How I'm trying to break my winter style rut

A letter of support for anyone else that struggles with winter fashion

If you’ve known me a while, you’ll know that I’m a summer lover through and through.

I like it hot. I love feeling the warmth of the sun against my skin. I love lounging on the beach for hours, just listening to the sound of waves crashing and feeling the softness of the sand beneath my body. I love the seasonal fruits and berries. And I love the ease and freedom that comes with summer fashion.

My options feel endless when I don’t have to worry about getting too cold. Skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, pants, shorts, and any kind of top. One-shoulder or off-shoulder. Slits and cut-outs. Open backs. Hemlines of any length. Anything goes, and I’ll feel cute and comfortable.

I know it’s an unpopular opinion. Most people consider autumn and winter fashion to be the best because of the layering opportunities. But where the cold weather fans see opportunity, I see restriction.

You see, the only thing that equals my love of warmth is my disdain for cold. I was not born to be in this kind of weather, as the iconic/infamous Jasmine Pineda says. As soon as the temperatures start dipping into the single digits (Celsius, that is), my body immediately starts to tense up and I feel uncomfortable, no matter how many layers I wear. And trust me, my Slavic mother taught me how to layer. I’m not one of those girls that braves the cold with bare legs and strappy sandals.

Even as I type this indoors, in fleece-lined leggings, fuzzy socks, a fleecy sweatshirt, and a blanket surrounding me, I’m plagued by icy fingertips and a dull pain between my shoulders that stays with me from approximately mid-October to late March. I know not everyone will get this; I’ve only met one other person that feels the same way in the cold as I do. I really should live on a tropical island, but here I am on a temperate rainforest island.

And so my body forces me to layer up like a mini Michelin man any time I leave the house: merino wool base layers, thick knitwear on top, full length pants, thick outerwear, and all the cold weather accessories. I’ve tried wearing skirts and dresses in the winter, but even with tights on I just get too cold.

As a result, I often find myself in a style rut in the winter. Pretty much all I feel remotely comfortable in is a sweater and jeans, and I inevitably get bored.

So this winter I’ve been trying to freshen it up, to the best of my ability. Knitwear still dominates my winter wardrobe (how could it not?), but I’ve been experimenting with different pant options and accessories. All while shopping my wardrobe. Even if I do get frustrated with my options, I still have a robust winter selection and don’t feel the need to add anything new.

Here’s how I’ve managed so far.

Denim Alternatives

Excuse the dusty mirror, enjoy Lady’s subtle guest appearance

Jeans have long been my go-to pants in the winter. They pair well with sweaters, and they’re thick. But when they’re all I wear for months on end, the monotony gets to me.

I got these Arket wide-leg wool trousers a few years ago, and they make a great alternative to jeans. Admittedly, my favourite way to style them is with t-shirts and crop tops in the early fall or spring — it’s the perfect blend of casual and dressy.

I find that some of my sweaters feel too stuffy with these pants and the outfits don’t end up feeling like me, but I like them for creating an all black moment. As much as I love pastels, sometimes I enjoy all black everything.

My other alternative is a pair of ribbed black flares (you can sort of see them at the end of the post), which pair really well with most of my sweaters.

Experimental Layering

Not sure what was going on with the lighting here, but you get the idea

Layering is always the reason I see people say fall/winter fashion is the best. To me, that’s typically meant a thermal long sleeve underneath a chunky sweater.

To challenge myself, I decided to experiment with other types of layers I could get away with. And I realized I’ve been underutilizing my blazer. Combined with the right knit, it actually keeps me warm enough!

I got a lot of compliments on this little combo so I’ll be saving it for future use.

Winter Accessories

My mint chocolate chip ice cream scarf

Cold weather accessories are my saviours come winter. They’re also a fun way to make my outfits a bit brighter.

I’ve got a pretty great scarf collection now, thanks to past jobs and family trips to Nepal. So I’ve been adding scarves to almost all of my winter outfits.

Lenny Kravitz, eat your heart out

Dopamine Dressing

A mint toque (that’s beanie for the non-Canadians) with a periwinkle puffer, because why not?

Most of my winter outerwear used to be dark, which I think only put me at a higher risk for SAD. Investing in bright outerwear has really helped me boost my mood during cold weather. I am the pastel minimalist, after all!

My two primary winter coats are now a cream shearling jacket, and a periwinkle blue puffer coat. I’ll admit, it’s *slightly* harder to style the puffer, but it still matches with all my denim, all my cream and black knitwear, and a few other colourful pieces (I love going for a monochromatic look by styling it with my lilac sweater), so I have a lot of options. The cream shearling goes with everything, proving my belief that cream is a superior neutral to black.

My cream shearling jacket and black ribbed flares — this was back in the fall when I wasn’t quite so bundled up

These style experiments still haven’t convinced me that winter fashion is the best (the countdown to spring is on), but they’ve certainly made it feel more exciting. I’m going to continue experimenting and hopefully I’ll only have to resort to jeans and a sweater 75% of the time.

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Thank you for reading! How do you feel about winter fashion? Are you one of the many die hard fans, or are you like me? If you’re also team summer, I hope you found this post inspiring. There’s only a few more months until warmer weather; we can get through this.

For more minimalist wardrobe and life insights, you know what to do.