The Winter Fashion Tip I Wish I Knew at 17. How To Be Cute and Warm At The Same Time.

There are so many things I wish I had known at 17, but this is a fashion blog not a coming of age sitcoms, so I will avoid the messy life lessons and go straight to the one winter fashion tip I wish I could go back in time and tell my 17 year old self. You don’t have to sacrifice style for warmth.

We have all seen the shivering teens outside in winter wearing mini skirts and no coats. The silly thing is, they are trying to look fashionable and all they truly achieve is looking less intelligent than their warmer peers. But, at 17, you are the best you are ever gonna look, and hormones coupled with social pressures make it super enticing to bare all in the winter. I can completely relate, when I was 17 my older cousin said to me, “if you got it, flaunt it” I took her words to heart and braved the cold and rain to rock sexy styles, shivering in the wind like the best of them.

Little did I know, I could have had the best of both worlds, a sleek style and warmth. All I needed was to accessorize for warmth. There is an old saying you have probably heard before... 45% of your body heat escapes from your head. Although this information comes from a 1970’s military manual on how to dress for the cold and the science behind the findings has since been discredited. The scientific fact remains that any body part that is exposed will loose a significant amount of heat in colder climates. Therefore, one can make the safe assumption that the less you have exposed the warmer you are. Getting back to those teen priorities, one can see that this scientific conclusion at first glance appears to be in stark contrast to the “if you got it flaunt it mentality of youth”

The best thing about age is that it comes with wisdom gained through life experiences. At some point after my teens I learned how cool it was to be warm in the winter, I also discovered how adding a Hat, Scarf, Gloves, and leg warmers can significantly increase your fashionista status as well as your body temperature. Also all of these items take up very little space in your purse so they are easy to stow away when you go inside, unlike a bulky jacket. The best part about accessories is that you can find good quality accessories for stupid cheap prices, such as these Juicy Couture Gloves or this cute Vans Pom Pom Hat both found for under $7 at Goodwill.

Now that I am in my 30’s I still love a good mini skirt on a cold day, but you won’t see me shivering... since I have discovered the joy of accessorizing for warmth I can look cute and smart too... tights, leg-warmers, a hat, a scarf and gloves make my miniskirt winter ready... I now look fashionable and intelligently warm. And there is nothing sexier than intellect!