Not that I'm complaining....BUT this New England weather is seriously messing with my wardrobe choices! For example, this past Saturday I opted for a long-sleeve dress under a legitimate parka to a formal due to the 11 hours of straight snow status. Using this mindset, when getting ready for class today, I chose red jeans, heavy wool socks, leather boots, undershirts (plural) under a long sleeve chiffon shirt, all covered by my anorak jacket and thick circle scarf. HOWEVER, mother nature must have been having a hot flash because within moments of stepping outside, both the anorak and circle scarf were immediately unnecessary, and the thick socks became a regret.
How is a girl supposed to deal with the schizophrenic "winter" we're having up here? I have devised a fool-proof guide to layering in a changing climate. (Thanks polyvore!)
1. The key is to choose light layers. Heavy layers not only add unnecessary bulk, they also don't give room for average temperature days, they leave room for either snow or the beach.
Made at polyvore.com by me
Here, I layered with extremely light fabrics, easy to remove and shove into your bag if need be. Starting with a light cotton tank, pair with a chiffon printed blouse, and finally with a draped cotton-blend blazer. I like to somewhat match my scarf to my top so there is a light brown scarf that could be warn close to the face (as pictured) or more draped if unwound. On the bottom, I chose leggings and some heavy-duty boots. This could obviously be paired with a heavier jacket for those really cold days, but on days like today you could get away with pretty much just what is pictured.
2. Tights! One great tip is to use tights, especially printed ones!
Made at polyvore.com by me
Tights are typically pretty thin and airy, and can make you look covered in days when showing bare legs is not appropriate, yet don't suffocate you like jeans. Worn under skirts, dresses, or heavier-fabric shorts, tights are a great opportunity to not only showcase those gams, but also some personality with the print.
3. Cardigans
Not the 90's band........
These!!
Made at polyvore.com by me
Cardigans are something that are instrumental in nice layering. They can be in a variety of fabrics, and easily layered with others. The ones above vary from heavy (wool, bottom left) to very light (cotton, upper right). Cardigans also look so cute when belted, so if you have a ton of layers on under the cardigan, throw on a skinny belt over the outer layer so you don't lose your waist!
Let's hope these tips come in handy over the next few weeks, and we keep lucking out on the snow status! (If I jinxed us...my bad)
Being a current college student, I don't expect much from my fellow classmates on the fashion front, especially later in the semester near finals. Want to wear sweatpants and Uggs? Your prerogative! Lately, though, I have come across many girls suffering on how to stay warm while walking to class and stay stylish. Simply putting a North Face fleece on will not only not warm you to the fullest ability, but will probably make you look like a clone of everyone on your campus, and who wants that? In order to combat the attack of the clones (nerd reference..) I have compiled some stylish ways to keep from freezing on the impending long snowy winter ahead of us.
As I said in my "Fall Fashion" post a few months ago, (can be found here!), capes are very much making a comeback, and I am elated. Burberry produced a more insulated cape number for the winter that will satisfy any cape needs for the snowy season.
As always, pea coats are always stylish and classy, and a well-made pea coat should be in every woman's wardrobe. This version, by BB Dakota, puts a slight twist on the typical pea coat by removing the collar, and making it in a bright, mustard color, perfect for brightening up a dreary winter day!
Although not very practical on a college campus, if you are looking for extreme warmth with some extreme glamour and diva-feelings, fur is the obvious way to go. Fur was seen all over the runways, but luckily the faux variety can be found in many of your favorite shopping establishments, just make sure you get a faux that at least seems to be from an animal...(no need to go for the green furs that look like you killed a muppet!).
In my opinion, the easiest way to class up a boring outfit is to add a scarf. Whether you fancy the printed variety, the extreme comfort of an infinity scarf, or the classic look of a silk scarf, you will look that much more polished with the simple addition of a neck-warming tool. Instead of showing some runway-inspired scarf looks, I am instead showing you some of the more price-appropriate variety (hint hint, Santa!)
Let's top it off (haha) with hats. This season, one of the best accessories you can own is one of the trendy hats. Many designers like Hermes, Missoni, Victoria Beckham, just to name a few, have been all about the hat this season. From wide-brimmed 70s wonders, to retro baseball caps, and of course, the best of them all in terms of warmth, the knit cap. It is a known fact that the majority of your body heat escapes from your head, so why not get something cute to keep that all in?
Enjoy the time of layering and experimenting with different, heavier fabrics. Attempt to stray away from the college girl stigma of North Face and Uggs as best you can, and stay warm!!
When reading this morning's "Thursday Styles" in the New York Times, a Thursday morning ritual of mine, there was an article depicting the great advancements and comeback of something I revered as a torture device a mere decade ago. The turtleneck.
The article delves into many different designers such as Olivier Theyskens for Theory, Ohne Titel, and Dries van Noten, all who marketed turtlenecks of differing fabric weights, textures, and lengths in their fall and resort collections. Irina Aleksander, the author of this piece, does not forget to mention Michael Kors and Donna Karan, designers known for their classic silhouettes with modern adaptations, and their many "resurrections" of the turtleneck over time. For whatever reason, it seems this season it finally stuck.
Further on in the article, Aleksander mentions a famed turtleneck donner, the late Steve Jobs. Remarkably, it seems that very recently after Jobs' death, the company that manufactured his famed black mock turtlenecks' sales doubled.
Many may stray from the turtleneck for fear of the male population finding them unappealing. Other than my grave disdain for these individuals (fashion should be about you, not men), the article quotes a woman named Ikram Goldman, a boutique owner in Chicago, as she says; "It hugs your body, your neck, your arms--its like a mold...and that tightness on your neck is almost like bondage. What's not sexy about that?".
Here, I have included some of my favorite of this trend, turtle turtle!
