Fashion for the frozen
With how quickly fashion changes, it can be difficult to keep up to date. I'm here to help you make good fashion choices so as not to embarrass yourself with out-of-date styles as you pass your friends while walking on the tundra.
What's very on point this season is layers. Lots and lots of layers. The most useful layer to begin with is silk long underwear. This should really be your base layer for everything you choose to wear. It's light and warm. You'll regret not making use of this layer when all your friends are happily sitting and chatting in the bright sunlight while you are shivering. After the silk long underwear, the season continues the layering theme by adding a slightly heavier layer of mid-weight long underwear. These come in a variety of colors, so you can really display your own individual style with this piece of your wardrobe. Of course, you are the only one who will enjoy this little pop of color, but hey, you can't have everything. Topping this layering off is a pair of leggings or tights. I prefer a pair of running tights myself.
For the upper half of your body, we will still be working with layers. Here, too, a nice, colorful mid-weight long underwear over the silk is always a good choice. After this things can get tricky, though, and it's easy to fall into some fashion "don'ts". The key is to choosing pieces which can work both inside and outside. I find a thin wool cardigan is the perfect piece after the long underwear. It can be buttoned up for extra warmth, but isn't bulky. To top all this off, a good thickly knitted wool sweater can be added when heading outside. To be really on the fashion cutting edge, you should choose a sweater knitted in one of the northern islands of Europe, where they create sweaters designed to keep sailors warm in freezing ocean water.
Before we move onto the trending outerwear of the season, let's spend a moment talking about denim. Denim is so very 40 degrees ago. It's bulky and made out of that huge fashion don't, cotton. Nothing about the trends this season point to cotton in any form. Really, if you don't want to be seen as behind the times, not to mention cold, avoid cotton and denim.
No one wants to have to spend every waking moment stuck inside, so let's move on with the season's top outerwear choices. There are a few key pieces everyone should own: wool socks, snow pants and coat rated to 0 degrees minimum, and a good stout pair of snow boots, also rated for extreme cold. Make sure these are tall, as tall boots are really making a scene.
Here are some tricks to pull the whole look together after putting on these key pieces. First, take a scarf and wrap your neck really well inside the coat. Think of this as a base scarf. You'll also be glad you invested in a nice, stretchy headband to keep your ears warm. We're wearing these a little differently this season. Instead of pulling it up on top of your head past your hairline, we're seeing these worn across the forehead and over the ears. Remember, exposed skin is really not being done this season. Now, put your parka hood up and find a really long (at least two yards) wool scarf. This can be any color and you can use it to brighten up the whole ensemble. Wrap is well around your neck but over your parka and hood. You'll want at least a couple of wraps so that you can really cover your whole face with it. Finish off by tying it in a jaunty knot at the front.
Finally, add a good pair of gloves. I'm partial to a trend I've been seeing of wearing high tech glove liners, preferably in a bright color, worn under down mittens. This way you have the best of both worlds, with the warmth of the down, but if you do need to use your fingers to say, oh, open a pocket knot to cut the twine on a bale of hay or throw scratch to your chickens, you can do so with your hands remaining covered.
One last item: hair and make-up. Loose hair is just not being seen right now. With all the layers it is too easy for it to get in the way, so a simple bun or pony tail is really what's being done. Make-up of any sort is also on the downward trend. Mascara freezes which is inconvenient when it thaws when you are back inside, and with the lack of focus on skin, no one is going to see your face anyway. Moisturizer though is seeing a huge increase in popularity. You really can't use too much of it.
So there you go. I hope you enjoyed getting a preview of what's really coming out on top in the style world right now. There is still plenty of winter left, so even if you are missing some pieces, it might not be too late to get in on the hot fashion trends.
What's very on point this season is layers. Lots and lots of layers. The most useful layer to begin with is silk long underwear. This should really be your base layer for everything you choose to wear. It's light and warm. You'll regret not making use of this layer when all your friends are happily sitting and chatting in the bright sunlight while you are shivering. After the silk long underwear, the season continues the layering theme by adding a slightly heavier layer of mid-weight long underwear. These come in a variety of colors, so you can really display your own individual style with this piece of your wardrobe. Of course, you are the only one who will enjoy this little pop of color, but hey, you can't have everything. Topping this layering off is a pair of leggings or tights. I prefer a pair of running tights myself.
For the upper half of your body, we will still be working with layers. Here, too, a nice, colorful mid-weight long underwear over the silk is always a good choice. After this things can get tricky, though, and it's easy to fall into some fashion "don'ts". The key is to choosing pieces which can work both inside and outside. I find a thin wool cardigan is the perfect piece after the long underwear. It can be buttoned up for extra warmth, but isn't bulky. To top all this off, a good thickly knitted wool sweater can be added when heading outside. To be really on the fashion cutting edge, you should choose a sweater knitted in one of the northern islands of Europe, where they create sweaters designed to keep sailors warm in freezing ocean water.
Before we move onto the trending outerwear of the season, let's spend a moment talking about denim. Denim is so very 40 degrees ago. It's bulky and made out of that huge fashion don't, cotton. Nothing about the trends this season point to cotton in any form. Really, if you don't want to be seen as behind the times, not to mention cold, avoid cotton and denim.
No one wants to have to spend every waking moment stuck inside, so let's move on with the season's top outerwear choices. There are a few key pieces everyone should own: wool socks, snow pants and coat rated to 0 degrees minimum, and a good stout pair of snow boots, also rated for extreme cold. Make sure these are tall, as tall boots are really making a scene.
Here are some tricks to pull the whole look together after putting on these key pieces. First, take a scarf and wrap your neck really well inside the coat. Think of this as a base scarf. You'll also be glad you invested in a nice, stretchy headband to keep your ears warm. We're wearing these a little differently this season. Instead of pulling it up on top of your head past your hairline, we're seeing these worn across the forehead and over the ears. Remember, exposed skin is really not being done this season. Now, put your parka hood up and find a really long (at least two yards) wool scarf. This can be any color and you can use it to brighten up the whole ensemble. Wrap is well around your neck but over your parka and hood. You'll want at least a couple of wraps so that you can really cover your whole face with it. Finish off by tying it in a jaunty knot at the front.
Finally, add a good pair of gloves. I'm partial to a trend I've been seeing of wearing high tech glove liners, preferably in a bright color, worn under down mittens. This way you have the best of both worlds, with the warmth of the down, but if you do need to use your fingers to say, oh, open a pocket knot to cut the twine on a bale of hay or throw scratch to your chickens, you can do so with your hands remaining covered.
One last item: hair and make-up. Loose hair is just not being seen right now. With all the layers it is too easy for it to get in the way, so a simple bun or pony tail is really what's being done. Make-up of any sort is also on the downward trend. Mascara freezes which is inconvenient when it thaws when you are back inside, and with the lack of focus on skin, no one is going to see your face anyway. Moisturizer though is seeing a huge increase in popularity. You really can't use too much of it.
So there you go. I hope you enjoyed getting a preview of what's really coming out on top in the style world right now. There is still plenty of winter left, so even if you are missing some pieces, it might not be too late to get in on the hot fashion trends.
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