Winter Essentials

When I first moved to London many years ago from sunny South Africa I found the colder months to be quite miserable, to say the least. Then I moved to Switzerland and found the winter months to be even colder, which made winter a mostly moany and somewhat depressing time for me. It was not until a Swedish friend of mine told me about a popular saying they had in Sweden “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”, that I started to reassess my winter wardrobe choices. My friend was so right and after making that obvious change I don’t dread winter, instead, I (almost) look forward to comfy, warm layers all bundled up and snug.

So with it already being December and the official start of winter I wanted to share key winter essentials that work for me.

Coats from L to R can be found here, here and here.

Wool Coats & Down Jackets: these are the most essential for any winter wardrobe. I like having a good slightly dressy wool coat for when I want to look smart and put together, I especially like wrap coats (more available here) and slightly oversized coats – oversized coats are great for layering. When it comes to puffer jackets a good quality, warm, ethically made down jacket is your best friend, especially if you are frequently outdoors like me (walking Bella) and/or have to commute to work/school (waiting at cold train/tram/bus stops come to mind).

Thermal Set from L to R can be found here, here and here.

Thermal Tops & Leggings: okay I know this is not very glamorous at all, but believe me they are a godsend and I wish I knew about them when I first moved to Europe! Thermals are usually made from lightweight material that is specially designed to keep you warmer when the temperature drops. I love layering them under a cashmere pullover and a down jacket. I mostly use the leggings under jeans, but they can also be worn with any type of trousers.

Cashmere pieces from L to R can be found here, here and here.

Cashmere: Cashmere does tend to be more on the expensive side when compared to wool, however, I have found them to be well worth the money especially when it comes to pullovers. I have found having a few pullovers in rotation keeps the cashmere in good condition and helps to avoid pilling, I also only hand wash my cashmere pieces so it keeps its shape. When it comes to cashmere accessories I love a nice, soft cashmere scarf. I just got myself one of these classic fringed cashmere scarves from Johnstons of Elgin. I picked up one in grey, they also come in a multitude of other colours.

Boots from L to R can be found here, here and here.

Boots: My feet are always cold and I go on 2 walks a day with my dog in every type of weather condition so I need to have warm and practical boots in winter. For everyday walks in the forest I have my Timberland boots, for snowy days I have my trusty Sorel winter boots and for when I am going out somewhere nice and want to look a bit more “dressed up” and feminine 😉 I have my Stuart Weitzman Lowland boots. Depending on your work dress code you might have to switch out from your chunky boots to pumps when you get to the office.

So that is pretty much my essentials for winter. I hope they were helpful to anyone else who struggles with the colder temperatures. Do you have any winter essentials to share?

Posted By: Steffy · In: Fashion