Winter Blues
If you are anything like me, by this time in winter you are sick of your clothes. This is because I feel restricted in my choices by my need to keep warm.
This need in the past has led me to wear very similar outfits, day after day. When I have work appointments to go to, then I break the boredom by wearing my fancier winter work clothes, but for days at home working and playing with the kids, I don’t want to wear my work clothes. So what I end up wearing tends to be jeans and a heap of jumpers, topped off, if I am feeling extra cold, with polar fleece.
And I get sick of it. Partly because I find jeans and a jumper pretty boring and less polished and glamorous than I want to look.
Another huge problem that I have with winter clothes is that I don’t look good with most dark colours near my face. Black, dark grey, many navys, lots of dark murky reds, deep oranges and greens. Nope. I am a light spring, and that means that I look great in softer brightish warm colours. Lime green for example. And it is an interesting fact that in winter a lot of the colours at retail are winter or deep autumn. I have been lucky in recent years that one of the fashion colours was blush, which is fab for me (actually it is a universally flattering colour, so it’s probably good for you too.) And I have been able to get a nice jumper or two.
So there are a few things that I can and try to do
- Find extra nice jumpers and jeans. At some level I do like this look, if the parts are all right. I find jeans easy enough to find good fits, but I really struggle with jumpers. I find that a lot of the warm ones are ugly or poor quality. I bought some woolen jumpers from one site and they stretched, shrunk, pilled and were super stain absorbent. (Not all on the one jumper). For there to be a lot of warmth in a jumper I find that I need a close weave wool/merino/cashmere jumper, or at least a blend that is rich in them. These are of course expensive, and I am picky about colour and fit. I am looking for a flattering fit these days, rather than just casual slouch.
- Wear polar fleece. Nice and warm. I bought my husband a fleece lined polar fleece jacket from Lowes and it is so warm. I do like it enough to borrow it sometimes, so that’s not a bad option. I am keeping my eyes peeled for good polar fleece tops. But then, not that actively, because it isn’t the greatest choice for the environment, even though some are made from recycled polyester, apparently they shed fibres as they are washed that then enter our waterways which isn’t great for any animals that drink the water.
- Quilted cotton jackets. This is what I would like to add at the moment. Isobel Marant Etoile bring them out every year, the price point can be high though. But you can pick up new ones on ebay, or good condition second-hand ones, just set up an ongoing alert. I still wear a lightweight woollen jumper and shirt under my jacket because I hate being cold. And some other companies are beginning to make them.
- Other cool looking warm jackets. Again I wear these over jumpers, but they add more warmth as well as changing up the look. I picked up an awesome fake fur jacket this year and I like it! Easy to find a light warm brown fake fur.
- Change the pant silhouette. I have discovered that it is specifically jeans with jumpers that I don’t like, I like jumpers with dressy drapey joggers or some velvet stretch pants. I have also bought a pair of pleather pants on sale. I love them and they are super warm. A real wardrobe hero. And they instantly give sass and dress everything else up, including my husband’s polar fleece and my oversized jumpers.
Do you struggle with dressing in any season? Is it winter? Or do you live in a place where it is so hot in summer your only aim is to stay cool?