The most important thing to remember when dressing for the cold is that your outfit is only as good as your jacket. When I was in Kindergarten, I remember my mom shoving me into a blue marshmallow-like jacket and hating it. I felt so embarrassed. I couldn’t bring my arms down from the restrictive 90-degree angle position they were stuck in. I would hide my jacket and suffer from being cold for the remainder of my elementary school days. When I got older and gained more fashion perspective (and money) I found jackets that kept me warm and made me feel confident in my outfit.
Currently, my two go-to’s are my Carhart jacket and my Banana Republic leather blazer-style jacket which is so old they don’t sell it anymore on their website. I thrifted both of these jackets for a fraction of their retail price.
I can’t recommend thrifting enough. Thrifting is a cheaper option for pricier items, like outerwear, which allows for more unique pieces and it slows the production of new leather goods. Although leather is a fantastic material that will never peel, tarnish, or burn, it takes a lot of animal skin to produce one leather good. About 5 years ago I switched to buying second-hand fur and leather, and have had nothing but good luck.
It’s good to have versatile pieces, meaning you invest in any shades of black, gray, brown, tan, or white. It will allow you to match your base outfit to your jacket every time. H&M has great and affordable puffer jackets that my friends and I all bought for our first college winter. They also have great faux leather jackets like Aviator Jackets which are to die for. Some higher-end jackets are great choices, like this jacket from Mango. Another great choice is this Stella McCartney leather blazer, a jacket that can be worn for casual and dressy events (super versatile).
Aside from the outwear, a good and warm outfit starts from the bottom layer. As the winter starts to creep up, I tend to wear more t-shirts and tank tops under my sweaters as an extra layer of warmth. I also wear turtle/mock necks under my crew neck sweatshirts and sweaters for extra warmth. Another great solution to the cold is tights. I know it sounds like something your grandma wears or you had to wear to your school chorus shows, but it allows you to extend skirt season further into the winter. Tights can also add an extra pop of pattern or color to your outfit.
Inversely you can make your jacket the statement and tone down the base outfit. If you were to wear black jeans, a black long sleeve, black boots, and then this Cow Print Trench coat… a heavenly outfit. That Banana Republic trench is the statement piece I need in my life. Another jacket I came across was this Louis Vuitton Red Leather Coat. The color is the red of my dreams, and this is a more subtle statement than the cow trench but still bold and versatile. Too bad the price is about the same cost as room and board for college.
There are so many ways to stay warm out in the winter without wearing an awkward-length LLBean puffer jacket from the first grade. No matter your budget you deserve to look good all year round!