Winter fashion isn’t easy. When temperatures drop, you might want nothing more than to wrap yourself up in a chunky sweater to stay warm and comfortable, but responsibilities like work and your social life demand that you look somewhat presentable.
Fortunately, if you have the right wardrobe, you can be both cozy and cute. Here are a few ways to dress up your sweater for any winter occasion.
1. Choose the Right Sweater
Women’s sweaters come in every cut and color. On the one hand, this means there is a sweater appropriate for almost every occasion; on the other hand, the selection can be overwhelming, making it more difficult for you to choose which sweater to wear when.
Though sweater fashion has generally merged in recent years as styles trend more toward the casual, there are slight variations in the look and feel of different sweaters. Here’s a quick rundown of the more popular sweater styles and when you should wear them.
- Round neck. Also called a crew neck, this is the standard sweater collar. It is easy to dress up or down a round neck using different wardrobe pieces and accessories.
- V-neck. Traditionally, V-neck sweaters were worn by men interested in allowing a shirt and tie to peak through their sweater layer. This style is universally flattering, which makes it more versatile than other sweaters.
- Turtleneck. The turtleneck style comes and goes. Currently, turtlenecks are in, and wearing one demonstrates your trendiness and enhanced style.
- Boat neck. This sweater style is like a crew neck but with a slightly wider collar, which shows more shoulder and chest. Because they require a bit more work to wear, boat neck sweaters tend to be reserved for more formal occasions.
- Cardigan. Cardigans are sweaters that open in the front. Many cardigans have buttons, some have belt ties, and some don’t have any type of closure. Often, this sweater style comes off as frumpy, but it can be styled up into a semi-formal look.
- Oversize. Big and boxy are in, so oversized sweaters are popular options. However, this style should be reserved for casual events.
2. Style Your Sweater
Once you know which sweater is the right one, you need to surround it with other wardrobe pieces and accessories to create a full and cohesive look. Instead of tossing leggings or jeans on with your sweater, you might consider any of the following outfit ideas, which are trendier, more visually interesting, a tad more formal and quite a bit more fun.
- Wide-legged pants. Gone are the heydays of skinny jeans. Flares are in, and wide-legged pant styles are the slightly more dressed-up version that are flattering on every body. Both wide-legged jeans and wide-legged slacks are appropriate to pair with a winter sweater to make a stylish fit.
- Leather. It is important to think about texture whenever you are putting an outfit together. Knit sweaters contrast exceedingly well with hard, shiny leather, so integrating one or two leather pieces into your sweater fit is a smart move. Think: leather coat, leather skirt, leather boots, or leather bag.
- All knits. You don’t have to juxtapose different textures for a successful sweater outfit. An all-knit ensemble is cozy and chic. You can layer a knit poncho or cardigan on top of a thinner, tighter-fitting sweater. You can even find knit leggings and boots to finish the look.
- Midi skirt. Miniskirts and sweaters don’t mix, and maxi skirts and sweaters can look overly modest to the point of frumpiness. Midi skirts, especially ones with pleating or a bit of flare, pair perfectly with sweaters, providing stylish warmth.
- Blazer. A blazer instantly uplifts any outfit. You can throw a neutral blazer on top of any sweater; to stay on trend, you should look for a long and boxy blazer without much structure. If your sweater is neutral, you might opt for a flashier blazer in a fun material, like velvet.
- Dress. Wearing a sweater dress is taking a shortcut to a more formal sweater style. If you don’t have a sweater dress in your wardrobe, you can layer a sweater under or over any other dress to create a semi-casual look.
When used in the right outfit, even ugly Christmas sweaters can look sophisticated. This winter, you can take the opportunity to experiment with your sweater fashion, so you can stay comfortable, warm and fashionable at every event.
Keep being AllDayChic!
