Tiffany Raiford
Winter is a difficult time of year to get dressed. I mean, I say that as someone who has lived in Florida her entire life and has to figure out how to dress to stay warm at 8 am when the temperature is 50 and still manage to stay cool when the temperature reaches 80 by noon. It’s not a simple task. However, I imagine it’s difficult to dress anywhere in the winter. If it’s very cold, you have to dress so that you stay warm when you’re out but so that you are comfortable when you reach the office or other indoor space you might visit. It’s not easy to get dressed when the weather is cold and miserable, and it’s very simple to make some of the most awful fashion faux pas in the fashion industry during the winter. This is why we recommend you come to terms with some of the biggest winter fashion mistakes around, and learn how to prevent them from happening to you.
Going Out with Wet Hair
One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make when the weather is cold is going out with wet hair. It does not matter how late you are. If you go out with wet hair, you’re going to be miserable. And you’re going to get sick. Do yourself a favor and either do not wash your hair before you go out, or make sure that you dry it thoroughly before you leave the house.
Wearing Open Toe Shoes
We love fashion as much as the next person, but we know that you cannot wear open toe shoes in the winter. It’s too cold. You can’t do it, you shouldn’t do it; and people are not going to notice how amazing your shoes are, only that you are the woman stupid enough to wear them in the most miserable weather conditions.
Not Wearing Appropriate Accessories
When it’s cold outside, you need the correct accessories. Depending on the temperature, this might mean anything from hats to gloves to stockings to a scarf; just make sure you have the right accessories. Otherwise you will find that you are completely miserable and you will probably freeze to death. Then you won’t care how you look and your efforts will have been for nothing.
Wearing Heels
We know you have to go to work or meetings or a date, but don’t wear the heels out of the house. Do yourself a favor and get some Hunter Wellingtons and wear those out of the house and change into heels once you get to the office or meeting. Be practical and functional, and don’t be that person trying to wear 6-inch heels through the snowy streets.
Relying on Leggings
You cannot rely on leggings when the temperature is below 40 degrees. It’s just not warm enough. Sure, they’re great in the fall and spring, but the dead of winter is neither the time nor the place for this kind of clothing. You need jeans or maybe even something more appropriate than just leggings. It does not matter how warm your boots or your sweater is, you have to cover those legs with something appropriate.
Wearing Hose or Tights with Open Toe Shoes
This is such a fashion faux pas, and it applies to the entire year. It is really never acceptable to wear stockings or tights of any kind with shoes that show your toes. It’s tacky and it’s not cute, and you are making a major fashion mistake if you find this look acceptable. You should, instead, find a way to wear closed-toe shoes to complete your look. Trust us.
Leaving Skin Exposed
When it’s dangerously cold – we are not talking about my Florida cold – you have to keep as much of your body covered as possible. Leaving things exposed is like asking to be made miserable. You want all skin as closed off as possible, even if it means wearing your scarf around your mouth and nose and wearing sunglasses and a headband to keep your eyes and forehead from being exposed to the cold air and weather.
Not Layering
Layers are everything in the winter. It’s always colder in the morning and evening, and even though you have to dress for this kind of weather, you have to dress for comfort inside as well. If you spend the day in an office that’s heated to 78, you can’t wear all winter clothes all day long. This is why layers are the best option no matter what you do when you’re out. Get a scarf and gloves, a hat, a winter coat, a light jacket, a cardigan, a long sleeve shirt, pants, boots or whatever else you need to layer it up and feel good no matter the time of day or location.
Wearing a Short Jacket
When it’s cold outside, you need a long jacket. You need something that goes at least to your knees, if not longer than that. You need this to keep you warm or you’re going to be miserable. If the temps are in the 40s or above, a long jacket is probably not overly necessary. However, any lower than that and it becomes absolutely necessary to own a jacket that is an appropriate length to make it possible for you to stay stylish and warm at the same time.
Wearing Cotton
Cotton absorbs moisture. This means that you’re going to be miserable if it’s snowing or sleeting because your ensemble is going to be soaked. Additionally, you’re going to sweat if you’re layered up and unable to take your layers off right away. This is going to lead to wet clothes in cold weather, and that is a good way to get the flu or at least a bad cold. Make sure you’re wearing the right materials for the weather, and never rely on cotton to keep you warm during the winter – especially on your feet. Skip the cotton socks and go with something more durable in the winter.
Photo by Timur Emek/Getty Images for IMG
Comments
Loading…