When the temperature finally falls to the 50s, every New Yorker’s instinct is to grab that puffer jacket and zip it to the top—and I don’t blame them, the NYC wind tunnels are no joke. But when we finally have the opportunity to wear that new sweater or the boots we’ve been dying to bring out, they lose their luster when they’re hiding under a bulky coat that makes you feel like Ralphie’s little brother during that scene in A Christmas Story.
Maybe when we were little, we would get frustrated with our moms telling us to bundle up because we didn’t have a coat that we liked to bundle up in. Layering doesn’t have to be a chore, and our sense of style doesn’t have to disappear as soon as the leaves fall. No matter if your personal style is a definitive and you follow an aesthetic to a “T,” if you’re someone who is open to exploring new styles, or if you’re still trying to find the clothes that won’t just fit you but will fit you, learning how to “multitask” your closet for colder weather might just make those freezing, dark mornings a little bit brighter.
No matter what your style is, jackets are a really easy way to create different aesthetics with the same outfit. Take the trendy, leather bomber jackets for example; wear a dark top, jeans, and a pair of heeled boots, and you’re leaning towards Pinterest academia. Pair it with a longer skirt, flats, and graphic tee if you’re more into the laid-back “downtown girl” aesthetic.
If you’re someone who still holds onto the “beauty is pain” mindset, even when it comes to the cold, my favorite jacket alternative I’ve seen recently is a knitted poncho. I know, we all think of the 2016 fall girlies when we think “poncho,” but the vintage fashion girls are bringing them back for 2025. Self-proclaimed “cool girls” are wearing them with mini-skirts, which can be accompanied by tall boots over your favorite pair of fuzzy socks, or some fleece-lined tights to keep warm. For those who are trying to bring back boho with a more modern feel, find a poncho in a brighter color—the more colors, the better—and wear your favorite pair of comfy jeans. Use the “sandwiching method” and add a pair of shoes that match one of the colors on your poncho to make everything cohesive.
Still opposed to coats? Who would’ve guessed it, your next best bet for warmth is layering! Not each layer has to be visible in some way; it can be really easy to disguise layers, especially with looser winter clothes. Sometimes an extra top or thermal hidden under your comfy sweater is enough to keep comfortable, or opt for a more fitted zip-up over a long sleeve if you find you want to bring back—or really continue—the Y2K fashion craze. For those that love the look of layers, tighter turtlenecks under those sweaters gives you the opportunity to add more color to an outfit, or even to tie in and highlight another color from something you’re already wearing. Matching the little pops of color from those underneath layers to accessories like headbands, hairclips, purses, or even socks if they’re visible creates another layer (no pun intended) to the intentionality of what you wear, no matter the aesthetic you’re aiming for. Sometimes, it really is all in the details.
Speaking of accessories, those winter hats, gloves, and scarves are things you could break out earlier than you might think. Fun knit hats and thinner, colorfully striped scarves could easily bump a simple outfit, like a white sweater and jeans, to the next level. Thicker scarves with more muted colors or patterns say that you’re using this accessory solely for what it was made for: warmth. Hooded scarves have become a rising trend as we enter colder weather—not only are they chic, they’re less likely to mess up or flatten your hair because they’re looser and they keep you covered, wrapping around your head and neck too in some cases, and shield snow from falling down the back of your jacket. For brisk walks in the cold, mittens might do just fine; my personal favorites are the vintage-style embroidered mitts. For those of us who still might need Google Maps to navigate the trains (myself included), fingerless gloves are your new best friend for these colder seasons. In order to incorporate these into your style, the most important aspects to consider are color and style. Would you rather have them be a focus of your outfit, or ensure they’re not a distraction from what you’re wearing?
Style is almost entirely experimental. It is dependent on our comfort, our preferences, our environments, and is a constant factor of the changes we see socially. What’s important to remember, though, is that we’re going through an age of mass consumerism in which cheap, factory made clothes are cycling through closets fast. Earth.org provides alarming statistics concerning clothing waste, but they also give encouraging tips on how to combat this detriment to our environment. Considering the article states that the average consumer in the U.S. discards 81.5 pounds of clothing a year, the last thing we need is to click the “confirm order” button to follow a trend that will run its course within the month. Dig through the back of your closet, support local thrift stores, or even trade a few pieces with your friends. While style is subject to change, I emphasize finding one or a few styles that you feel best suit you so that they can and will continue to suit you for a longer period of time. Though you may not realize it every time you get dressed, your clothes can be just as political as they are personal.