by Marissa Pomerance

Once we feel that initial wisp of crisp, cool air, we’re seized with an immediate urge to swaddle ourselves in chunky sweaters and camel coats until we resemble the stay puft marshmallow man.

But how do we indulge our innermost need for warmth and comfort without devolving into a mess of sweats and snuggies (do these exist still?) to become the abominable snowman of cozy layers?

Well, to find out, we enlisted the help of our go-to expert on all things closets, wardrobes, and styling—Shira Gill—to help us put together and organize a functional (but deeply chic) winter wardrobe.

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1. Use a rolling rack to curate and display your seasonal wardrobe.

Instead of banishing your winter clothes to the depths of your closet, get an extra rolling rack that’ll be exclusively dedicated to this season’s wardrobe.

This might seem like one of those trends that lives only in the Instagram videos of style bloggers, but if you have the room for it, a rolling rack outside the closet is the ultimate adult hack for creating a seasonal wardrobe.

Why? Because…

It doubles as décor: First of all, the rack functions as a piece of décor. Why not display those beautiful clothes you’ve worked so hard to acquire? It’s honestly satisfying.

It’ll help you organize your seasonal wardrobe: You can use this rack, specifically, to separate this season’s wardrobe, leaving the warm-weather shorts and tees in lesser-used drawers or bins. It literally filters out the distracting clothing, and forces you to pare down to the seasonal necessities. Plus, we all know that when your clothes look pleasingly organized, you’ll be able to see them better, and thus, put together outfits without stress.

You can store outfits together: We’ve all dreamt of Cher Horowitz’s outfit generator, and an extra rolling rack basically does that for us. Spend an hour pre-styling some winter outfits, and then store each outfit in a set on the rolling rack—either on one hanger, or in separated sections. That way, you’ve already done all of your work ahead of time, and getting dressed in the morning requires making 1 decision (which pre-made outfit should I choose?) and not frantically trying to slap something together last minute.

Display your accessories: Gather up all your winter accessories, and display them as décor on your rolling rack. You can hang up your scarves, belts, and bags, and clip hats and bags to hangers using these ultra-chic Top Tote hat clips.

2. Build a winter uniform, and be strategic about hyper pieces.

Of course, what you put ON your rolling rack is sort of the crux of this challenge. So how about you start here: create a go-to winter uniform.

BUT, this uniform doesn’t have to be boring. Shira recommends you start with a uniform, and “consider experimenting with unexpected color combinations, head to toe monochrome, or bold accessory options. As my colleague, NYC stylist, Jean Gordon says, ‘it’s hard to see potential in your closet when you approach your clothes the same way each day.’”

Which is where your hyper pieces comes in.

What are hyper pieces? Well, if you don’t want to read this entire article (though you absolutely should), here’s a quick recap: we first heard this term from Youtuber Alexandra Beth, who argues that “Hyper Pieces” are the trendy, exciting, one-off items we love in the moment, wear a few times, and then discard when they’re no longer “in style.” Here’s her explanation:

The problem with these hyper pieces is that we get sick of them quickly, and so they clog up our closets with pieces we grow to dislike.

So here are a few quick “guidelines”:

Invest in your seasonal uniform first: Start with a uniform as the foundation to your winter wardrobe. These are the pieces you can keep coming back to that will last, and that you won’t get sick of. Think: black jeans, your camel coat, your daily ankle boots. If you want to learn more about how to build a uniform, go here.

Buy no more than 3 hyper pieces per season: There, that’s not so hard, right? You’re not completely depriving yourself of the fun of trends, but you’re not allowing yourself to get carried away by the shiny patina of newness. So indulge in that floral dress or leopard print silk skirt you’ve seen all over Instagram. Just don’t let them take over your closets. Shira also recommends “investing in one really special accessory that can define your signature winter look.”
Repurpose your spring/summer clothes in creative ways: “Winter is all about layering, so there’s no reason not to repurpose your frilly spring blouses and even white summer jeans as layering components for the winter season,” says Shira. So basically, that whole “you can’t wear white after labor day” rule is BULLSHIT.

The uniform is your cake, and hyper pieces are the sprinkles—they’re the fun, colorful decoration to liven things up, but they’re not foundational.

**3. Choose thin layering pieces.**

Yes, we love a hugely oversized sweatshirt. And a chunky sweater. And we love the idea of wearing them underneath piles of scarves and blazers and coats.

So, here’s a hack for layering without starting to feel like this:

Wear. Thin. Inner. Layers.

I know, easy for me to say as a California-dweller. BUT. Shira says you can “start with finer, thinner base materials like a wool t-shirt or bodysuit, and work your way out until you’re warm and cozy. The key to looking chic in more than three layers is to keep each one thin enough to allow for an additional layer. A thin base, a medium weight knit, sweater, or cardigan will allow for a cozy coat while remaining bulk-free.”

Here are a few ideas:

A Thin Turtleneck: A body-skimming, t-shirt material turtleneck is an ideal layering piece. Wear it under coats, sweaters, slip dresses (really!), scarves. It’s flattering on everyone.
Slim Cut/Skinny Jeans: If you’re loading up on chunky sweaters and coats, a pair of slimmer-cut pants or skinny jeans will help you balance out that bulk.
A Silk Button Down: If you’ve ever perused a J. Crew catalogue (remember catalogues?), then ran out to buy a stiff, starchy button down and realized it was the LEAST comfortable thing you’ve ever put on your body…have you tried silk? Because truly…it’s a game changer. As much as we love the look of a stiff collar layered elegantly underneath a sweater, a silky blouse under a sweater will feel 1000x more comfortable and look 100x less bulky.
A Lightweight Knit Sweater Dress: A knit sweater dress is one of the easiest cold weather layering pieces in existence. Throw on boots, a coat, a scarf, a hat—instant outfit.
A Streamlined Coat: “A long, streamlined belted coat vs. the traditional winter puffer can also prevent the marshmallow look,” says Shira.

4. Buy your coats 2 sizes up.

Sizes are fake. And once we realize that, we can get past the vanity of only buying things in our “size,” even if it doesn’t fit. It’s more important to feel amazing than to feel a certain size.

And it’s liberating to buy something in a bigger size. Because when it comes to coats, you absolutely should.

Here’s why:

It’ll leave you more room for layering: Getting a slightly-too-big coat will allow you to still enjoy a chunky layer under your coat without feeling like the combination of the two is cutting off the circulation to your arms.
It’ll make you feel like so dainty: Not that every woman should be/want to be a dainty wisp. But regardless, it will at least feel very cozy.

And if you’ve got bigger breasts, don’t be deterred from the oversized coat look. “Larger chested women can look for coats with contoured down patterns in a vertical or v-shaped pattern. Belted coats are flattering for hourglass body types, and if you’re worried about bulk, opt for insulated coats that aren’t heavily padded with down,” says Shira.

Not sure what to buy? Start here or here.

5. If you’re going to try a chunky sweater, get it cropped.

Every fall, I buy an infinite number of chunky sweaters, hoping to achieve my Pinterest-inspiration-photo-dreams of that giant-sweater-and-infinity-scarf-with-a-pumpkin-spice-latte lewk. But inevitably, I try on said chunky sweater with every jean/pant/skirt in my closet and wonder…how do I style this?

Because every chic inspo photo has convinced me that all this piece requires is a cute half tuck into a pair of skinny jeans. When in practice, a “half tuck” of a chunky sweater into some snug jeans results in an unflattering roll of fabric bulging at my waist.

Shira, conveniently, has a solution to this. “The key to tucking in a chunky sweater is to opt for a more cropped style. This will help you avoid the excess fabric and bulk spilling over,” she says.

Fine, a cropped sweater isn’t exactly still “on trend” like it was circa 2013. But do we give a rat’s rump about trends? We do not. We care about what makes us look and feel our best.

So, here’s why a cropped sweater allows you to get the chunky sweater look with ease:

It’s cropped. Duh: Meaning there’s no need to tuck it into your high waisted jeans or skirts. And if it’s cropped to your natural waist, then it’ll hit at your smallest part, emphasizing your waist instead of adding extra fabric to it.
It’s sneakily great for layering: A cropped sweater over a slip dress or a silk blouse, and underneath a blazer or coat, will give you those perfectly preppy Cher Horowitz layers without awkward proportions, over stuffing, or extra, pooling fabric that you have no idea what to do with.

Here’s a particularly cozy option for those of us who love a sleeve, and a more delicate version that we’re mildly obsessed with.

And if you’re curvy and unconvinced this look will work for you, may we present you with these photos of cropped sweater-lover Ashley Graham?

P.S. if you’re still set on tucking in your chunky sweaters, Shira has a few convenient hacks.

“Some women opt for the elastic trick where they put a large piece of elastic around their waist or ribcage and tuck the bottom of their sweater or sweatshirt into it which prevents bulk, but shortens the length of their sweater. You can also try tucking the bottom of your sweater into your sports bra or bralette.”

And since we’ve become so desperate to solve this bulky sweater conundrum, we’ve now fallen down the rabbit hole of “How To Tuck A Sweater” videos. We know it sounds insane, but we all NEED a solution. So we found this video, which actually has some helpful chunky sweater tucking hacks— our favorite is her last hack, which only requires a few extra large safety pins.

6. Build your outfit around your shoes.

The easiest way to zhoozh up any winter look is with a sleek shoe. Period. Even your lounge-iest sweats can look like real clothes to wear outside the house with the right shoe.

Case in point:

But, the key to making sweats look…dare I say, chic?…is resisting the pull of your coziest winter boots, like Uggs. As Shira explains, “instead of floppy galoshes, you can invest in a more stylish rain or snow bootie. Good fashion is all about proportion. Pair a chunkier boot with a slim jean, dress, or pant to create visual balance.”

And when in doubt, “you can also transform any shoe into a great winter option simply by adding sheepskin or wool inserts,” says Shira.

If you’ve made it through this whole article, congrats! And if you’re still standing in front of your closet, gaping at your clothes in utter confusion and terror, Shira Gill and stylist Jean Gordon are offering an online Winter Styling Workshop, which includes access to a Capsule Wardrobe Planner and a curated list of must-have essentials to elevate your winter wardrobe.

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