Note: Today’s post contains affiliate links about How to Look Polished in Cold Weather (Without Buying New Clothes). Thank you for supporting the brands that support Something Good.
I think we’ve officially hit the point in winter when most people are over the snow and cold and dressing for the snow and cold. (I’m one of the few who isn’t, but that’s from growing up in Wisconsin.) And it’s completely fair to feel over it. It can be really easy to feel frustrated with your winter style. You need layers to keep warm and shoes that can handle the weather. And by the time you’re done putting on all of the bulky layers, you’re exhausted and you feel anything but polished.
Luckily, that can be fixed. In this post, I’ll show you how to look polished in the winter and how you can do this without buying any new clothing, along with a few cold weather style tips.
What Makes an Outfit Look “Polished” in Winter
That’s the million dollar question. Is it actually possible? Yes, you just need to focus on three main things.
Structure:
What are the pieces that make up your outfit? When you’re putting together an outfit, it’s important to not focus on the individual pieces, but how they come together as a whole. If you’re pairing a bulky sweater, with a bulky jacket, and bulky pants (you get the idea), your whole outfit is going to look…well, bulky.
Proportion
I’ve talked about this in previous posts, but proportions is all about how you’re balancing the pieces you’re wearing. You want to make sure that your individual pieces work well together to to form your body’s silhouette. For instance, if you’re wearing something tight on top, it’s good to pair it with something looser on the bottom (and vice versa). The easiest way to do this is the rule of thirds (which is different from the rule of threes I talked about in my newsletter). This tool focuses on how your sleeve length, top’s hemline, and pants hemline break up your body. If you’ve ever read about photography, it’s a similar idea: you want to divide your picture (or body) into three sections and you want the focus to be in 1/3 or 2/3 of the picture. In clothing, it means that your outfit should either be divided into thirds (based on the hems) or 1/3 + 2/3.
Here’s an image to show you what I mean
Intentional layering
This one should feel pretty straightforward. If you’re layering, you don’t just want to throw on any layers you have laying around. You want to put your layers on in order from most fitted and lightest to loosest and heaviest. An example of this would be putting on a fitted long sleeve tee, a looser sweater, and then your coat. Another example would be that instead of wearing a pair of bulkier leggings under your skirt, wear fleece tights instead. The tights will be thinner and more fitted than the leggings, so you’ll get the added warm without messing up the fit of your skirt.
The #1 Winter Styling Mistake Women Make
Now that we know how to make our outfit more polished, let’s talk about the mistake women most commonly make: overlaying without structure.
What does that mean?
It means you’re putting on all of your layers of clothing without paying attention (or at least close attention) to how all of those layers work together. You can almost think about it in terms of getting a kid ready to go outside in the winter. You want to keep them warm, but you don’t really care about what their outfit looks like, so you just grab all of the pieces that will keep them warm. By the end of it, they probably have their arms stuck out like a star and can barely move their body (this is a slight exaggeration, but you get the point).
Simple Layering Tricks That Instantly Elevate an Outfit
So how can we fix the problem before it even happens? Pay close attention to your layers. I’ve shared how you can do that in the example below.
Base Layer: Long Sleeve Tee (heat tech option), fleece lined tights (more expensive, but great quality), socks
Mid-Layer: Cashmere Sweater (less expensive version), Wide Leg Pants, Ankle Boots, Earrings
Outerwear Layer: Jacket, Hat, Scarf, Gloves
Mid-layer strategy
Let’s say you’re getting dressed for work in a super cold building. You’re most likely going to think about your main outfit first, which is absolutely fine. It just means that once you’ve picked your main outfit, you then need to make sure that you’ve picked pieces that can fit a base layer without scrunching the mid-layer or showing lines. In the outfit below, I’ve picked a fitted sweater, wide leg pants, and ankle boots. All items that can easily fit a base layer underneath.
Base layers
So what would easily fit under those pieces? A fitted long sleeve tee, fitted leggings or tights, and a pair of socks. I would also suggest picking tights over leggings if you’re wearing them under pants because tights are less likely to have seams that are visible under your pants. Fleece-lined tights are even better and super warm.
For your undershirt, you should know if you want it completely hidden or if you’re okay if it slightly peeks out (especially if your mid-layer is fitted). I actually love layering a crewneck tee or a turtleneck under a sweater. I love how a white shirt looks peeking out of a collar, or slightly longer sleeves. A turtleneck can also add another dimension to your outfit (like my outfit below). It’s small details that can make your outfit look more intentional.
Outerwear fit
For your top layer, I would use this wool coat with black leather gloves. A fitted coat works with this outfit because the pieces underneath are more fitted. However, if it was a looser sweater, I would suggest a jacket with a looser fit, like a puffer. That way you don’t feel like your entire mid-layer is bunched up when you put your jacket on. We’ll get into that a little more in a minute.
Small Details That Make a Big Difference
Once you’ve got your outfit set, it’s now about the small details that will really make it pop.
Shoes
Your thought process here will be the same as it is any time you pick shoes. Pick the shoes that go with your whole outfit (the only exception being if you need walking shoes and then shoes you can change into when you go inside). I love bean boots, but they wouldn’t work with this outfit. The pants would either go on top of the boot and sit funny or you would have to tuck your pants in and they would billow everywhere.
Alternatively, if you’re wearing an oversized puffer, putting on boots with a thin heel would look like you aren’t sure where you’re going.
Bags
Again, match your bag to where you’re going and what you need. I can tell you from experience that totes and heavy, puffy jackets don’t go well together. You’ll have a hard time keeping it on your shoulder and you’ll quickly get annoyed. For this kind of jacket, a backpack would feel more secure and look better. Your tote will do much better with a fitted coat. It’ll be easier to keep it on and you won’t have any excess fabric pushing it down.
Hair
I’m not going to tell you how to style your hair, do whatever works best for you. But keep in mind if you’re going to be putting on a hat. An elaborate hair style will be ruined underneath a hat and hair will volume might be flattened. My only trick to keeping your hair somewhat intact is to wear a satin-lined hat. I’ve been using one for the last two years and my hair is much better for it.
Proportions
Proportions are important for your accessories too! You can actually apply the rule of three here as well, if that makes it easier. For example, if you divided it up into thirds, it might be a scarf, belt, and boots. A 1/3 and 2/3 division might be wearing a longer scarf (like the picture below).
How to Work With the Clothes You Already Own
Closet re-combinations
The good news is that you don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe to look more polished. Instead look at the pieces you normally combine and think about if they’re the best combination. Are the proportions right? Are you balancing the pieces? Can you fit a layer underneath? If your outfit doesn’t work with those guidelines, you can just look for new combinations for each piece. Maybe you pair a sweater with a skirt instead of pants or you switch out the first sweater for one with a different fit. You just need to play with the different combinations until you find one that works.
Editing vs shopping
If you feel like none of your pieces will work together and you must go shopping, that may actually mean that you need to edit (ie clean) out your wardrobe first. There’s a good chance that you have all of the pieces you need, you just can’t find them amid all of the noise.
When Winter Style Feels Impossible, Get Help
Have you tried new combinations and you still feel stuck? Or does a closet cleanout to find your pieces just feel overwhelming? If you feel like you keep hitting a wall, the good news is that a stylist can help! A stylist can help you find the different combinations that actually work and find the pieces you need amidst all the clutter. They can also help you do that closet edit much quicker than you could do it yourself.
If you’re really identifying with the problems I just mentioned, let’s talk! We can set up a free consultation to talk about what problems you’re running into and how we can solve them. You can also email me and we can chat there.
FAQ Section
- How do I look stylish but stay warm?
Layering and pay attention to fabric types. Brands like Uniqlo carry pieces that are lightweight and perfect for layering but keep you warm. Pieces that will incorporate silk (like this Lands End line) are actually going to be much warmer than you expect because the silk keeps the heat in and against your body.
You can also see what pieces you can trade out for fleece lined pieces. A lot of brands have fleece lined versions of their tights or leggings which will be much warmer.
Finally, look for sweaters that are a heavier weight/fabric. Cotton is great, but a wool sweater will keep you warmer. - Can winter outfits look professional?
Yes! Like we talked about earlier, it’s all about paying attention to your layers and keeping the proportions of your pieces in mind. Look at which of your work pieces can fit a layer underneath and still look good.
Remember, I’m always here to help you out! Comment below or send me an email with any questions you have!
