Looking cool in the cold

Priyadarshini Paitandy on style lessons learnt at the London underground.

December 18, 2014 06:52 pm | Updated 06:52 pm IST

Faux fur vests are versatile and can be teamed with just about anything — skirts,shorts, skorts, dresses and jeans. Photo: special arrangement

Faux fur vests are versatile and can be teamed with just about anything — skirts,shorts, skorts, dresses and jeans. Photo: special arrangement

Who said winter meant hiding behind dowdy oversized coats and forgetting about dressing up? Yes, the temperatures drop but your style quotient shouldn’t. Don’t look shamefaced, I made that mistake too.

During a recent holiday, as I waited at the busy London underground for my tube to transport me to Piccadilly Circus, I had to surreptitiously peel the bulky red puffer coat off me as I was in the midst of people looking dapper and warm in their stylish winter wear. The tube is not only the best way to get around the overwhelming city but also a great place to get acquainted to and pick up new trends. And if you have an individual sense of style, be assured that someone may just be inspired by it.

Chennai may not have a winter season but here are a few London-inspired style tips for those travelling to destinations where the mercury is plummeting. 

You could slip into a trendy jacket and a pair of boots and stay snug or you could improvise and innovate. Speaking of innovation, the far from chic and rather geeky puffer coat has undergone transformation. In bright colours with fun prints and sleeker silhouettes, it’s time to let go of your faithful hiking staple and trade it for its new avatar. This way you won’t feel like a brown paper wrap in the age of cling wrap.

Boots are a constant companion — ankle length, knee high, lace-ups and studded, they sure up the trend quotient. No not the mukluks please. An Eskimo may have an excuse to wear it, not you. Boots go well with almost everything. It’s a common notion that they don’t often gel well with maxis, but try a pair of Chelseas and you are all set to rock the Bohemian look. 

 Structured coats in varying lengths with interesting lapels are all the rage. The midi coats are still big but what any fashionista worth her salt swears by now are duster coats. The long, loose poster child of the 1920’s is back in the reckoning. ASOS, Topshop, H & M have all lined their racks with dusters in canvas, linen, suede and leather. Don’t think much of it? Well, think of it this way, it will at least protect your pretty clothes from grime and dirt.

Faux fur makes its presence in every other coat either in the form of trimmings around the hood or along the panels or lapels. Faux fur vests are versatile and can be teamed with just about anything — skirts, shorts, skorts, dresses and jeans. Note to self: While wearing a fur vest do not have any other furry accessory on. You do not want to be mistaken for a Lhasa Apso.

 Repeat after me: Jumpers are not boring. With X’ Mas round the corner jumpers have become brighter, happier and shinier. Sequence is big. The shinier and bigger the sequence work, the better it is. Santa and his reindeer have found their way on them, so has Olaf the snowman, Christmas trees and every other trinket associated with the festival. There are sparkling lights, bells, bauble and what not. Primark has a large section replete with jumpers that tickle the senses of eight to 80 year olds.

The world of touch phones really makes it difficult to use the gadget with gloves on. Time and again people have braved the biting cold and painstakingly removed their gloves to click a photograph with freezing fingers or just send a text message. This time around I saw them effortlessly swipe through their phones and tablets with gloves on. Say hello to touch gloves. As the name suggests, these gloves with their conductive thread make it possible to navigate through touch sensitive accessories. You can buy them online or follow DIY steps and create your own. Woohoo no more having to walk around with fingerless gloves a la Justin Bieber.

Cover your head unless you want to spend the party season wrapped up in bed drinking chicken clear soup. Beanies, fur hats, woollen head bands and funky turbans are rather fetching and will not make you look like the geek in class whose mother forcefully made him wear monkey cap. 

Winters are a great time for fans of stockings and leggings. Neons, printed, in solid colours or pastel shades whatever be your preference. Black is always a safe bet and doesn’t clash with anything. Nude stockings have their takers too but shades that are brighter or lighter than your skin tone are a bad idea. Also if you are planning to wear a pair of peep toes or open feet footwear skip the stockings and wear leggings. Worn under skirts and dresses they give definition to your legs and also look chic. Don’t try to pass off those ripped shorts with leggings because the style police will hound you.

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