Dressing for the winter months

Baron columnist Candace Dawn Aulenback explains how to be fashionable without freezing.

Your nose is running. Your ears are laced with ice.  In addition, your toes feel like they are about to fall off.  All this torture because you decided that you have to wear practically nothing in order to look good. You realize that you did this to yourself because you thought winter wear would cramp your style. But worry no more, because with these tips you’ll be feeling warm and looking good.

Wear a hat. This sounds silly, but a hat brightens up any outfit and 50 percent of your body heat escapes from your head. Wearing a hat will enhance your outfit while keeping you toasty. A knighted beret is my hat of choice but everyone is different. A fedora, a tuque or even fancy ear muffs will suffice.  Just remember to cover your ears and you’re all set!  Wear a scarf with your hat. A scarf and hat go hand in hand. A scarf will keep your neck warm while providing you with a classy style. Mix it up with a patterned scarf and a solid color hat.

Wear leggings or panty hose. So you just bought a cute pencil skirt and you still want to wear it in the colder months. Pair with a pair of dark panty hose and it will give you a classy look. Many of us associate panty hose with younger years of being a child and your mom fitting you into pantyhose that were itchy and made you feel like an old lady. However, these days with your own style they look just right. Your legs stay warm as well which is an added bonus and you can get them in a variety of colors.

Buy a nice coat. One thing that I have come to learn is that you should splurge on a nice coat. A coat is something you have to wear everyday – especially in our minus 40 weather. So you might as well like it. No one can bust out their 1999 Columbia coat and still feel like they look semi-good. A warm pea coat will not only look good but keep you warm.

Find a nice pair of knee high boots. Boots go with anything whether it’s a pair of jeans or a skirt. They never go out of style and a good pair will be good for years. For the blistery mornings invest in a pair of ugg boots. Yes they are ugly but your toes will thank you. When the heart stopping mornings hit us pair the boots with a pair of wool socks and your feet will not even notice that they have just trampled through 15 feet of snow.

These tips seem like common sense but after walking through campus I see young ladies walking around thinking that they are ready for beach whether. So be smart ladies and bundle up! Before you know it we will be into bikini season. A warm body is a nice body!

Candace Dawn Aulenback is a volunteer columnist with the Baron.