Here in Canada, January and February are typically the coldest months of the year across the country; winter’s last icy gasp before the temperature slowly crawls up to find some sunshine and a brief summer. As the thermostat plunges, often so does our sense of style, and I find that what we wear matches the weather outside: dreary and unpleasant.

One of the best ways to fight the wintertime blues is to enhance your wardrobe with some colour. Just because it’s dismal outside doesn’t mean that we can only wear dark tones. Try something a little more original than just another black jacket. I’m not suggesting you jump straight to the fuchsia trench, but add as much colour as you’re comfortable with.

Wearing brighter hues during the winter months can do more than just make you look good. Studies show that colour affects our mood and a bright tones arouse a more cheerful attitude; just what the doctor ordered on a sober winter day.

If you’re interested in adding just a shot of colour, look to your scarf. Scarves are typically inexpensive, so it’s easy to pick up a few and change them out day-to-day to keep things fresh. There’s a lot of room for creativity, you can either go much more electric or something a little more subdued.

If you’re looking to keep things pretty simple but want to give this colour thing a try, pick up a scarf from your alma mater and wear your school colours with style. Although, I typically recommend keeping toques and headwear a little more subtle (no need to stand out like a shiny beacon on the street), they’re also easily interchanged like scarves.

Finally, you might wonder what sorts of palettes to play around with. Well, when it comes to scarves, it’s okay to turn on the high beams a little more than usual. Bright red is very festive and not too outlandish. Any solid, vibrant hue should look great. Also, scarves that employ a sophisticated palette of several colours purvey a polished look.

For coats, there’s no need to go off the deep end. Just a slight variation makes the difference. Far too many winter coats are simply black. Try something different, maybe navy blue, camel, wine red, or herringbone grey would be suitable. If you’re looking at something a little more casual like a puffer coat, you can even pull on a burnt orange or crimson garment. I even saw a lime green corduroy coat that looked brilliant.

It’s not just the colours of our clothes that contribute to this feeling, but what we are wearing as well. Although Canadians spend more time immersed in the cold than any other citizens on the planet, we have a tendency to spend very little money or attention to our winter wardrobes; they look like an after thought.

If you’re just wearing a ski jacket and gloves to protect you from the cold and you don’t work as a ski instructor, you should take the time to upgrade your coat to something more urbane. Whether it be a peacoat, a heavy trench, or a car coat, there are tons of options, priced for value or luxury, that are suitable for work, dinner out, or a night on the town.

When it comes to warming up winter through the way you dress, feel free to try something different. Experiment with your accessories first, and once you get used to that, start changing up your larger staple pieces. Just because it’s lousy outside doesn’t mean that we need to give looking good the cold shoulder for most of the year.

Tweet

You might also like...

• WTF? and Whine Wednesday
• Olympic Hockey Pressure
• Olympic Photo Journal
• Your Guide to Olympic Drinking
• Adhesif’s Wonderland

blog comments powered by Disqus