Dressing For Success

If you live in an area with cold winters, staying warm and looking good can be a real challenge, particularly if you are in love with summertime clothing. No one likes to trade in their breezy minimalist clothing for heavy winter layers. Cheer up! While some of your hot weather gear may not be a practical choice in October, you can still indulge in some of your favorites without freezing.

Sandals

Exposing your feet during cool weather can be problematic simply because so much heat escapes from your extremities. You can wear your favorites, but expect your toes to get uncomfortable pretty fast. Although pairing socks with sandals sounds like the least fashionable thing you can pair, you can actually make it work if you choose unique options. Pairing your footies with sandals is not going to work, but a variety of colored or textured socks can make your sandals look perfectly appropriate when the weather is freezing.

Tank Tops and T-Shirts

You can easily keep your favorite tank tops and t-shirts in rotation by layering your clothing in cold weather. Adding a long-sleeve button shirt over your t-shirt allows you to maintain that casual summer feeling while keeping your arms warm. Just leave it unbuttoned, and you are all ready to go. You can also keep using your tank tops by layering them under and over other shirts. When the weather is really cold, you can easily don four or five layers in the morning and peel off some as the temperature warms up in the afternoon.

Shorts

If you cannot live without your shorts, you can wear tights or leggings under them when the temperature is chilly. Add a blazer to upgrade the look, and you'll maintain a high level of fashion. If you insist on wearing your baggy shorts and sandals into winter, then you have made a choice to forgo fashion while pretending that winter is not really on the way. It's a different type of climate denial embraced by those who hate winter.

Your summer wardrobe does not have to go into the back of the closet or be stored in boxes this fall. You can use many of your warm-weather items to add to your winter essentials. Just be creative and try out different combinations. A little experimentation may yield several new outfits that you didn't know you had. Just remember, staying warm is a smart choice, so cover up your flesh before leaving the house. Frostbite is not fashionable. Check out a boutique like Charlotte's for more ideas.