5 Winter Styling Tips to Keep in Mind This Holiday Season

The holiday season is filled to the brim with warm family moments and chilly nights spent holiday shopping late into the evening. During all of the holiday craziness, you’ll need clothes that are going to keep you warm and mobile, without burying you and your style in fabric. Winter may get a bad rep for its cold weather and snowy days, but it’s actually one of the best seasons for expressing your personal style, as you can wear numerous pieces from your closet at once. This provides you with more opportunities to show-off your own unique style profile. If you’re not sure where to start building your next winter outfit, keep some of these 5 winter styling tips in mind for the holiday season.

1. Layers are your friend: While “layers” makes many people think of a bulky concoction of fabric, there are ways to properly layer your clothes for continuous comfort throughout the day without sacrificing your shape. Start with a thin, skin-tight layer, whether it’s a thermal or a thin turtleneck. Next, throw on a sweater or button down as an intermediate layer. This layer is where it pays to be oversized if you’re looking for comfort. Depending on the weather outside, you can add a cardigan or light jacket as a tertiary layer or skip right to a winter parka or pea coat, depending on the occasion. As for the bottom, add tights underneath pants for some extra warmth, and seek out insulated tights if you’re wearing a skirt or dress.
2. Summer clothes and winter clothes are both clothes: Instead of locking away your prettiest summer dress every year, keep some of your favorite pieces out and incorporate them into your winter wardrobe. Have a nice summer dress you love? Layer it over a tight, high-neck sweater to add some warmth on top, along with some insulated tights and high boots, and you’ve made your favorite summer dress into a winter outfit. Summer tank-tops can use the same principles, paired with pants and some lower boots.
3. Break up with monochrome: Many people interpret winter fashion as “wear black from head to toe” without hesitation, and while there’s merit to the monochromatic look, sometimes it’s nice to add a little something more. Break up an all-neutral outfit with a standout accessory or outside layer, like a nice metallic belt or a pastel overcoat. This piece becomes the focal point of your outfit and transforms the same all-black outfit into a different, more unique representation of your style.
4. Keep your coat closed: There’s many people who keep their coat open to show off the outfit underneath it, letting themselves shiver in the icy winds. Instead, close your coat, and define your waist with a belt or coat-tie. Adding a stylish belt can give your coat a new life and convince you to keep it closed at the same time. Leave showing off your outfit underneath for the indoors– your core will thank you later.
5. Invest in scarves you’ll actually wear: Skip buying another cheap, thin scarf from the sales rack that you know will sit in your closet, untouched, all winter long. Look out for fluffy, soft scarves that feel no different than a cloud– you’ll be reaching for one every day. Invest in a few of these high-quality knit scarves and your neck will be so warm all winter long you’ll forget what it was like to feel a winter chill down your spine. Go for neutral colors that will go with everything in your closet, so you basically have an excuse to wear a small blanket to work.

Dressing for the winter time can seem impossible sometimes, but by using some of our tips above, putting together your winter outfit will be a breeze. You deserve to be warm and comfortable in your style through the whole holiday season.