Hi guys! It’s been SO long since I’ve written a blog post! In 2019 I decided to focus more on my Instagram and towards the end of the year I started a YouTube channel! Instagram and YouTube have been keeping me very busy but I’m going to start writing blog posts again in 2020 and what better way to start than in the first week of 2020?!! This blog post corresponds to a new YouTube video that I just posted called How To Dress For Work When It’s Cold! Be sure to watch the YouTube video because I go into a lot more details there! I’m summarizing key points from the YouTube video here and linking everything that I mention or feature! (If an item is no longer available then I will link similar options at different price points! Everything runs true to size unless I make a note otherwise!) Hope you enjoy the blog post and YouTube video!
What I’m Wearing In the Video:
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Thermals
Starting off with thermals! Love thermals because they are SO warm and virtually undetectable! I own many different thermals and recommend smooth, fitted thermals for work. Although I do like waffle style thermals, I do not recommend them for work because the waffle texture can show through a blouse. If your office is very cold then a thermal shirt AND thermal pants will keep you cozy and warm! I linked my favorite thermals down below, I’ll give a little review and comparison of both!
Cuddl Duds thermals: Warm, fitted, stretchy (but not tight), and very thin! It is made of a shirt-like material. They come in a crew neck and scoop neck. I usually wear the scoop neck if I am wearing a collared shirt with a button or two undone or if I am wearing a top that is a little open at the neck area. I wear the crew neck shirt if I am wearing a top or sweater that also is a crew neck. The thermal pants are high waisted, which I love! The shirt and pants run true to size.
Amazon thermals: Warmer and thicker than the Cuddl Duds. The outside feels like nylon and the inside feels like fleece, which is why they are thicker than the Cuddl Duds. These are more fitted than the Cuddl Duds and do not stretch as much as the Cuddl Duds. The pants are a mid rise. The shirt and pants run small and I suggest sizing up at least one size!
My favorite thermals:
I usually wear the Cuddl Duds to work because they are a thinner material and they keep me warm but not TOO warm! (The Amazon thermals are a little too warm for the office, for me at least!) I like both thermals and usually wear the Amazon thermals outside the office!
I think you can wear a thermal shirt under almost any blouse or sweater! If you also wear thermal pants then I would recommend wearing them under paperbag style pants or wide leg pants because these pants are both a looser fit so the thermals will be undetectable! Below are some examples of outfits that you could easily wear a thermal shirt and pants under!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in these paperbag pants!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in these paperbag pants!)
Thermals are perfect if your office is cold. However, if your office is relatively warm then there’s a better solution, layering!
Layering
Layering is perfect if your office is relatively warm inside but you have a commute into work in which you are outside in the cold for a long period of time walking to work. You can easily peel off the layers as the day goes on, whereas, with thermals you cannot easily take thermals off if you get too hot! I also love to layer because it makes an outfit more stylish and interesting! Not to mention layering is really cost effective because you can layer clothes you already own to create new, warm outfits for work! To be extra warm, you also could wear a thermal shirt and/or thermal pants under all your layers!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
Here are more of my favorite ways to layer for work!
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(P.S. The pants I’m wearing here are the Reiss ones that are linked below, recommend sizing up at least one size in them!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants that are linked below!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pencil skirt below!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in these paperbag pants!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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While wool and cashmere are very warm, I don’t think you need to go out and spend a lot of money on your sweaters to be warm. I think if you wear a thermal shirt under a polyester sweater then you will be just as warm as a wool or cashmere sweater. Although, now is a good time to buy really nice quality clothes because stores are trying to sell all their cold weather clothes and accessories to make room for warm weather items. So you can get a really good deal on wool and cashmere sweaters and wool coats! If you buy really classic sweaters and coats, especially in neutral colors, they will always be in style! Here’s an example of a classic winter coat that I bought last year from Reiss that is still in style this year and will be in style next year, and the following year, and many years to come because it is such a classic style!
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Here are more examples of classic coats that I have had for many years that are still in style!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in these paperbag pants!)
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Layering also helps to get more wear out of your clothes (and I’m all about that!). For instance, the below Club Monaco wool sweater I wore non-stop during the fall but because it is short sleeved, my arms are exposed and I prefer them not to be in the winter. By layering a white blouse under this short sleeved sweater I am able to wear it during the winter. For an extra layer of warmth, you also could wear a thermal shirt under this outfit!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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Here is how I have been wearing this sweater lately by wearing a pretty blouse underneath! I especially like this blouse because it has the prettiest ruffle details at the collar and at the sleeves! I bought this Ann Taylor blouse with the intention of wearing it to layer under sweaters because I love the way the ruffle collar and sleeves look under a sweater!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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Shoes
The type of shoes to wear into work will depend on your commute into work, for instance, how long you are outside for, whether you are taking the train, subway, or driving into work, and of course the weather! If it is snowing out or if it will snow later on for my commute home or if there is snow, salt, slush, or ice on the ground then I will wear winter boots!
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The boots I’m wearing here are from SOREL, they are waterproof and so warm and comfortable! I picked them up in this neutral color because I thought it would go really well with my wardrobe! They also come in many other colors, such as black! I sized up a half size based on reviews and because I wear them with thick wool socks. I bring my heels or flats in a tote bag and change into them once I’m at my desk!
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The type of shoes that I wear walking into work mostly depends on the weather. If the ground is mostly dry and there is no chance of snow then my options are over-the-knee boots, sock booties, high heels, or flats! If I’m wearing a dress then I will wear over-the-knee boots walking into work and then change into high heels or flats once I am inside!
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Another option is to wear sock booties instead of over-the-knee boots, especially with pants because over-the-boots are fitted and they will wrinkle my pants. So, if I’m wearing pants then I’ll either wear sock booties or I’ll brave the cold and wear high heels or flats!
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Winter Coat
Probably the most important item to keep you warm is a winter coat! I think a really nice, quality wool coat will go a long way to keep you warm! A coat covers the majority of your body so it is really important to buy a coat that will keep you warm. Whereas, I think with your actual outfit you can improvise with thermals and layers to make it warm and you don’t necessarily need to buy expensive wool or cashmere sweaters to keep warm. A wool coat is so classic and it will always be in style, especially in plain, neutral colors! As I mentioned earlier, now is a really good time to buy a good quality winter coat because of the end of season sales that are going on right now! Wool coats are pretty pricey so you can get one for a relatively good deal and you can still get so much wear out of it this season because it is just the start of the cold weather!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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On those really cold, snowy days I will wear my puffer coat and winter boots! I also like this puffer coat because it has a hood so I don’t need to worry about fussing with an umbrella!
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Gloves
Another winter must-have is gloves! I love leather gloves because they are so warm and they are usually fleece or cashmere lined so they are so soft too! I usually wear leather gloves if it’s snowing or raining out because my hands stay nice and dry! I also love cashmere gloves because they are warm and so incredibly soft! I have the Ann Taylor cashmere gloves that are linked below and I can confirm that the tech fingertips actually work! (I often find that gloves have the tech fingertips but they don’t actually work! At least on my phone they don’t!)
Hats
I used to dread wearing a hat as a kid but now I can’t imagine leaving the house without something covering my head! My hat of choice is a beret wool or wool blend hat because it’s warm and doesn’t mess up my hair! I usually wear a beret hat when it’s FREEZING out because it traps in more of the heat from my head than earmuffs or a headband! I picked up this wool blend headband from J.Crew and love it! It keeps my ears nice and warm and it also doesn’t mess up my hair! It comes in a handful of colors, I have it in cream and black! I usually wear the headband but on those freezing cold days I’ll wear a beret hat because it keeps me more warm since it covers more of my head and traps in the heat from my head!
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(P.S. Recommend sizing up one size in the Reiss pants!)
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I hope you enjoyed the YouTube video and blog post! Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel because I plan to post more work-related videos! Also be sure to follow me on Instagram because I post daily work outfits and on the weekends I post more casual outfits! I hope you all have a really good day and I’ll talk to you very soon! -Nikki
