Practical Winter Style

Gap cardigan
Aritzia tank (similar)
Mavi jeans (c/o)
BRAVE Leather belt (c/o)
Maison Martin Margiela boots (similar)
BRAVE Leather bag (c/o)
Keltie Leanne Designs rings (c/o)
Keltie Leanne Designs earrings (c/o)

Practical dressing has never been my style. I hate the idea of wellington boots, even the chic ones from Hunter. Puffer coats me shudder a little, even in seasons, like this one, when they are improbably on trend. But winter has officially forced my hand – at least a little bit.

I stubbornly refused practical clothes when I was growing up, despite the well below zero winter temperatures in my hometown. By the time I was ten, I almost never wore a hat. I rejected true snow boots by age twelve. In high school, I got my first peacoat and never wore anything down-filled again. When I look back, part of me wonders how I didn’t freeze to death, but the truth is, I know that I simply refused to. I was totally willing to suffer for fashion, so I suffered and, with time, got used to it.

When I started Coco & Vera, I felt like I was in a style rut. I’ve talked about it a lot. But I’ve never had the kind of perspective on it that this winter has given me. At the time, my uniform consisted of sweaters, jeans and boots. I wanted desperately to break out of it, because it didn’t feel like me and I didn’t know how it had developed in the first place. But I had also just spent my first two years after attending university on the Pacific coast back in Winnipeg, readjusting to the climate. And the climate, I can tell you now, demands sweaters, jeans and boots. In fact, from October to April, it doesn’t allow for much else.

These days, the vast majority of my outfits bear a strong resemblance to this one – and likely involve a coat, scarf and gloves over top. (I still refuse to wear a hat. I spend far too much time on my hair to spoil it before I’ve even left home.) Practical dressing is hard to get excited about, it’s true. But practical dressing doesn’t have to be boring.

Adding visual interest to a daily uniform is all about how you accessorise. I’ve really upped my accessory game this season. I almost never leave home without a belt on, because belts add visual interest to even the more basic look. My two current favourites are both from BRAVE Leather – this one, the Vika style with the circular buckle, is my every day go-to. I pay attention to my jewellery, rather than just putting on whatever pieces I find on my dresser before I leave home. And I’ve given up my usual giant tote for smaller, prettier handbags that look eye-catching on my arm even when my arm is covered by a giant coat.

I’m already counting down to days when I won’t have to consider possible frostbite when choosing my clothes. But in the meantime, I’ve focused my shopping efforts on accessories and, in some ways, I’m looking forward to the sartorial challenges this season will bring. (Talk to me again in January – I’m sure I’ll have something very different to say…!)

If you live in a cold climate, how do you maintain your style in the winter months?