Top 5 Ways to Stay Excited About Your WINTER WARDROBE
It’s not even officially winter but we had SNOW folks…and it stayed on the ground! I don’t know about you but I was caught off guard having to bundle up (wasn’t I wearing shorts a month ago?), and it’s too easy to fall into the drudgery of black-coat-short-daylight-hours-SAD-doldrums.
SO LET’S MAKE IT EXCITING!
I asked some of our staff and friends what they do to avoid the pitfalls of boring winter clothes. We all have VERY different tastes, so here’s something for everyone.
Here we GO!:
5) Layering, matching, and colour-washing
Liz’s new thing is layering skirts over pants - forget about the warmth factor, it gives you opportunity to play with more patterns, shapes, and colours.
Don’t be afraid of “colour-washing” (dressing all in shades of one colour). Liz loves a green-on-green. She’s also been matching her toque to her bag.
4) Vintage FUN & one-piece snow suits
Darlene suggested fun vintage items like one-piece snow suits and fur! Lean into retro vintage vibes, bring back stuff that’s actually cool from once upon a time.
Pre-1990s items tend to be really good quality. There’s a reason they’ve survived this long! Vintage winter coats are actual wool or mohair instead of polyester, and often have an added hidden “chamois” layer that provides wind resistance and warmth. And ski jackets…you just don’t see the same excellent colour combinations today.
Vintage fur is easy to find, fairly inexpensive and should be enjoyed! With vintage, NO ONE will be wearing the same outfit as you, and no one will be as warm and cozy.
3) Take the extra minute to refine & make tiny additions w/ big impact
Jade here — I’ve learned that it’s the last 2 minutes of getting ready that makes the outfit. I dress for long walks and bike rides, so efficiency is key, but I try to take the extra minute to ask myself: have I styled it? Can I make it more fun / unexpected? Should I add some colour?
I used to feel that it was silly or indulgent but now I think it sets the tone for a more rich and confident day. My fave small additions with big impact are my gold vintage belt, striped athletic socks, big earrings, and hot pink lipstick.
For winter warmth I’m a huge fan of animal furs and fibres (they regulate your body temp. and keep you warm like nothing else), especially wool socks, vintage cashmere sweaters, furry angora berets, and a vintage fox fur headband that I wear as a neck ruff.
2) Dress deliberately (and fun underwear doesn’t hurt!)
Alex and I work together almost every day and when she tells me she likes my outfit, I know I’m winning.
She’s a former stylist and no matter what is going on, she makes a point of looking put together and jokes that sometimes your outfit is the only thing in your life that works.
Here’s her tips for staying excited: Textures! Sparkles, fluffy-fur-like things. And hell, sometimes just making an effort to put on fun undies is enough to pep you up! The point is to dress deliberately to stave off the winter fashion sads.
1) Treat getting dressed like it’s an art project
The first thing Rebecca from First Kiss Tattoo and Vintage, said was: It’s okayyyyy to have a non-black winter coat as your staple coat.
She treats getting dress like a little art project or a game, putting things together she hasn’t tried before. It doesn’t always work! But then you tweak and try again until you look in the mirror and think YES!
She also loves mixing high and low: athletic striped track pants + high heels; “dressing down fur — wear it with your running shoes, it’s badass.”
“Creativity is emotional regulation.
Not a luxury, not a hobby.
A nervous system reset.
Especially when you’re overwhelmed.”
“The act of sewing is a process of emotional repair.”
“Don we now our gay apparel.”
*Special Holiday Recipe*: Figgy Pudding
You know the recipe is good when it’s covered in baking stains and math! I sort of expected a stodgy and traditional fruit-cake-like dessert. BOY was I wrong — it’s orangey and moist with a warm brown buttery, creamy, sweet sauce.
Yummmmo and easy to make but feels very special and tastes like Christmas in the best possible way.
Thank you to Elizabeth Mitchell for letting me share her time honoured recipe!
🎵Christmas Playlists🎵
It’s hard to find holiday music that doesn’t make you sleigh-ly unhinged.
Ho-ho-hold onto your sanity, here are a few of our faves:
For a holiday party with true Christmas vibes and all the standards from Mariah and Wham, to Bing, Nat and Brenda Lee, to McCartney and The Beach Boys, this will cover all the bases and keep most folks happy.
And just the classics; vintage crooners like Dean Martin, Darlene Love, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley, The Ronettes, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, etc.
Has the obvious title song and other cool, slightly more modern-retro songs by The Ramones, The Pogues, Bruce Springsteen, Run-D.M.C., U2, Burl Ives, Band Aid, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.