Function meets Fashion

Winter in Wisconsin can be confusing when it comes to fashion for both women and men. You look on the Internet and through magazines for ideas on how to dress for the season and they show short sleeves, sleeveless, short skirts and sometimes bare legs. If you’re lucky, a sweater or thin jacket may be included. Cute, yes. Practical, no — unless you live in Texas, Arizona or other southern states.

Your initial thought is, the heck with looking stylish. I’m cold and I’m going to bundle up so who cares how I look? So you leave home looking like the abominable snowman or like you’re going to a Packers game in January. If you’re actually going to a Packers game, awesome, pack it on. The more chunky layers, the better.

But let’s face it: Wisconsin winters are long. Really, really long. After a while, one gets tired of constantly bundling while our stylish clothes gather dust in the back of the closet. Here are some winter fashion ideas so you’ll look chic even when the temperature is below zero.

First, it’s all about layering. Recently one of my Twitter friends, @Melissa McKean tweeted that it was so cold she was starting to wear her thin, silk long underwear (like these thermals at L.L. Bean). I responded that was an excellent idea and a great fashion tip (I usually tweet a fashion tip of the day). You don’t have to forfeit style while staying warm. Wear thin layers like silk thermals or even thicker tights under your clothes — you’ll be comfortably warm and you’ll look great.

There are many types and brands of silk thermals for both men and women. Once you have your foundation of warmness, you can decide what look you want to achieve.

Men: You can layer your dress shirt over this if you’re cold at the office; add a suit jacket to finish it off. For a more casual look you can layer a turtleneck or knit shirt on top of your thermals and add a button down oxford or other semi-casual button down shirt over that.

 

For even more warmth, you can layer a turtleneck and sweater, or button down shirt and sweater. If you want ultimate warmth, use all of the above layers, but just remember: they can’t be bulky like corduroy or other thick fabrics, unless you want to look like the Michelin Man.

Wear thermals on your bottom half under your dress pants, khakis or jeans for more warmth. Footwear is just is important. Pick warm socks and add your normal shoes if you’re going to be inside, or stylish boots (yes, there are stylish boots) for venturing outdoors.

Women: The options are almost limitless for us, but for the sake of brevity, let’s focus on a few. Tip: you can use the men’s ideas as your own; just use your feminine pieces instead. Once your silk (or other thin) thermals are on, you can add a sheer print top (no worries about someone seeing skin underneath) and a jacket or cardigan to make it office worthy.

If you have a few summer pieces like a camisole or short-sleeve jacket  that you absolutely love but had to put it away for winter, get ’em out and try layering a thermal and long-sleeve knit top underneath. Voila! You’ve got a fun and flirty look that’s still incredibly warm.

For a dressy or office-appropriate look, start with the thermal, layer on a blouse or nice knit top and finish off with a sleeveless dress. A good pair of tights is an essential — they look great and keeps your legs warm. Add a pair of tall boots and you may even break a sweat. Lace-up boots are a hot trend this season, and they actually keep your feet warm. Give them a try.

If you’re addicted to leggings, in the dead of winter wear thin thermals or tights underneath and you’ll be much warmer. Since we’re talking about leggings, you can always layer them under jeans or khakis for warmth.

Invest in a good pashmina or knit scarf — they’ll keep you warm and finish off your look. With all this layering, don’t forget to add your accessories to avoid looking dull. Fun jewelry and a great bag can really perk up an outfit.

Stop the shivering, start the layering.

*Cover photo by Suicine via Flickr