As we enter a New Year, there are often a mix of feelings that we experience; firstly, most of us will be utterly exhausted after the chaos of Christmas. Of course we enjoy seeing our beloved family and friends, but it can sometimes feel like this holiday allows little time for relaxation and recharging. Ultimately, when January rolls around, the entire world seems to slip into a lazy lull that makes us feel lethargic, uninspired and in need of a few more days off work.
New Year also seems to bring its own sense of dread; when that infamous countdown begins, we celebrate, laugh, dance, drink… but then we start thinking about all the resolutions we’ve committed to and the promises we’ve made to ourselves; all of a sudden, we are hit with an overwhelming sense of unfulfilled expectations.
Don’t worry, we all feel like this at the start of a new year! However, after the hazy daze of holiday festivities begins to wear off, we then get excited for the opportunities and new beginnings that we will come across in the months ahead. The New Year offers us endless possibilities with new technologies, new jobs, new friends and new trends.
Remember, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to become a whole new person; if you are looking to work on yourself this year, simply try something new and see how it feels. Why not try a few different fashion trends? Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone can help us to feel energised and exhilarated, giving us the confidence we need to have another fantastic year. Check out our Winter styling tips to get some ideas for the new you in 2022.
Layer Up
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It probably goes without saying that, in Winter, you definitely need to layer up. As the days begin to get longer and colder, you want to make sure that you are wrapped up warm. People often think that this means you need to compromise on style, but we are here to tell you that you certainly don’t! Layers can add so much depth to an outfit, and when you know what accessories to use, you can take a old knitted jumper and transform it into a stylish jumper dress that encapsulates the in-vogue catwalk trends. Think thick fabric; the thicker the fabric, the better. Chunky, cable knit scarves and hats have made a comeback recently; what used to be viewed as outdated and old-fashioned is now being seen as chic and retro.
If you want to stay warm, whilst also looking sophisticated, vamp up an outfit with a belt, a hat and jewellery that reflects your personal style. Firstly, opt for a large, oversized jumper dress in a neutral colour; we recommend white/grey, beige, nude or light brown. On its own, this probably seems rather dull, but with the right accessories, it can look sophisticated and elegant. Get yourself a chunky belt with a few sparkles to give it that extra oomph; this will pull in your waist, giving your body shape and adding another component to the outfit. The takeaway tip here is to keep your overall outfit minimalist and introduce maximalist accessories to reflect your personality.
Next, get yourself a hat; you can either go for a beret if you want a classier look, or you can choose a wool hat that gives off those casual, laid-back vibes. Whichever hat you pick, make sure that you opt for another neutral colour, so maybe decide on a chocolate brown or a caramel hue that works with your skin tone and hair colour.
Last but not least, pick out some jewellery that shows off a little bit of you. This last accessory is entirely dependent on your personal taste; you may want to wear some gold hoop earrings for that girl-next-door aesthetic, or you might add a few silver rings to match your sparkly belt. Voila! This is just one example of how you can layer up accessories on top of your Winter outerwear; try it out with a few different staple pieces and see what works for you.
Chunky & Funky Booties
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In Wintertime, you can’t go wrong with some long, chunky boots. Not only are they nice and toasty, but they can be styled in so many different ways. The first rule of long, chunky boots is NEVER to wear them with trousers. As much as we love a pair of high waisted jeans, we can’t justify ruining the look with some big, black boots. If you prefer ankle length boots, then that’s a different story. Chunky boots could also work well with the jumper dress look in our first fashion hack.
The best way to incorporate this accessory into your Winter wardrobe is to pick out some warm dresses or skirts and throw on a pair of patterned tights. Another concept that we love with these boots is the matching skirt, jacket combo. Think of Alicia Silverstone’s classic yellow two piece in Clueless. Obviously, you can tone it down if that’s a little too much for you. All you have to do is find a matching set, preferably a jacket and skirt that sport the same pattern or colour; this could be seen as a black & white striped duo, a baby blue linen set, a bold red corduroy two piece or anything that speaks to you personally. Once you have your two-piece picked out, throw on your chunky, black boots, grab a handbag that matched and you’re all set for a Winter walk down the highstreet!
Snoods & Hoods
Vogue Image Link: This Winter, You’re Going to Need a Knit Hood Hat | Vogue
Finally,
let’s talk about the age of the snood. Snoods have recently come into fashion, as seen in Vogue, Miu Miu, and all the major fashion magazines. Given that we have spent the past couple of years living through the pandemic, we have managed to find a way to make masks fashionable. Masks have come a long way from those ugly hospital masks that we all wore at the start of lockdown; now, you can buy them in every colour, pattern and design. In a way, it seems that snoods are the new way to embrace the mask, serving three main purposes:
- Keeping your face warm in the bitter Winter weather.
- Protecting you from COVID 19.
- Looking stylish.
These snood-like designs often allow you to pull the scarf up into a mask, giving you a sleek, clean look that embraces the modern trends of minimalism. If you have been keeping up with which coats and jackets are on-trend right now, you will know that you can’t go through Winter without a shearling coat. These coats have become extremely popular over the past few months and are predicted to remain so in 2022. The only down side of these beautifully soft, sheepskin jackets is that they tend to come without any hoods; that’s where the snood comes in.
The best part about these new designs is that you can wear them with anything; you simply need to make sure that you keep your colour tones neutral, and your accessories bold. Think of the snood as the headscarf of Winter.
There you have it; our brief guide to styling your accessories this Winter. We hope that you have a wonderful 2022 and if you want to try something different and bring out a new side of yourself, test a few of our fashion tips and see what works for you.