My Style Picks Part 2: Staying Skinny & Warm-- A Philosophy

Over the past few years I've developed what I like to call my "skinny and warm philosophy." It goes like this: To dress stylishly in the winter, one must keep the bulky clothes to a minimum. It is possible to do so while still achieving great warmth. There is a 2-part clothes layering system that I have come up with for myself to stay within my philosophy. {this will not be particularly innovative for those who already wear dresses, skirts and shorts by layering in the winter. This is for the casually dressed t-shirt and jeans kind of gal who wants to begin mixing up her style.}

Skinny & Warm: A Philosophy by naturallystyled featuring circle scarves

Top Layers {from inner to out layers in order}

Bra>sleek tank top or camisole>Cuddl Duds Warm Essentials Active v-neck long sleeve shirt>tissue turtleneck or thin fine gauge turtleneck sweater> thin cashmere or Merino wool cardigan or hooded sweater>your regular warm coat {I recommend a long sleek wool coat}>soft fluffy thick cashmere or wool infinity scarf {get a long one you can wrap once around your neck and then around your head on extra frigid days>wool blend gloves {that cover your wrists well and then some}>a slouchy, chunky knit wool blend hat.

Note: This top layer configuration is for wearing with pants, shorts or skirts. To wear dresses and stay warm, just replace the tissue turtleneck or turtleneck sweater with a fitted turtleneck dress, V-neck dress or scoop neck dress similar in style to ones from American Apparel.

Bottom Layers {from inner to out layers in order}

Panties>Nylon shorts {optional, something like DKNY Smoothies or Spanx}>tights or thin leggings>thick nylon or sweater style tights or leggings{Cuddl Duds Warm Essentials Smooth Touch long pants are the best leggings for cold weather layering, in my opinion}>warm boot socks or leg warmers {optional, relaxed fit and best for frigid days}>jeans, pants, shorts or skirt>leather knee boots or motorcycle boots {with thick soles and good traction or regular winter boots {I recommend L.L. Bean Insulated Comfort Boots, my old ones are a bit different but the new ones have been redesigned and offer less color choices than when I bought mine.}

So that is my complete philosophy on layering and dressing skinny and warm. The key with this is obviously to have mostly fitted, thin layers that keep in the heat such as wool, polyester and nylon. Stay away from acrylic and cotton as they don't seem to really hold in the heat as well, for me at least.

I hope you found this helpful and if you have additional tips for staying skinny and warm, I'd love to hear them!

My Style Picks Part 1: Winter Dressing

Winter is a time when people like to bundle up and that's great BUT bundling up usually involves piling on big, bulky layers, which has the potential for not being stylish. I have bulked up all my life hoping to stay nice and warm in the winter. I did indeed stay warm but I ended up looking like a snow woman too! Unfortunately, I have sacrificed style on all occasions in order to stay warm.

My Old Way of Dressing for the Winter

Back when I was attending college in NYC a few years ago, I took bundling up in the frigid winter to a whole new extreme. The first year, my typical winter outfit consisted of (from inner to out layers, in order): sweater leggings (Target), waffle-weave thermal leggings (H & M), boot cut jeans, 1 pair of thickish regular socks, thin trouser knee socks or thick knee socks and black mid-calf winter boots with nylon exterior and faux fur lining {kind of cute but not so warm!} (Totes brand).

On top I'd wear a fitted tee or turtleneck under my fave denim button-up shirt and a short thick wool sweater or hoodie over that. To top it off, I'd wear my black rosette wool blend hat {super cute and sleek but sadly it shrunk up!} (H & M), great warm wool blend gloves {they go up far past the wrists} (J-Crew and H & M), warm old grey scarf {busted and beat up}(Old Navy) and black shortish Frost Free parka with faux fur trimmed hood (Old Navy).

Winter Dressing: Year 1 by naturallystyled featuring thermal pants

My Winter Style Evolution

The second year my typical winter outfit evolved a bit and it consisted of (from inner to out layers, in order): Cold weather thermal Cuddl Duds Warm Essentials leggings (Target), waffle-weave thermal leggings (H & M), skinny jeans and black L.L. Bean winter boots {rugged compared to my first year boots and exceedingly warm, comfy and waterproof!}

On top I'd wear a fitted tee or turtleneck under my fave denim button-up shirt, my beloved purple hoodie vest and a long thick cotton or acrylic sweater over that. To top it off, I'd wear my black rosette wool blend hat (H & M), great warm wool blend gloves (H & M), thin drapy fringe scarf {black or dark red}(H & M) and black sleek, chic long wool coat (United Colors of Benetton).

Winter Dressing: Year 2 by naturallystyled featuring a black beanie

Simple Ideas for Stylish Winter Dressing

But after I moved back home to Washington, I starting researching possible ways to stay warm and stylish. So I poured over articles and YouTube videos. I came across one video where a YouTube.com fashion guru called bootaholic suggested ways to keep wearing dresses, skirts and shorts in the dead of winter.

Her trick was to wear tights under leggings and she assued that no one could tell. That was a simple easy yet obvious tip that I had never even though of before! I would have never entertained the idea of wearing anything that exposed my legs to cold but the layering makes it a fool proof way to stay stylish and warm. Needless to say I became a subscriber to her channel, she gives great fashion advice!

bootsaholic's Winter Fashion Tips

 bootsaholic's Winter Fashion Tips Part 2

In part two next week I will share my skinny & warm philosophy that I've been working on these past few years to address my need for a stylish bulk-free winter look.

I'd love to hear your stories on how your winter style has evolved into a more stylish endeavor.

Shopping Outfit: For a Chilly Day

Shopping Outfit by naturallystyled featuring tailored coats

Mixing two black and white patterns, one subtle and one bold off set each other perfectly for a sophisticated look. When I put together a similar look, I wore thick black tights under black and white wool herringbone tweed shorts (Old Navy) like the ones above. I wore a black and white houndstooth check jacket (Rubber Doll) similar the one above with a thin, ribbed long sleeved turtleneck sweater (Gap) underneath.

I topped off the outfit with a deep red thin drapy scarf with subtle fringe (H & M) and added a black slouchy bag (Gap) similar to the one above and finished with some black Enzo Angiolini leather knee boots with cute tassel details on each side.