8 ways to dress for the cold

From cashmere socks to micro-mini skirts – here’s our fashion editor’s guide to styling out winter.

Words: Thea Bichard

We might have just about shed our Christmas pyjamas, but we’re still due a few cold snaps over the coming months. Thankfully, both the recent upswing in superb, super-simple fashion and the ever-growing focus on personal style over trends mean no shortage of alternatives to giving up and hibernating until March. Read on for eight ways to see out winter in style.

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1. Have a coat party

To find the best winter coats, the key is to look for one that will form part of your winter outfits – or be the focus of them – rather than an add-on that ruins all the hard work of the rest of your look. Whether through clever upcycling (Canada Goose) or pristine tailoring (Loewe), each of the coats below pushes the art of good outerwear up a notch in their own, distinct way.

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IENKI IENKI – Pyramide longline shell-down coat

NICOLE BENISTI – Montaigne logo-appliqué shearling coat

LOEWE – Single-breasted wool and cashmere-blend coat

CANADA GOOSE – Junction Regeneration padded shell-down jacket

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Jil Sander AW22

2. Be a purly queen

I tend to run colder than an arctic lizard so am never without a jumper between September and March. Alongside classic knits, this season I’m looking to winter clothing that brings a little something extra – be it a pattern, colour or accoutrement. Acne Studios’ checks and Chinti & Parker’s collared cashmere are stitch perfect.

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3. Winter reboot

Are you a cowgirl, a biker or a…Londoner? In boot world, you can be all three. Designers are perfecting the classics and reviving some old favourites – take Christian Louboutin’s revised 00s biker-buckle ankle boots as a prime example. Chelsea boots, biker boots, cowboy boots, hiking boots – there’s a pair for every personality.

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CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN – Sahni Horse buckle-embellished leather ankle boots

GIANVITO ROSSI – Chester leather ankle boots

JIMMY CHOO – Aldea monogram-embellished leather boots

ISABEL MARANT – Mealie chunky leather ankle boots

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Acne Studios AW22

4. Softly does it

UGG slippers emerged as a late entry for 2022’s shoe-of-the-year title when Bella Hadid wore hers with Y-fronts and TikTok duly took notice. The takeaway: invest in noticeable cosy accessories now and you can keep wearing them when the weather heats up. Johnstons’ pastel, pure-cashmere socks, Ganni’s bright berets and KASSL Editions’ weatherproof bonnets all nail the brief, too.

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Acne Studios AW22

5. Dresses for the cold

Knitwear became a ‘thing’ during the never-ending lockdowns, and ever since, designers have kept us cosy. One style that has stuck around is the knitted jumper dress, with designers taking them in all directions. I’m looking to Serienumerica for a burst of colour and pattern, and Saint Laurent for shoulder-padded, turtleneck perfection.

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SERIENUMERICA – Boxy-fit striped wool midi dress

HOUSE OF SUNNY – Victoria checked knitted midi dress

KEPLER – Taylor stitch-embellished wool jacket

SAINT LAURENT – Turtleneck padded-shoulders wool-knitted maxi dress

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Blumarine AW22

6. Winter nights

Dressing up won’t take a night off just because it’s cold and dark by 5pm – anyone with a winter birthday knows that. For winter going-out outfits, take one of two routes. Cover up with Clio Peppiatt’s glittery trousers or a long-sleeve party dress from Selfridges Rental; alternatively, party in Jean Paul Gaultier’s micro-mini Cyber skirt for more of a winter-is-a-mindset approach.

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7. Add an extra layer

Rather than treating layering as a means to a cosy end, make your T-shirts and sweatshirts your fashion focal points. This runs on a spectrum: at the most eye-catching extreme, Y/Project’s Jean Paul Gaultier trompe l’oeil torso; at the subtle end, Symetria’s spider-web knit, which traps in the heat while still showing what you’re wearing underneath.

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Y/PROJECT – Y/Project x Jean Paul Gaultier Body Morph cotton sweatshirt

THE LESS – Fluffy short-sleeved cashmere and silk-blend jumper

KEPLER – Jesus slim-fit organic cotton knitted jumper

SYMETRIA – Transect semi-sheer mesh asymmetric wool jumper

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Di Petsa AW22

8. Leather bound

Recent runways were slick with all things leather. Could you style it head to toe? Of course, but the real takeaway from fashion month was that anything – not just your coat and trousers – could be leather: a blazer, mini skirt or shirt. For a more sustainable investment, look out for pieces that are part of our Project Earth for Nature edit – I have my eye on REMAIN Birger Christensen’s moto mini skirt.

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