Walking to class last January in the black and gold beret I bought to channel my inner Parisian, I fell prey to the difficulties of winter fashion—after fighting to keep my hat on in the Midwestern wind, I arrived to class freezing and frizzy. Unfortunately, cold ears and hat hair are just the start of the cold weather clothing problems we collegiettes™ face year after year. From freezing texting fingers to slush-crusted boots and ugly Uggs, the joys of winter fashion are often hard to find. To keep you comfortable and coordinated this winter, Her Campus has investigated the answers to your most pressing winter clothing concerns—how do I keep my fingers free for texting but still keep warm? Are there any stylish boots out there that can stand up to winter weather? Is it possible to wear a hat without having flat and frizzy hair for the rest of the day? We found out.
I love winter accessories like scarves and earmuffs but they always leave my hair full of static.
Even if Rihanna and SJP think big hair is back, most of us don’t aim to have hair that resembles the Bride of Frankenstein’s locks (or Helena Bonham Carter’s for that matter!) Which is why a constant winter woe is static-filled hair. I used to blame my ‘I just stuck my finger in an electrical socket’ look on earmuffs and scarves until Jessica Rizzo, hair stylist at Paul Labreque Salons, told me that static-y hair has nothing to do with accessories. In fact, static occurs from hair that becomes dried out due to cold air. When a scarf or pair of earmuffs rubs against un-moisturized hair it creates friction, which causes static.
To keep hair sleek instead of static-y, make sure you use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner—my hair care choice is Pantene’s moisturizing line. Also blow-drying hair is, as the name suggests, very drying so try to forgo your dryer in the winter. In addition to using moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, homemade hair masks are a great way to keep your hair healthy and shining.
Here is a great and simple recipe for a hair mask:
- Scoop out the inside of 1 avocado and place in a bowl
- Pour one cup of olive oil into the bowl
- Mix the avocado and olive oil together
- Slather the mixture onto your hair
- Let sit for 20 minutes
- Shampoo and Condition
If moisturizing your hair isn’t enough, look for hats and earmuffs specially manufactured to reduce static. For example, Lands’ End ThermaCheck Ear Wrap is specifically designed to resist static cling. [pagebreak]If I wear gloves it takes me forever to text but if I don’t wear anything on my hands they get too cold.
Every season, I fall prey to this winter dilemma: should I risk purple fingers to text back a friend? Usually, my phone wins and my fingers end up chapped and cold while I text. Luckily for us, a miracle accessory has been invented!: Mittenberrys are pretty, lightweight wool gloves with a thumb flap that allows for easy texting. Another great option are flap-mittens, mittens that have a removable flap which can either cover your fingers or not. Some great places to buy flap-mittens are Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie.