Welcome back to “Chiberia,” the “Polar Vortex,” or whatever you want to call it. It’s January in Chicago, and as the temperatures drop to record-breaking lows, you may be tempted to forget about fashion and instead hibernate through the remainder of the semester in baggy sweats and a Snuggie. Let’s face it…Chicago is cold, and your boyfriend’s hoodie that is 4 sizes too big sounds much cozier than anything else you have in your closet. Desperate to keep warm, many put their fashion sense on hold until the weather warms up. Winter feels dreary, and all of our “fun, colorful” clothes are stashed away in our “summer wardrobe” waiting to be worn again. Good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice your style to keep warm this winter. In fact, you could even pull out a few of your fun, flowy pieces and incorporate them into your wintery outfits by following these few suggestions:
(Also a big shoutout goes out to my friend who helped me model these outfits! :) )
1. Bright Prints
The sun’s not out nearly as much, the daylight hours are shorter, basically… it’s dark. I am a guilty culprit as well– a majority of my winter clothes are various shades of black, grey, brown, or maroon. Bring some life back to your outfits by adding bright colors and fun prints. This summery floral-printed peplum skirt can be worn with tights and boots in wintertime to keep warm. You could easily throw a chunky black sweater over it for extra warmth on colder days. However you choose to warm it up, you won’t go wrong with mixing bright colors with your darker winter wear.
2. The Short Skater Skirt
We all loved them in the warmer months! Skater skirts have been huge in the fashion industry recently, but it’s hard to wear a skirt in the winter time…especially at a school that gets the bone-chilling lake effect winds. Pair your skater skirt with tights (found these cool ombre tights for super cheap!), I know many places such as H&M and Forever21 had knit tights that are thicker and much warmer than regular tights. Complete the outfit by tucking in a comfy sweater and an even comfier scarf!
3. The Floor-Length Skirt
Also a recent summer fashion staple. They’re modest, chic, comfy, and not to mention super cute! Solid black isn’t too over-the-top to wear in winter, and also allows you to play with fun colors on top! I chose a striped long-sleeve top and tied a belt around the waist to break it up. What’s so great about the long skirt is that you could always wear tights or leggings underneath to add extra warmth… it’s floor-length so nobody would see it anyways!
Expand your wardrobe while still staying warm and comfortable this winter by following these simple tips!