Winter Work Fashion Tips: How to Balance Warmth and Style
Ladies, let’s be real. When temperatures start to drop, all we want to do is bundle up in our coziest clothes before begrudgingly pulling ourselves out the door to face the cold, gusty air. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, you can’t show up to work wearing Ugg’s and leggings—unless you work with some young group of casual professionals, in which case, consider me jealous.
Most of us have to appear polished when we walk into the office, whether that’s because we’re on a mission to close a deal, inspire confidence among our coworkers, or simply one-up the colleague that’s tied neck-and-neck in sales.
So, what’s the solution? How do we balance warmth with style until the sun begins to shine once again? We’ll tell you how: just follow these tips!
- Get a Space Heater
If you can’t compromise on your array of sleek yet sophisticated dresses that turn heads as you walk past conference rooms, guess what—you can still wear them! We start our list of tips with this little trick because it normally flies way over everyone’s head.
Revamping your entire wardrobe is expensive. And while it may be fun to stack up on winter coats, sharp blazers, and infinity scarves that warmly wrap around our neck, going too hard on the personal shopping game might break your budget when it comes time for Christmas shopping or New Year’s extravaganzas.
Luckily, there are affordable desktop space heaters you can sit next to your monitor to combat a chilly work environment. This allows you to keep your outfits on-trend while keeping goosebumps at bay. Have your own office at work? Discreetly sneak in a blanket—or better yet, full-on Snuggie—that you can cozy up to behind closed doors. You’ll only have to brace the cold when you walk down the hall, but you’ll have so many eyes on your fire attire that you won’t even feel the chilly air.
The only downside is that the constant, close-up heat source might affect your complexion, so be sure to keep moisturizer on standby!
- Reevaluate Your Footwear
Many women in the workforce wear open-toed kitten heels to add a feminine touch to their ensemble, but when it’s below 50 degrees, they make your frigid feet feel like they might get hypothermia as you make your way from the parking lot to the office building.
Don’t risk your toes falling off just to stay in style! Opt for pointed toe flats that will keep your feet protected from the frosty air while ensuring you look professional and dressed to the nines.
The great thing about flats (well, there are many great things about flats), but my favorite quality is how comfortable they are to wear, which is especially valuable if you hold a job that requires you to be on your feet all day. They come in many shapes and sizes, so although the pointed toe silhouette will give you an edgy look that screams “I’m here to slay the day”, you could also opt for the classic or round shapes that are a bit more feminine and ballerina-esque.
Most flats are super easy to clean, so you won’t have to fuss over racking up any mud, and if you find a pair with great traction then you won’t need to worry about slipping and falling on patches of black ice!
- Stock up on Stylish Sweaters
If you are going to do any shopping this season, make sure to stock up for sweater weather—but make choices that are suitable for an office setting. It’s all about the neckline! Go for turtlenecks and cowl necks over plunging V’s, and opt for neutral colors. This will allow you to cycle through them on repeat (as opposed to a bright pink cashmere that everyone will notice by the second or third time you wear it). If you want to glam it up a bit to be less basic, go for large earrings, statement necklaces, and cute hair ribbons that will show off your personality.
Staying warm and looking stylish is possible. Throw a yule log video up on your display and you’ll feel instantly cozier by the fireside!
