Guest Lecture: Winter Stylings From a Former West-Coaster

I'm thrilled to introduce today's Guest Lecturer (Blogger) the lovely author of What Would a Nerd Wear.  She is a bike-riding bookworm trying to make better (and more creative) use of a sometimes-vanilla closet. The blogger is a West Coast-born nerd trying to stay stylish in a doctoral program in the Midwest.  And today she is giving us some of her fantastic tips on how to dress like a grown-up in the cold when you are from ever-casual California.

I grew up and went to college on the west coast, where my uniform for about twenty years was jersey dresses with leggings (plus a sweater in the "winter", minus the leggings in the summer). Needless to say, moving to the midwest and starting graduate school was a shock to the system, especially a system accustomed to perpetual 65-degrees-and-sunshine weather. It was not just winter that threw me for a loop, but the whole business of dressing like an adult, one expected to teach other college students, meet with renowned professors, and not show too much leg to colleagues. I had a few faux pas early on (a too-short skirt for teaching, trying to go out in the winter without mittens, and a near-fatal snowstorm in which I was wearing Birkenstock sandals...whoops!). Along the way, I've picked up a few tips to look like an adult and not freeze to death while you're in grad school in the midwest:

1. For the love of God, get a good coat.

A good coat is the central piece of a stylish winter wardrobe. Colleagues see your outerwear first and most often in the winter, because you're almost always wearing it. It almost doesn't matter what old sorority or band tee shirt you have under your sweater under your coat because no one will see it when it's below freezing. A good coat also keeps you warm in the inhospitable temperatures of middle America. By the spring of my first year in grad school, I'd managed to snag a thinsulate-lined, camel-colored, wool cashmere coat for under $100.  How did I do it? I waited until April, when all the coats you coveted in December are a quarter of their original price.



2. Learn to layer.

Keep wearing your jersey dresses, well into the winter. Just layer them with tights, boots, and sweaters. You can even wear jersey dresses over jeans in the winter--I like to layer shorter dresses as vests over long-sleeved thermal tees and jeans. I love layering dresses over button-ups or turtlenecks for teaching.

I also think a few light layers keeps one warmer than big bulky layers. I layering a long tank and a turtleneck under a button-up; or a tank, a flannel shirt, and a cashmere sweater; or two thermals under a zip-up with the hood out over a bulky sweater (I can't get over loving a bright hood peeking out from a sweater or coat).

Speaking of layers: wintersilks (or any other thin silk long underwear) have saved me from frostbite many a cold morning and they don't add any bulk under trousers or sweaters.

3. Get your hands on some beautiful scarves.

A few brightly-colored or patterned scarves spruce up even the plainest outfit (I personally find a white tee and jeans an unbeatable combo), make your winter coat feel fresh, keep you warm in the snow, and are eminently stylish. I have picked up about two dozen scarves over the years, many of them cheaply--on the streets in Europe when I was nineteen; as gifts or hand-me-downs from friends; from Target or Old Navy or H&M on the cheap; and if you really want to splurge, the triple-layered, heavenly-soft pashminas from the pashmina store online.

4. Learn to love tights.

As a California girl, I just can't give up my dresses, so I wear tights through the winter. Sometimes I layer two pairs together, but I find that thicker tights--most stores sell sweater-knit tights or wool tights--with good boots hiding an extra pair of socks will keep you toasty and chic-looking all winter long. Bright colored tights and bright colored scarves together will liven up an outfit, keep you warm, and keep you looking professional and put together (as the Fashionable Academics know well)!

The biggest piece of advice I have is to keep the "essence" of your style, no matter what climate or profession you find yourself in. If you're moving to warmer climates, invest in lighter versions of the pieces you already love (cotton for wool; spandex tights for ribbed ones; flats for flat boots). If you're moving to colder climates, keep wearing your jersey dresses and bright colors--you'll stand out in a sea of winter black and navy. If you feel like yourself, you feel confident, and (to regurgitate an oft-repeated but oh-so-wise cliche) confidence is truly at the heart of any stylish ensemble.

Thanks so much to What a Nerd Would Wear for guest lecturing today!  If you haven't already done so, you should pay her fantastic blog a visit.  We would also love to hear from you, so add your tips for winterizing your wardrobe!  Have you moved to a different region for college, grad school, or a job?  How did you translate your personal style?