winter layering, the californian way
a lookbook of 7 playful styling ideas.
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I’m not the girl to ask about proper winter dressing. Snow day? Sorry, I don’t know her.
And can I just say, all the “apres ski” fashion stuff goes over my head. It’s just not my domain! I’ve only been skiiing once, in college, because my school had this heavily subsidized trip where for $30, you got a round trip bus ride to the slopes, a turkey mayo cheddar sandwich, and ski rentals. I was woefully underdressed in a pair of T.J. Maxx leggings, but a good time was still had on the bunny hill.
Today’s newsletter is about winter dressing from a Californian’s POV.
When it’s 50 degrees, we blast the heater and yammer on about it being ~soup season~. (But trust we will still order that iced latte). And in the Bay Area specifically, you have to dress in layers year round, so winter outfits aren’t all that different from any other season.
Here are 7 playful layering ideas for this time of year, when it’s chilly and brisk in the morning but blissfully warm once the sun comes out. And if you live in a place with a real winter, come back to this post in 2 months :)
1). Give your long-sleeved top a makeover with a knit bralette and armwarmers.
I think a lot of us are defaulting to an outfit base of long-sleeve top and jeans in the winter. It’s an easy formula. This striped cashmere top was a secondhand find from last fall—it’s the perfect layering weight. The stripes are interesting on their own, but what can I do to make it feel more ~styled~ and creative?
Enter the bralette and armwarmer combo. Suddenly, it looks like an entirely different top. To me, this felt like a spiritually Eckhaus Latta look even though nothing is from Eckhaus Latta. I think it boils down to funky layered top + structured dark jean + chunky lug sole clog.
I recommend searching secondhand for knit bralettes—you have to dig through a lot of retired Coachella garb, but there are some gems, like this green boucle cotton one that looks like a mermaid moss bra.
2.) Custo barcelona print top + cropped vinyl jacket = super graphic ultra modern girl.
Custo Barcelona is a Molehill vintage fave. The prints are pure y2k groovy cosmopolitan femininity. I wore this exact top to the MARINA concert at Outside Lands last year. If you can get your hands on a face print top, I loveeeee how it looks peeking out of a cropped vinyl jacket.
Consider this a layering idea for getting dinner or drinks at night, when you want to channel a party energy but not freeze in spaghetti strap dress.