The holidays are over, which means less stress, frenzied spending and travel. This is good. The bad news about this, however, is now we’re just left with months of winter suck. It’s one thing when it is cold and dreary but have Christmas music, parties to attend and pretty things to look at to warm your spirits. But when the ornaments have been put away, the tree thrown to the curb and credit card debt to pay off all you’re really left with is a barren home, pine needles that you’ll likely still be vacuuming up in June, and coldness. Sorry to be such a downer, but we’re now in for the long haul. Winter just feels like that long stretch of endless, boring highway. If you live in a warm climate, well good for you, but winter can still be rough no matter where you live. Despite the temperature, the season can often feel like a buzzkill.
If my intro hasn’t yet caused you to open a bottle of wine and forget it all until you see that first hint of spring, I have some ideas for you that you can apply to your wardrobe to not only add a little style to get you through this season but that can also prepare you for spring. Below are outfit suggestions that will not only add some color and style to your winter wardrobe, but include items that you can wear now and when the weather gets warmer.
How to Add Some Color and Style to Your Winter Wardrobe, While Getting Ready for Spring
Outfit #1- Buy a brightly printed top
So you’re sick of your winter wardrobe but you don’t want to buy anything that you’ll only wear a few months. Here’s a solution, pick up a printed blouse, like this one from J. Crew. Stores are starting to show early transition and spring already (I know, don’t get me started) and many retailers have smartened up and made their early spring deliveries more wear-now. All you have to do is know what to do with these pieces once you get them home to guarantee maximum wear.
On the left, I styled this top for winter using a navy pencil skirt from Reiss, a pair of navy booties from Circa Joan & David, a navy Banana Republic scarf, green handbag, lapis earrings and long gold necklace.
For spring, you could keep the outfit exactly the same and just remove the scarf, booties and navy tights and change your shoes for a pair of springier pair, or you could also wear this top with a pair of white jeans, like these from Michael Kors, a navy pair of Tory Burch flip flops, a gold handbag, gold Stella & Dot chandelier earrings and a gold Bauble Bar bangle.
Outfit #2- A colorful dress
Buy this cobalt blue Boden dress and wear it now with the right winter accessories, like this black cardigan, rich Modcloth necklace, orange handbag and black boots. The dress will most definitely cure the winter blues when you wear it.
What I like most about dresses is, depending on how they are styled, they can be worn most of the year. Take, for example, how I styled this same dress in a more springy manner with a pair of printed pumps from Nordstrom, a bright pink handbag, turquoise earrings from Max & Chloe.
Outfit #3- New bright t-shirts
T-shirts are so seasonless. In the winter you can use them to layer under things and in the summer they can be worn alone. Winter is a great time to refresh your t-shirt stash with some bright colors, like this green one from Modcloth. Not only is the green adding some brightness to this more somber winter look, consisting of a Reiss cardgian, Gap jeans, cognac Vince Camuto handbag and Lauren Ralph Lauren booties, neutral earrings and scarf that picks up all the colors of the outfit, but the winter layers can easily be pulled away to create a spring/summer outfit using the same Tory Burch flip flops, gold handbag and this pendant necklace from Bauble Bar.
Outfit #4- Colored pants
If you have a lot of neutral colored sweaters, purchasing a pair of colored pants, like these from Boden, may be just the shot in the arm your winter style needs while also getting you ready for spring. On the left, I used a grey belted cardigan and grounded the pants with my favorite Vince Camuto Ellen flats in burgundy, a wine colored handbag and chandelier earrings. On the right, I swapped out the cardigan for a navy belted top from eShakti, added some colorful bracelets for additional pop, gold earrings, a soft blue handbag and those same Tory Burch flip flops.
Outfit #5- Skirts in prints and patterns
Skirts, like dresses, can get a lot of use because, with just a switch of how they are styled, they can go from cold to warm weather. Take, for example, this Jones NY skirt that is winterized, but still peppy, with a J. Crew blazer, black boots I used earlier, a pop of pink via the tank and handbag, gold earrings and this chunky black and pearl necklace from Ann Taylor. With tights, this outfit can hold up well on cooler days.
For spring, the skirt still works. Instead of a peek of pink, I added this fuchsia sleeveless top, a black clutch from Rebecca Minkoff, earrings and strappy black shoes from Steve Madden.
Yes, it will be cold and dark for a while. We’ll all get through it together. In the meantime, however, don’t discount your wardrobe, and the little colorful additions you can make, to not only add some cheer when it’s cold but save you money as you prepare for the upcoming spring season.
Welcome Back!!! I have missed your postings!! I’m sorry you were sick during most of it:((
I would like to ask a question, I see how you paired the solid cobalt dress with a black cardigan. What color cardigan do you suggest with an emerald green dress…I’d love to be able to wear it this winter.
Again, welcome back!!
Hi Stacie! Thanks so much!! Yea, there was no escaping the sickness. My mom was like Typhoid Mary on the car ride up to my sister’s on Christmas. She was sick, got better, and then relapsed. Thankfully, we didn’t get as sick as my niece, Avery, who is usually a firecracker, but definitely got sicker as the day progressed. By the time we left she was burning up. Guess we got out of there in the nick of time. Even funnier, days after Christmas my family and I were all texting each other to see who was getting sick. We were all going down like bags of cement within a few days.
Regarding your question: I think you can do exactly like the dress above with the emerald green dress. Truthfully, the color of the dress doesn’t really matter with that look. However, if you are looking for some variety, your dress would also look good with a brown cardigan, a navy one and even a camel. Green is incredibly versatile, and any neutral shade cardigan should work.
Thank you so much for the advice!! Can’t wait to try it out!!!
That was the Christmas gift that just kept giving and giving:((
BTW, I saw the photo of your niece, even though she was sick, she is
adorable!!! Once, again, thanks!!
Oh yea, Avery is a pip. Did you ever see this video from 2 years ago. She was 4 then, now she is 6, but, yea, this pretty much sums her up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwfwxNriUpQ&list=UUtKKQHvbkQHUW6u5QymADjg
When you refer to the outfit on the left, or the outfit on the right, I don’t see the images referred to. (Not just on this post but every time you post about outfits on the left and right.) What am I missing? I would so love to see the outfits you mention, as they so often sound like something I’d want to wear.
Hi Wendy, you’re not the first person to tell me that. The graphics are hosted by a 3rd party site which allows me to add links to the images so people can get direct shopping links. However, because there has been some difficulty, I just changed the format in this post and, instead, added graphic shopping links below the images. Try checking again and see if you see the outfits. You might have to empty the cache on your browser to see it changed. Let me know, thanks!
I can see them now! Thanks so much!
I hadn’t seen the video before! She is hilarious!
Right? She seriously cracks us all up. Typical younger child.
BR, love your blog! Have dug through your archives and look fwd to reading every morning – thank you! One question I always have with the winter outfits is what tights to pair with which looks? I have read the tights posts but would appreciate any additional notes on leg coverings, please.
Hi Tarah. It’s a great question and, certainly, there isn’t one general answer. I find that I never go wrong having tights in brown because my wardrobe is strongly based in that color and then some colorful ones that work with the accents in my wardrobe. For example, I have a great pair of burgundy tights I love. Also, look at your shoes. Chances are you’ll want to match tights to those colors to create a longer, more seamless line. I hope that helps!
Thank you!
Really great outfits, I like them all! I’m seriously off shopping after December tho, so I’ll be using these ideas with clothes I already have. I’m actually really enjoying a quiet, frugal, healthy January after weeks of busy-ness, overeating and drinking and far too much shopping!
To follow up oh the tights question below, for the pretty looks you featured above with skirts and booties, would you be adding tights or wearing the booties with bare legs? Even though I live in Phoenix (not that cold), I feel like I have to wear tights. Maybe not?
Hi Katie! Great question. I would definitely say yes to wearing tights with the outfit in this post. I find that there aren’t a lot of women out there who look good in booties without tights. Sadly, I’m one of them.