While I wouldn’t say I look forward to winter, the cool drop in temperature has had me thinking about my winter wardrobe. Working off my 5PFW wishlist for the year, I’ve already got an idea of what my wardrobe is lacking. Having run through the key elements of my wardrobe for the season ahead, there’s not much more I really need to add. The guidelines I’ve drawn around what I buy in 2019 have helped me to be more focused with what I do add to my wardrobe, and the limitations have stopped me from feeling tempted to indulge in expensive sartorial choices that don’t reflect my personal style.
Because so many of my favourite staples in my wardrobe just so happen to be winter wardrobe essentials, this is more of a checklist of what I’ll be wearing than what I need to buy. The few things I felt I was missing I’ve unintentionally added to my closet over autumn. One thing I have noticed is that after 12 months of forcing colour into my closet, I’ve gone back to monochrome with some neutrals added in for good measure. I suppose some things never change. So along with some style inspiration (sourced from Pinterest), I thought I’d run through the basics of how my winter wardrobe is shaping up.
CREW NECK SWEATERS
After years of trying to convince myself that a v-neck sweater is an absolute essential in my wardrobe, I’ve come to the realisation that they just aren’t really for me. Slim cut styles accentuate my narrow shoulders, while oversized ones seem to serve only to make me look heavier up top. Instead, I’ve found myself preferring to opt for a crew neck sweater (or a rollneck if it’s extremely cold). For something lightweight, I’ve got a couple cashmere crews from Grana in neutral hues, as well as a nice ivory one from Mott & Bow. These have been great to wear on their own for autumn, and will be good layering pieces over t-shirts and long sleeved tees during the winter. At the other end of the spectrum are this M&S cotton sweater and the Celine wool/cashmere crew I managed to nab for a steal off eBay.
My winter wardrobe is primarily centred around these sweaters, due to their versatility. They look great paired with jeans, trousers, mini skirt or midi skirts, and in a pinch you can throw one on over a dress, too.
WOOL TROUSERS
My most worn trousers in my wardrobe are hands down the EZY-pant style from Uniqlo. However as much as I love them, I’ve been thinking about upgrading these to a more substantial wool pair. Ideally I’d love to get a few colour options – black, grey and tan – but would settle for just one of the three if that’s all I manage to stumble across. Because I carry a lot more of my height in my torso, my preferred silhouette is anything high-waisted with a tapered fit through the leg, and a slightly cropped cut. I have bought a pre-loved grey pair from Stella McCartney however they’re at least a size or two too big for me. If I can’t get them altered, I have been thinking about purchasing these ones from Country Road.
HIGH WAISTED SKINNY JEANS
Living by the mantra that basic is best, denim has fast become a daily staple. Working from home, I like looking tidy, but I want to be comfortable too. My preferred style is anything high waisted – the rise should come up to my belly button, and the leg should be narrow all the way down to the ankle. The ones I wear the most are from Dr Denim (old but love these as an alternative), and I also bought a pair from the Grana sale which are spot on, too. I love how these look worn belted at the waist and with a big chunky sweater. It’s a perfectly balanced outfit, and an easy go-to uniform when I don’t know what to wear.
DOUBLE BREASTED BLAZERS
Winter in Sydney isn’t as cold as the Wellington ones I became accustomed to growing up, which means I have a bit more leniency with what constitutes a winter wardrobe here. For days when it’s not cold enough to warrant a chunky knit, but it’s not warm enough to wear a long sleeved top on its own, I like to layer up with a blazer. I’ve found myself become more drawn to double breasted styles as I find that they balance out a straight leg trouser or jean well. At the top of my list was this one from Stella McCartney however after spotting it was out of my size, I’ve spent the last few weeks looking for an alternative. I ended up buying this blazer from Country Road as a wardrobe basic during a recent sale, and it ticks a lot of boxes for me. It’s a thick, heavy weight, has a woven texture to the fabric, and the silhouette is defined. I opted for the size 8 which fits well, but I’m tempted to see how the size 10 looks on as I’d love this to be a little more oversized.
ROBE-STYLE COATS
Short of wrapping myself up in a big blanket, a good robe-style coat is shaping up to become a go-to for me. I love the drape of the excess fabric at the front when worn open, and it’s a quintessential classic. As I mentioned above, denim has been on high rotation, and a good robe-style coat helps to instantly jazz things up while adding a touch of scandi-girl clout to my outfit. I’ll be reaching for my Mute by JL cashmere coat that I wore all last winter, as well as this new addition from Kindersalmon. It’s an easy way for me to lift my outfit, even if I am wearing all black underneath.
LOAFERS
In my early twenties, I would sometimes dress from my feet up. Meaning, I’d pick my shoes and dress accordingly. I don’t use that method any more, but I have noticed that my style preferences have leaned more towards options which look great paired with loafers. The pair I wear the most for day-to-day are my Sam Edelman loafers, though I have been thinking about splurging on the Gucci ones for my winter wardrobe. These really ground a lot of my casual outfits; the gold buckle detail elevates my look through the embellishment, and the style is so classic too.
BOOTS
Aside from loafers, a great pair of boots is a much in my winter wardrobe. I’ve got a few pairs I’ve had for a while now; my Everlane boss boots, a pair of suede booties from Marc Fisher, and these tan suede cowboy-esque pair from Loffler Randall. Aside from the MF ones, these all have a decent heel, so I’d love to track down a flat slimline pair in black. For when it’s really cold, I have my OTK boots from Stuart Weitzman, which also make for a great layering piece.
