5 tips to style your outerwear to avoid winter boredom

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How not get bored with you winter outerwear

Besides the cold, wearing the same coat over and over again is why many women do not like winters in the city. In regions where winter lasts more than four months, women often have more than one coat, but even then many of these women feel winter boredom style wise. In regions where winter hangs around longer than four months a creating an awesome coat wardrobe is essential just to cover the wide range of winter temperatures. In Interior Alaska, winter stays around seven months. Thus, fighting a winter rut actively is a Must. Now, how can you to avoid a winter style rut without buying additional coats or winter outerwear accessories?

How to avoid a winter outerwear style rut

In this post, I show you by the various examples how to style your coats. It is amazing how many different ways one can style a winter coat when one tries not to get into a style rut. The wide range of low temperatures can serve to apply layers for feeling comfortable. At the same time, layering changes the look. Your outfit is different depending on the ambient temperature.

In the following, I give outfit inspirations for various temperature ranges. It’s important to have the right coats for your climate zone.

Lodden coat  (example 0)

This example is the easiest. Start with an interesting coat like this lodden coat with a twist (motorcycle jacket cut, but half calf-length). Add a pop of surprising color with a bag (here orange) and wear your coat open with a dress underneath that picks up the colors of the bag and your heels. Of course, in Alaska, this look only works in fall, but it’s a perfect LOTD in warm climates on a mild winter day – think, for instance, dressing for humid sub-tropical climate.

Shearling (example 1)

The photo above shows how to add color with a Russian floral print wool scarf and matching gloves. The fuchsia bag adds another color. Since the coat, tights and shoes are all black, the bright bag adds interest.

Shearling (example 2)

When styling a winter coat keep in mind that the part of your indoor outfit that is not covered by the coat automatically is part of your outerwear. Let the vibe and colors of the showing indoor wear lead your styling. In the photo above, the blue of the polka dot tight is picked up by the scarf wrap, stone and leather color of the belt.

Shearling (Example 3)

The photo above shows a styling around a dark denim skirt and blue tights. A skirt should show about two inch (5 cm) out of the coat for the best look. In this styling example, I chose the accessories around the theme of black, blue and tan, i.e. three neutrals. In case of straight up-and-down or bulky coats accesorizing with a belt adds shape to the look. The paisley print ties the colors of the tan bag, belt, and head band, the black coat and boots, and the blue skirt and tights together. It also adds a playful interest with the red that is part of the paisley print. The outfit below uses the same idea, but around a gray, black and red color theme.

Shearling (Example 4)

Shearling (example 5)

There are many reasons and ways to accessorize with scarves for style. The look above shows how to style a coat with boy-friend jeans. The casual vibe of the jeans is picked up by the cable-knit scarf. Again a belt is used to add shape to the look. The hat adds height, which is always a nice styling trick to look slim in a thick shearling.

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Shearling (example 6)

The styling above evolves again around gray tights and gray suede boots like in the second photo of example 3. However, this time a gray-burgundy-black long knit scarf with fringes and a burgundy beret are added for a Euro Chic inspired look. The fuchsia of the bag adds a pop of color which makes this outfit stand out in a crowd of black looks. Wearing an ageless style or trendy hat keeps your head warm and adds height. The latter gives the illusion of a lean look. You can’t go wrong with that.

Blanket (example 7)

Learn how to wear a blanket scarf. The photo above shows a very northern styling of the shearling coat with a poncho worn on top. The belt keeps the plaid poncho worn-over-coat from looking like being wrapped in a blanket. The black coat, tights and booties ensure a clean sleek line. The bag’s color matches the poncho. The burgundy beret works as it is a darker shade of the pink in the plaid pattern.

Blazer jacket (Example 8)

This example shows winter outerwear for states and countries in the south where temperature remain in the 50s or 60s (10 to 15^oC). I used the colors of the scarf as inspiration. The floral print has purple, pink, red blue and white on a black background. Thus, I pulled items in these colors from my closet, the pink cashmere mock turtleneck sweater, the red suede skirt, and the back-purple-white tweed jacket. I tied the scarf as a belt to tie the colors together.

Like these outfit ideas? If so, please feel free to pin them to your own Pinterest board.

Pea-coat (Example 9)

I am really into my red pea coat that I bought on sale for this fall. While there are many trendy variations always look for a pea coat close to the original design. These usually have high quality and won’t look dated in the next cold season. For this outfit example, I chose a look in red and black. Such a sultry color combination even when no skin (except the face) is showing.

When you like the tips, you may also want to get my style recipe book How to Dress for Success in Midlife for stylish tips in all kind of dressing situations.

Outerwear (example 10)

Here I played with the color wheel, sort off plus belting my chocolate shearling coat for shape. The tan belt with its many brown shades of its tiger-eye buckle ties the outfit of various brown shades together. Orange mixed with black gives brown. Thus, adding blue jeans to any shades of brown always works well as an all neutral outfit without being boring.

Cape (Example 11)

The inspiration with a cape in the photos above works in Alaska as a fall and in the south as a winter outfit. It plays along the lines of an ageless monochromatic look with a pop of color, but reversed. Black is the neutral, while red is the color. Ok, when you consider red as a neutral like many Europeans do, it’s an all neutral creation.

Winter outerwear styling tips in a nutshell

1. Let the indoor outfit that shows under the coat be your guidance with respect to vibe and colors (examples 0, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11).
2. Create a vertical line by the same color, a tall hat, or a scarf (examples 4, 5, 8, 11)
3. Add interest with a pop of color (examples 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 11)
4. Belt for shape (examples 3 to 8, 10)
5. Go for unexpected pairings (example 7)

As you see, you can also apply combination of the tips. Would combine the tips be technically a sixth tip? 😉 Who knows? It doesn’t matter! Have fun dressing for outside. 😉 Stay warm.

Upcycle old investment pieces

Also when you have an expensive coat that you are already wearing for a couple of years, you may consider altering it a bit. For example, I bought my short black  with gray trim shearling coat shown in some of the examples in 1999 in Germany. I wore it over and over again every winter, ever since. I had it altered a bit (shortened) five years ago to get rid of signs of wear. It originally was a maxi coat. When you are a regular reader you may have seen it in my post on no fear of progress in style.

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Photos: G. Kramm

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