Sam PodgurnyYou may have noticed that it can get really cold in Edmonton — the type of cold that makes you wonder why anyone would ever willingly live here. This fact makes it all the more admirable when you see someone walking outdoors at minus 25, who don’t look like a little brown penguin waddling in the snow (me). Unfortunately, the people we often admire for their winter style are likely driven to, or drive to school with heat blasting. For the rest of us plebs, being chic in January isn’t so easy. So instead of doing something weird like taking off your coat in the middle of a blizzard, follow these no-nonsense tips to stay fashionable without getting a side order of hypothermia or self-loathing.
1. Leather thigh high boots
Knee and thigh high boots have skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years, partly due to a push from the fashion industry and partly because the Kardashians made it cool. I digress. Thigh high boots, if made of genuine leather, can be an extremely warm and fashionable addition to your wardrobe. Wear them with a dress and some thigh high socks and your legs won’t be numb anymore. Bonus points if they have a chunky heel. Ice and pointy heels are not friends, I repeat, not friends.
2. Pull a Lenny Kravitz
If you haven’t noticed, it’s now socially acceptable to wear a blanket as a scarf. As such, I challenge all of you to buy the softest oversized scarf you can find and take it everywhere with you, Linus style. Zara has some really nice ones, but even Superstore sells giant blanket scarves these days. Wear it underneath your coat for some extra warmth on your shoulders or around your neck and head as a makeshift hat/cape/you name it. As the old saying goes “happiness is a warm blanket.”
3. Layer it
Layer as many items of clothing as you can and mix and match as you go. You could wear boot cut jeans, a striped shirt dress, a blue cashmere sweater, and a leather jacket all at once. Or you could wear some leather pants, a mini skirt, chunky boots, and a fuzzy white pullover. Also, don’t be afraid to wear jeans under a dress — just make sure it isn’t trailing in the snow. Essentially, you could wear your entire summer wardrobe on top of your winter wardrobe and still look cute. Oh, don’t forget thermal underwear!! (Yes I know, I sound like your mom).
4. Switch up your winter coats
You could buy a single Canada goose Parka, or you could go to a second hand store and buy a couple gently loved winter coats. Doing this will allow you to switch it up when the temperatures start to fluctuate (which they will, because this is Alberta and nothing makes sense here). Almost everyone owns a black coat, so why not buy a pink fuzzy coat? Or a Looney Tunes themed coat. If you can, just try to buy coats made of quality materials. As long as you go the thrifting route, you won’t have to spend more than your budget can allow.
5. Screw it and take a cab.
Wear what you want. Knock on some wood.
