The ultimate guide to winter accessories

SCARVES

You put on your coat, shoes, hat, and head out. You close the door behind you and the first thing that happens is you get a cold smack on your face and neck. Great, you forgot your scarf at home. Luckily, there’s still time to head back and grab it. But while you’re putting it on, a question arises – how do you actually wear a scarf?

Wearing a scarf with a coat

Play with contrasts. Combine styles and colors with the jacket or coat you have on.

Figure out what type of scarf goes with which clothes. You’d probably wear a different scarf to a windbreaker as opposed to a warm coat.

Learn to tie your scarf, you’re bound to tie it differently to, for example a work meeting and hanging out with your friends.

Don’t underestimate the material and quality of your scarf. Firstly, you need it to keep you warm, and secondly, to look good. Pick a material that won’t start unraveling right away after getting snagged on a twig or something.

Figure out when a scarf is unnecessary. After all, it is just an accessory, it’s not mandatory.

How to tie a scarf with an informal jacket or coat

Cross knot

Put your scarf around your neck, cross the ends, put one through the hole and tighten. This is probably the easiest way you can tie a scarf when you’re heading out for a drink or a walk. Keep the scarf over your jacket to make it stand out and create a great casual outfit. Combine it with a leather jacket and you’ll be golden.

Untied scarf

Throwing a scarf around your neck is more of a flex than keeping warm in cold weather. And that’s fine, not every day is freezing cold. So, if the weather allows it, don’t be afraid to pull this off.

Loosely wrapped scarf

To pull this off, you’ll need a longer scarf. The good thing about this way of tying a scarf is that you look cool and stay warm at the same time. The best scarf for this is one that’s long and wide, paired with a puffy winter jacket.

The infinite scarf

The infinite scarf is sewn together and doesn’t have ends, which will save you a lot of time. Just pull it over your head and you’re done.

How to tie a scarf with a formal coat

Scarf knot

Fold your scarf in half, wrap around your neck and pull the ends through the loop. Let the ends hang out over your coat. You can tie any kind of scarf this way, whether it’s long, short, wide or thin.

The crossover technique

Wrap your scarf around your neck and cross the ends. Don’t forget to button upyour coat over them so they don’t get loose – without a knot, the ends don’t hold as firmly.

The cross knot

You can use the cross knot with a coat or suit as well as informal jackets. This time, don’t keep the scarf outside, but tuck it in. And because you want to look elegant, choose a thin scarf made from cotton or silk. Don’t forget to take the scarf off along with your jacket.

HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS: HOW TO WEAR THEM?

When I was a kid, my parents told me that your feet keep you warm every time I’d run around in the snow with thin, low sneakers. I’d always be surprised when I’d get a fever the next day and miss out on snowball fights with my friends. These days, I always have a warm pair of high-top sneakers ready to head out into winter weather. But how do you wear them?

Wearing high-tops with jeans

If the proportions are right, you can easily stuff your jeans into your shoes. With wider cut jeans, you can lightly roll them up over your ankles. But don’t forget to wear a warm, high pair of socks to avoid the cold gusts of air.

Wearing high-tops with formal trousers

As with jeans, the shoes should stand out. Girls – don’t cover your shoes with your trousers. With boys, it’s 50/50. Of course, it’s ideal when the shoes are visible, but on the other hand, the outfit’s still fine with the top of the shoes covered by your trousers.

High-tops and dresses or skirts

Paired with a dress or skirt, high-top sneakers can look incredibly stylish. Utilize the contrast between the shoes and the dress. And if you want your legs to appear longer, don’t be afraid of shoes with a platform.

DRESSES IN WINTER

You might argue that dresses are more of a summer piece of clothing, but you can definitely pull them off during the winter months as well. To avoid being cold, you just need to correctly assemble your outfit. If you stick by our guidelines, you can happily wear a dress and stay warm at the same time.

How to wear a dress in the winter

1. Layer your outfit

When choosing a dress, work your way from the bottom up, and layer matching clothes accordingly.

2. Keep your feet warm

If it’s 10 degrees below 0, it’s probably better to keep your dress at home. But even when the temperatures get higher, grab the wooliest pair of tights you can find, put two pairs of socks under your high-tops and you’ll see for yourself that staying warm isn’t an issue.

3. Put a warm jacket on

You’ve got your lower layers on, and now all you need is a warm jacket. For a quick walk down to the café, a light jacket or coat’s fine. But for a longer stay outside, I’d recommend a puffy jacket that goes all the way down, like this one from The North Face.

4. Top it off with a hat and a scarf

You already know how to wear and tie a scarf, and I’ll tell you how to combine everything with a hat right away – don’t forget to match the colors.

HATS, CAPS AND BEANIES

Apart from keeping your head and ears warm, hats can give your winter outfit a good dosage of style. Extravagant and patterned hats are great for informal outfits, while a darker, neutral hat is great for more formal occasions. What’s important is how everything will look together – so make sure your hat matches well with the rest of your outfit.

Types of hats

The beanie

The beanie is by far the most common winter hat. You’ll encounter all kinds of shapes and patterns as well as lettering and inscriptions. If you have an oval-shaped face, pick a comfy beanie that sits well on your head and doesn’t elongate your face. For a heart-shaped face, a thin beanie’s perfect.

Beanies with a bobble

A couple years back, bobble beanies were mainly worm by kids, but these days, they’re more and more commonly seen on the heads of adults, too. They’re a great fit for oval-shaped and longer faces, but look good on basically anyone.