Transition Your Wardrobe From Fall to Winter
This post is all about how you can transition into winter with ease and without buying a bunch of new clothes, or trying to re-invent the wheel.
You'll find these tips similar to when we talked about transitioning to fall but they will be geared towards helping you get dressed for the winter.
A quick side note: If you purchased the closet cleanse course and haven't gotten started yet, this transition is the perfect time to do it! It helps you not put away seasonal clothes that don't serve you only to pull them out and have to deal with them next year, it also sets you up to feel amazing in your clothes and closet going into this winter!
New seasons in general are a great time to clean out your closet, so if you need something to do this weekend, do this!
The answer to how do you transition your wardrobe to make it winter ready is really simple, just like it was when we talked about transitioning into fall.
When it comes to transitioning into winter, think about where you are and what your life is like, and pick one thing that makes you think of winter and add that to your outfit. If you do one thing, just do this.
It doesn't have to be specific or follow a trend, you don't have to buy new things unless you want to, and it can be doing any of the things I recommend below if you're stuck as well!
I have listed all my favourite ways to do this, and if you are interested in seeing it visually I highly recommend checkin out my winter Pinterest outfit inspiration board to get the ideas flowing for your wardrobe.
Here are all of the simple, fun, and very effective ways to start transitioning your wardrobe for winter:
Wear Colours That Remind You Of Winter
This may be the simplest and most easy tip I tell people for transitioning between seasons. If you really don't know what to do just start with colours.
In spring/summer you move into lighter and softer colours (obviously you can wear whatever you want in any season, but if you don't know what to do this is a great place to start). In the fall/winter all you have to do is start wearing darker and deeper colours.
I like to think of the actual seasons outside of clothes and how they look, and take inspiration from there. When it comes to winter I think of pine trees covered in snow - hunter green, ruby red (now I'm just describing Christmas), as well as grey and white.
See what colours come to your mind when you think of each season, what are some important things that are around you during this time? What colour are they? And try incorporating those into your outfits. If you are someone that spends winter in the mountains, you might think of fresh white snow, and sage green pine needles, or purple and orange sunrises. Get inspired by your surroundings.
Layer More
Start playing around with layers! I mentioned this when transitioning into fall but now that you've already been layering you can start adding even more layers. Especially if you've been practising through fall! (If you haven't been now is the perfect time to start).
To me layering is basically the art of playing around with your clothes to see what you can make work together. Lots of things don't work together so don't worry about if you come up with some outfits that make you want to laugh, laugh about it, enjoy it. It's way more fun to try and get creative.
Plus getting into this space is how you learn what does layer really well for you. You can start with simply layering a cardigan over a shirt, or a belt over a dress, just one thing layered over top of another (jean and leather jackets are classics that work really well for this). But to take it a step further start doubling that and layering in winter accessories like scarves, hats, mittens, and more.
Focus On Materials That Remind You Of Winter / Warmth
What I don't like about winter is that it is cold. However, that same reason is why I like winter, because it means wearing all of the things that make you feel so cozy and warm!
Start opting for all of the things that make you think of what the winter season is all about, materials like velvet, cozy knitwear, faux leather/suede/fur, fleece, tweed, and so on. You don't have to make your entire outfit full of these materials, but switching out your top, pants, or even socks to one of these will have you feeling in stride with the season.
Switch to Fully Closed Shoes
You can jump into wearing boots immediately now and ditch the open toed shoes. I love boots and they are perfect for winter, but you can still opt for wearing more sneakers, flats, and closed toed heels. If you live somewhere cold like me I recommend ditching anything that will leave your feet feeling freezing when you leave the house, in less you plan on trying out wearing a pair of socks with them.
Add A Winter Accessory
Instead of wearing a necklace opt for a scarf, keep your dresses but add a warm pair of tights, throw on some chunky knit socks too, opt for a toque (beanie/hat), or a rich dark coloured bag.
This one is probably the easiest thing you can do and can make for an effortless feeling and look in your outfit.
Wear The Classics
Just like with fall the classics are still going to work for you. Think blue jeans, basic knit sweaters, jean jackets, leather jackets, trench coats, cardigans, whatever you consider to be a classic that works well with pretty much anything can definitely be worn right now with layers, and will make putting together outfits more effortless.
Because we are going into winter think about all the winter staples you may have already too, like a warm puffer jacket, winter boots, or fleece lined leggings. Ask yourself how you can wear those things in different ways or consult your new best friend - Pinterest.
Re-think What You Own
We tend to box the things we already own into only being wearable in certain ways. Try thinking of new ways to wear the pieces you love, and see if you can create a whole new look you've never tried before. Only wear that sweater with jeans? Try wearing it over a maxi dress instead. Only wear that slip dress in the summer? Try adding a long sleeve under it and pairing it with a scarf and tights. You can also hop on Pinterest and simply search for that item, and then add "winter outfit ideas" behind it.
Going forward in the future something I recommend to everyone I work with, is looking for versatility in what they are buying. It's okay if something only works for one season of the year, but ask yourself if you can make it work in multiple seasons, whether it's by layering it into other outfits or choosing colours that are great year round (or that you just like to wear year round).
Knowing you can create many different outfits for many different seasons makes that piece even more exciting to purchase. This also is a reminder of how important it is to know what you own, and also how important it is to let yourself be creative with your clothes... but those are entirely topics of their own that we will touch on over the next two weeks so be sure to check those out too!
Happy winter transitioning!
Love & Trust Yourself