lovely chic capes / caplets for women to wear.

-Gloves: Do not get cotton gloves / mittens, for they will not keep your hands warm in the winter (I find). My personal preference are leather gloves, for they are chic & keep my hands relatively warm. I also want to be animal friendly, so I get pleather gloves. You can even find insulated kinds that keep your hands warmer! But for the truly warm gloves, you will need to get some ski gloves; THOSE will definitely keep your hands warm. I know, ski gloves are not the most fashionable gloves in the winter; get them in black or something so it looks less obvious like you’re going to hit the slopes.

-Boots: It snows quite often where I live, so I definitely need snow boots. If you like regular leather boots, then for it! But for me, they must be waterproof, keep my feet warm, and still look good; which is a challenge to find. Usually I buy my boots off of Amazon.com where they sell thousands of shoes! (Zappos.com does too!) Amazon is great for me because I can read the reviews to see if the boots really are waterproof. I know it’s a necessity for some women to keep their feet warm; but don’t wear Uggs. They are very tacky looking boots & they are not waterproof.

–Optional: ear muffs: if you find the right ones, they can be quite cute! If your hat / scarf doesn’t cover your ears, or your ears are constantly cold, then get a pair!

Fashion no no: Pls do not wear Hello Kitty ear muffs or have any other animal faces on both sides of your head. Again, things for children, leave them for children.

Another optional item: insulated leggings: I have a co worker who loves to wear them so that she can wear dresses in the winter. They’re also a great option to wear inside your pants as well. To get REALLY warm they also sell fur lined insulated leggings, which will keep you really warm. You can get those at TJMaxx, or on Amazon.

I’ve given you lots of ideas on staying warm this winter!! I know most people are on a budget, but a lot of people think that winter time = time to be frumpy. I can only imagine grandparents walking around at home with reindeer & snowman sweaters on.

I hope this has helped you out!! It’s important to be chic, but more importantly stay warm!! For more tips, check out my other article, How to Incorporate Your Spring Clothes Into Your Winter Wardrobe.. And Still Look Chic!