Fashion Challenge: Dressing for New England Weather Part II: Winter and Spring

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So, last week I gave out my best advice on how to dress for fall in New England.  This week, I’m expanding on that advice to tell you how to transition your wardrobe not only from summer to fall, but also from fall to chilly winter!  What you should know is that you will have to buy some new clothes for winter.  But–probably not as many as you think!  As I said in part one of this post, you don’t need a whole new wardrobe.  But there are a few things that are non-negotiable for weathering the winter in New England.

First, you will need to invest in a quality winter coat to keep you warm.  This will probably be your priciest purchase, but it is necessary and certainly worth it to keep you warm and healthy.  You will also need at least one pair of pants and a pair of waterproof snow boots to trudge around in.  When buying, make sure the whole shoe–not just the soles–are made of a waterproof material.  Also, be sure to get a pair that goes past your ankles.  The higher the better really, because snow in New England gets pretty high and when it melts, it gets very soupy and wet.  You don’t want that getting into your boots, and if they’re not high enough, it will happen.  You also might consider a hat and gloves to protect yourself from the cold.  If you’re a Mount Holyoke student, Crazy Moon is right across the street and they sell great, warm winter wear for very reasonable prices, especially during a sale.

In addition to a coat, some pants (preferably ones that can be tucked into boots on snow days—wet hems are no fun), and snow boots, you will also want to get either tights or leggings.  They are available at very low prices at stores like Target or H&M.  The reason I suggest these is because they will allow you to continue using the summer wardrobe that you already own.  Sticking a pair of leggings or tights under a skirt and adding boots makes your bottom half winter-appropriate.  Using a summer blouse under a sweater and heavy jacket will also work just fine.  This way, you don’t have to change your style or overhaul your whole closet, which can be both expensive and create space issues in a small dorm room.

To finish out this advice series, I’ll leave you with a few tidbits of advice for spring as well.  When spring rolls around, you can do the same process, but in reverse.  Loose the winter coat and go back to the fall coat or sweater you bought earlier.  Spring is a very changeable season in New England so layer, layer, layer.  Also, don’t put your boots or warm coat away until late April; it’s been known to snow in New England much later into the spring season than most people think.  You can make use of tights, leggings, or pants tucked into boots.  You can utilize sweaters, scarves, vests, and light jackets in layers.  When late April and early May finally roll around, you can transition seamlessly to just wearing the original summer wardrobe you brought with you.  Congratulations, you officially know how to dress for New England weather!