Fun fact time: did you know that a significant percentage of your body heat is regulated from your head alone? According to the US Army Survival Manual (yep, I went there), leaving your head unprotected from the cold could result in losing up to 40%-45% of your body heat. This 2015 winter season has shown record lows in temperature, making it pretty darn miserable for those of us who must eventually venture outside. In fact, the Chicago Tribune just reported that their city “[tied] 140-year-old record for coldest February” #mindblown. Luckily, there’s still hope for all you Fashionistas/os wanting to break your wintertime cabin fever. There are a few ways to avoid this drastic loss of body warmth, while still looking pretty stinkin’ cute.
As Pinterest just aptly reminded me, weather appropriate doesn’t have to mean ugly (not kidding, my email update was actually entitled just that. Thanks, Pinterest). If you’re from here in North Carolina, or New York, or Minnesota, or pretty much any other state in the Northeast or Midwest, then chances are you recently received a visit from Old Man Winter, meaning your hometown got plowed over (no pun intended) with a massive blanket of snow. What’s the chicest way to combat frigid forecasts? One word: fur.
Calm down, fanatical PETA fans. Staying warm needn’t require harvesting real animal fur; faux fur gets the job done just as well. Here we have a hooded jacket boasting a triple threat: comfy, practical and super cute. Notice how the material lining the hood beautifully frames our Fashionista’s face. Here’s another darling faux fur jacket from Zara, a Spanish retail company.
While we’re on the topic of headwear, wintertime is a prime season for flaunting your favorite hats. This Fashionista sports a great panama hat, à la T. Swift from her Red album cover.
For the final layers underneath, a thinner button-down keeps you covered without being too heavy once you do make it back inside. Plus, it’s always a nice touch of personal flair to show off a statement T-shirt beneath an unbuttoned long sleeve.
Finally, fringe is also very in, and what better place for it on an outfit than a trusty earth-toned shoulder bag that goes with everything?
How To: As much as you may love that hot pink jacket with a fur-lined hood, you might want to reconsider your options. Picking a darker color (ebony, chocolate, slate gray or army green) is not only more fitting for winter, but it’s going to match with far more in your closet than a super bright coat, even if it does come in your favorite color.
