COLUMN: Fashionably avoiding frostbite
Wearing the right clothing is crucial for making it through a Cache Valley winter without contracting frostbite, but don’t let style fall to the wayside in an attempt to keep warm.
The crucial piece in surviving the winter is a coat. I tried walking outside without one, and I discovered it really doesn’t matter what else you wear – you are going to be cold if you don’t wear a coat. You have a couple of different options depending on how many seasons you want your coat to last.
When choosing a coat that will last multiple seasons, pick one in a neutral color with a classy cut. A navy blue pea coat can be both trendy and classic. This style was seen all over the runway during New York fashion week and is almost always flattering.
If you only want to have a coat for this season, pick something in one of the top new colors for this year. According to pantone.com, emerald is the new color of the year, and an emerald jacket can be fashionable if you do it right. If you wear an emerald coat, don’t wear it with brightly colored pants or a fluorescent hat – let your coat take center stage and pair it with neutral pants and accessories. Pantone also released some other top colors of the year, which include lemon zest, monaco blue, poppy red, nectarine and five other colors that would look spectacular on any well-cut jacket. Just remember: Don’t limit these colors to just a coat.
Choosing a neutral coat opens the door to many possibilities when accessorizing with scarves, hats and gloves.
Coats are fabulous, but sometimes they lack pockets, which poses a problem walking to class. Prevent cold hands by wearing gloves. Depending on how warm you want your hands, you have a couple choices. Hobo gloves are awesome for keeping your hands warm while allowing you to text or play angry birds. Mittens will keep your whole hand warm but you lose the ability to use your fingers individually. Gloves are great if you want to keep your hands warm but still use your fingers.
Hats come next. I recommend beanies, earmuffs or thick headbands. Beanies are great for bad hair days. It is super easy to pull all of your hair up and cover both it and your ears. I knew a girl who had bright pink earmuffs, and they were ridiculously cute. Earmuffs are a fantastic option for keeping your ears warm. Thick headbands work as both beanies and earmuffs. A headband can cover your ears and hide at least part of a bad hair day.
You get extra points if you can coordinate your gloves, hat and scarf. A blue and white-striped scarf with a blue hat and blue gloves is a cute way to sport Aggie colors and stay warm. Try an emerald-green scarf and a cream hat and gloves for wearing the color of year. Almost anything paired with a white color will look spectacular.
Speaking of scarves, they are handy if you don’t like having frozen nose hair. Scarves can be made of practically anything: wool, fleece, yarn or silk. Boots are marvelous as well. The snow here gets pretty deep, and having frozen feet is not on my top ten list of things I want to experience. Wear a pair of cute knee high boots to save your toes, but be sure to wear flats: Wearing heels in the winter is practically asking to slip and fall. Trust me on this one.
When it comes to winter style, try your best to be fashionable but still functional. Wearing coordinating boots, scarves, hats, coats and gloves is the key to having a winter chic look.
– carli@jdsco.com