Women's Interests

Winter wardrobes tend to be a lot darker and more subdued than the bright colours and floaty fabrics of spring and summer collections. In winter, women’s clothing is generally made with heavier fabrics and knits and this means we tend to dress darker so as not to look like a brightly coloured woolly mammoth. You can work colour into our winter wardrobe in other more subtle and flattering ways such as a statement jacket, capitalising on colour accents, bright accessories, coloured shoes and dresses.

Photo: Torley

1) Coats and Jackets
Instead of going with the same old black or grey winter coat, why not look at the coloured varieties available this winter? If you are afraid that a coloured coat will make you look larger than you would like to appear, then fear no.  Coat design has come a long way in recent years and thanks to certain trends. Coats are being made to better flatter the figure with designs such as the swing coat or the square look that are a little more structured around the shoulders. If a big red coat isn’t your thing, consider something in plaid with bright colours or select something with cute buttons or frills.

A coat doesn’t have to match everything in your wardrobe. An outer garment is like a fashion island, able to stand on it’s own, outside of your outfit. So think bigger than black, and give your outerwear some flair.

2) Colour Accents
In winter it is generally accepted that we tone down the colours in our wardrobe, but it doesn’t mean doing away with it altogether. Instead, pick one colour and either wear it on top or on the bottom, or go with an accent such as a scarf, stockings, a cardigan or a vest. An accent colour is supposed to stand out from the other pieces you are wearing. It’s a great way to bring colour into your outfit. For example if you like wearing darker colours in winter, then a lovely aqua scarf or cardigan might look lovely with your brown cords and a grey jumper. If you prefer wearing all black, then a cute coloured pair of shoes or stockings might bring a touch of colour and style to an otherwise bland outfit.

3) Accessories
Somehow it feels right to wear more accessories in winter, and I don’t meant scarves and hats, I’m talking about jewellery, bags and belts. Have fun with chunky earrings and necklaces that you can pull off a lot easier with your winter wardrobe than with scant summer fashions. Pick complementary colours or themes to go with colour accents or tones. Sometimes a brightly coloured, chunky necklace paired with a similar coloured cardigan is all that is needed to perk up a black or bland outfit.

Photo: optimal tweezers

4) Shoes
Winter shoes can be the biggest contributor to the blandness of the season. Think outside the square for your shoes and perhaps by pass the black. Even though black seems to go with every outfit in winter, sometimes it can be the death of one. Invest a couple of cheap and cheerful coloured shoes for winter and pair them with your jeans, cords or your knit skirt.  Look at browns like chestnut or beige; think cute red runners or bright blue ballet flats. Sometimes even colours like olive, purple and grey are easier to match with your outfit than you thought. The colours of our wardrobe are more subdued in winter and so this gives us a great opportunity to get a little more creative with our shoe colours.

5) Dresses
Women’s dresses are a wonderful way to wear colour in winter. Whether you choose a block colour or multi coloured prints, you can easily work colour into your winter wardrobe with a dress. You can pair it up with some warm woollen stockings and boots, a scarf and a cute cardigan to keep warm. If you have chosen a colourful dress, don’t forget to tone down on the accessories and keep the shoes, stockings and jackets to a neutral tone such as black or grey.