There is a blizzard outside my bedroom window. Lots and lots of snow is falling very quickly and the sky is white. It’s all very picturesque. I would be excited, like all of those weather-wimps in London who have only seen their first bit of snow this morning, but I’m not excited or even remotely interested in the snow- as pretty as it may be- as I have seen blizzards from out of my bedroom window since Friday.
I do like the snow when it first arrives. On Friday I loved the snow. At the weekend I liked the snow. On Monday I was going off it, and today I hate it. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of watching the news and hearing everyone talk about the bloody weather. I’m sick of walking the dog in the evenings and skidding about on ice, getting rosy red cheeks and wearing so many layers that I appear to have gained a stone or two. I’m sick of being lonely; I live in the middle of nowhere and my friends live in other places that are in the middle of nowhere, and when the weather is this bad we can’t meet up and enjoy the snow. I went sledging with my sister a few times, which was fun for about 20 minutes until I became cold and miserable and begged to go home.
And now on to the bit that you all care about: clothes. What does one wear when it snows? Here is what I suggest… 
1- A corduroy skirt is definitely a good winter skirt. Like denim, it is heavier and therefore warmer, but corduroy isn’t as popular as denim, therefore it doesn’t look boring when you wear it. The high street loves denim at the moment. The skirt in the picture is from Topshop but, in my opinion, Urban Outfitters is selling the best cord pieces at the moment; not only skirts but gorgeous shorts too. Don’t even get me started on corduroy trousers… God, I love them. Corduroy is cool.
2- Aran knits are everywhere now, which I suppose is a good thing because their appeal it timeless. However, what annoys me slightly is that I have been wearing the same man’s Aran cardigan from Oxfam for three years and, suddenly, every0ne has one (albeit from Topshop) and I no longer feel ‘unique’ in my Aran cardigan. But that’s just me being a hispster- obvs- so just ignore me. Anyway, because everyone has latched onto the idea of wearing Aran knits, here is my advice: don’t buy it from the high street. Charity shops and vintage shops should be where you find your lovely Aran knitwear. If you don’t like the idea of stuffy second-hand stuff (snob!), at least buy something that is made from 100% wool, preferably from Scotland. Or just within the United Kingdom. Support British style by buying clothes from Britain, yah?
3- Fur coats are yet another timeless classic. I don’t want to cause controversy by arguing that I love real fur and that it is so, so superior to even the most expensive of faux fur. At the end of the day, you can’t stop me from wearing fur. You can’t really convert me to the fake stuff either; although I have a faux-fur leopard-print coat in my wardrobe, which I love, I’ll never think that it’s better than the genuine fur in my wardrobe… I’ll still think that the only place for a mink to be is on one’s back. ANYWAY, it’s up to you whether you fake it or buy the real deal. All fur looks good. It’s just that real fur feels nicer and is more luxurious and… ok, I’m going to stop now before someone starts ranting at me about how I’m a pathetic and cruel human being.
4- Steam Cream is perfect for moisturising almost every part of your body. I used a plain tin in the picture above, but there are loads of interesting tin designs to choose from. I have the Union Jack one at home and I plan to get my hands on one of the A.P.C. tin designs soon, as they’re b e a u t i f u l.
5- Socks, of the long and super warm (cashmere or wool) variety, are a winter essential as one can wear them with wellies or whilst in bed, whilst slobbing around the house etc. I have a penchant for the socks from Toast, not least because they are warm and well-made; I like the idea of imagining that I am one of the woman lounging around in the Toast magazine, looking pretty and living a seemingly perfect life. I think I have such thoughts as I believe that these dreams could come true in some crazy, distant future; I live in the kind of remote, ‘idyllic’ place where you could imagine Toast having photo shoots. If I were pretty and tall and more sophisticated, perhaps I could be a Toast girl someday…
6- Wellington boots are mandatory in my life all year round. Of course I wear them everywhere when there is snow on the ground, but they’re also great for walking the dog, mucking out horses, going to festivals… everything, really. I wear my wellies constantly. I have Hunters in green and navy blue because they are the classic colours and they show that I am not wearing them simply for fashion purposes (pink Hunters? Yuck). Also, they don’t look awful when caked in mud (a constant issue), and I have been wearing them all my life. So have my parents and grandparents. So I stick to the classics. They go with everything and I don’t care if they make me look like a farmer.
7- A long-sleeved top for layering is a good idea. I always wear a long-sleeved top under a jumper in the winter. It’s a good idea to keep things simple and not buy patterned ones (Breton stripes are OK, I guess). Grey marl, black and navy blue are the best ones to invest in first before you move on to more ‘interesting’ colourways. Where to get them from without breaking the bank? Gap, Uniqlo and Topshop.
8- Winter trousers work every time. I’ve already expressed my love for corduroy trousers, so now is the time to tell you that they are not the only type of trousers I like to wear when the temperature drops. Tweed trousers are really nice. I like jodhpurs, but that’s just me being a country gal at heart (and making a miserable attempt at hiding it), so ignore that. But, yeah, tweed is great. It looks good, too. Again, it’s best when it is either good quality or vintage. You might want to try Topshop for nice camel trousers, too, à la Chloé. The trousers in the picture are by Chloé.
9- A fur hat will keep your ears toasty-warm. I used to shy away from hats- I don’t know why- but now I can’t live without them. Contrary to popular belief, you do not lose most of your body heat through your head (the nose, actually, is the area you should think about keeping covered in the cold). However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear a hat. Hats looks nice.
10- Knitted tights, of some sort, are a winter staple. You can’t go wrong with cable-knit or ribbed tights, especially if they’re in black or grey, but now is the time to show a bit more individuality and opt for coloured knitted styles. Because it’s winter, though, do tone the palette down suitably; the burgundy pair in the picture above are a perfectly winter-y shade. I also think that, although it’s a colour associated with drabness, brown knitted tights look good. Patterned styles are good, too, especially if the pattern is polka dots or fair isle.
11- Scarves are one of my favourite things, like, ever because I can wear them all year round- obviously changing from lightweight styles to knitted, warmer styles in the winter. Fair isle is a timeless classic, but you don’t have to go for a classic style. You can choose something with a fine knit or a chunky knit or stripes or spots or even (winter) florals. Scarves are a great way to add an instant pop of colour to an outfit. The scarf in the picture above is from Monsoon.
12- A pair of shearling mittens should be donned this season in order for one to gain maximum style points. I have a vintage pair that I found on eBay.Please leave a comment letting me know what your winter wardrobe staples are!
1- A corduroy skirt is definitely a good winter skirt. Like denim, it is heavier and therefore warmer, but corduroy isn’t as popular as denim, therefore it doesn’t look boring when you wear it. The high street loves denim at the moment. The skirt in the picture is from Topshop but, in my opinion, Urban Outfitters is selling the best cord pieces at the moment; not only skirts but gorgeous shorts too. Don’t even get me started on corduroy trousers… God, I love them. Corduroy is cool.
2- Aran knits are everywhere now, which I suppose is a good thing because their appeal it timeless. However, what annoys me slightly is that I have been wearing the same man’s Aran cardigan from Oxfam for three years and, suddenly, every0ne has one (albeit from Topshop) and I no longer feel ‘unique’ in my Aran cardigan. But that’s just me being a hispster- obvs- so just ignore me. Anyway, because everyone has latched onto the idea of wearing Aran knits, here is my advice: don’t buy it from the high street. Charity shops and vintage shops should be where you find your lovely Aran knitwear. If you don’t like the idea of stuffy second-hand stuff (snob!), at least buy something that is made from 100% wool, preferably from Scotland. Or just within the United Kingdom. Support British style by buying clothes from Britain, yah?
3- Fur coats are yet another timeless classic. I don’t want to cause controversy by arguing that I love real fur and that it is so, so superior to even the most expensive of faux fur. At the end of the day, you can’t stop me from wearing fur. You can’t really convert me to the fake stuff either; although I have a faux-fur leopard-print coat in my wardrobe, which I love, I’ll never think that it’s better than the genuine fur in my wardrobe… I’ll still think that the only place for a mink to be is on one’s back. ANYWAY, it’s up to you whether you fake it or buy the real deal. All fur looks good. It’s just that real fur feels nicer and is more luxurious and… ok, I’m going to stop now before someone starts ranting at me about how I’m a pathetic and cruel human being.
4- Steam Cream is perfect for moisturising almost every part of your body. I used a plain tin in the picture above, but there are loads of interesting tin designs to choose from. I have the Union Jack one at home and I plan to get my hands on one of the A.P.C. tin designs soon, as they’re b e a u t i f u l.
5- Socks, of the long and super warm (cashmere or wool) variety, are a winter essential as one can wear them with wellies or whilst in bed, whilst slobbing around the house etc. I have a penchant for the socks from Toast, not least because they are warm and well-made; I like the idea of imagining that I am one of the woman lounging around in the Toast magazine, looking pretty and living a seemingly perfect life. I think I have such thoughts as I believe that these dreams could come true in some crazy, distant future; I live in the kind of remote, ‘idyllic’ place where you could imagine Toast having photo shoots. If I were pretty and tall and more sophisticated, perhaps I could be a Toast girl someday…
6- Wellington boots are mandatory in my life all year round. Of course I wear them everywhere when there is snow on the ground, but they’re also great for walking the dog, mucking out horses, going to festivals… everything, really. I wear my wellies constantly. I have Hunters in green and navy blue because they are the classic colours and they show that I am not wearing them simply for fashion purposes (pink Hunters? Yuck). Also, they don’t look awful when caked in mud (a constant issue), and I have been wearing them all my life. So have my parents and grandparents. So I stick to the classics. They go with everything and I don’t care if they make me look like a farmer.
7- A long-sleeved top for layering is a good idea. I always wear a long-sleeved top under a jumper in the winter. It’s a good idea to keep things simple and not buy patterned ones (Breton stripes are OK, I guess). Grey marl, black and navy blue are the best ones to invest in first before you move on to more ‘interesting’ colourways. Where to get them from without breaking the bank? Gap, Uniqlo and Topshop.
8- Winter trousers work every time. I’ve already expressed my love for corduroy trousers, so now is the time to tell you that they are not the only type of trousers I like to wear when the temperature drops. Tweed trousers are really nice. I like jodhpurs, but that’s just me being a country gal at heart (and making a miserable attempt at hiding it), so ignore that. But, yeah, tweed is great. It looks good, too. Again, it’s best when it is either good quality or vintage. You might want to try Topshop for nice camel trousers, too, à la Chloé. The trousers in the picture are by Chloé.
9- A fur hat will keep your ears toasty-warm. I used to shy away from hats- I don’t know why- but now I can’t live without them. Contrary to popular belief, you do not lose most of your body heat through your head (the nose, actually, is the area you should think about keeping covered in the cold). However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear a hat. Hats looks nice.
10- Knitted tights, of some sort, are a winter staple. You can’t go wrong with cable-knit or ribbed tights, especially if they’re in black or grey, but now is the time to show a bit more individuality and opt for coloured knitted styles. Because it’s winter, though, do tone the palette down suitably; the burgundy pair in the picture above are a perfectly winter-y shade. I also think that, although it’s a colour associated with drabness, brown knitted tights look good. Patterned styles are good, too, especially if the pattern is polka dots or fair isle.
11- Scarves are one of my favourite things, like, ever because I can wear them all year round- obviously changing from lightweight styles to knitted, warmer styles in the winter. Fair isle is a timeless classic, but you don’t have to go for a classic style. You can choose something with a fine knit or a chunky knit or stripes or spots or even (winter) florals. Scarves are a great way to add an instant pop of colour to an outfit. The scarf in the picture above is from Monsoon.
12- A pair of shearling mittens should be donned this season in order for one to gain maximum style points. I have a vintage pair that I found on eBay.
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