Women's Interests

When going shopping for winter clothes, it’s important to get the essentials sorted out first, before you accessorise.  Although we’ve had a mild start to winter this year, there’s no reason to be complacent. The cold weather will come at some point and you don’t want to get stuck without a decent winter coat, or have to dig out last year’s coat that you’d got sick of wearing.

The recession has made some women rethink their wardrobe choices.  Instead of buying some items for fashion’s sake and others for pure practicality, it’s a sensible idea to see where you can combine the two – into practical yet stylish clothing.

So, thinking about coats, it’s worth having a look at the outdoor brands that you’d usually associate with hiking and winter sports.  North Face, Karrimor, Berghaus…all of these brands now produce a huge range of jackets in an array of colours that would look equally good on a mountain slope or on the high street.

And the same goes for footwear – there are plenty of walking boots that are designed just for hill walking and country hikes, but you can get others that are far more adaptable to city life.  Similarly, snow boots comes in a variety of styles – some would feel too clumpy for the high street, but others are lighter weight and suitable for road walking but also walking terrain.

When choosing snow boots make sure you get a good fit – and it’s best to try them on with thermal socks, as you’ll want to keep your feet warm, yet able to breathe. You don’t want your feet to be squeezed, but neither do you want room to slide around in them either. It’s best to get an expert opinion from a shop assistant trained in fitting.

Although you’re unlikely to need ice grips for shoes unless you’re going walking somewhere more remote like the Brecon Beacons, you never know – they may come in handy on a really cold day when there’s lots of ice on the streets.

There’s a tendency to let things slide in the winter and do little exercise, but then comes the horror of getting out our summer clothes in late Spring and finding that everything feels a little tight and uncomfortable.  What’s gone wrong?  Did all those hearty winter meals and cosy evenings with a pack of biscuits and bar of chocolate add up to gaining weight?

Photo: pure9

Yes!  That’s exactly what happens if you let the exercise regime dwindle to nothing during the winter months.  So, don’t fall into that trap and keep exercising all winter long.  As well as keeping you in good shape for next Spring and Summer, you’ll also find that you’ll have bundles of energy and high levels of immunity while everyone else you know seems lacklustre and full of colds. Read more… » «Ways to keep fit in winter»

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.
Read more… » «5 Ways to work colour into your winter wardrobe»