Although Mother Nature has been teasing us all winter with glimpses of spring air and fluctuating temperatures, let’s not forget that we choose to live in Montreal—a place where there was never a chance of emerging from winter without a few blasts of sub zero weather and ‘stop you in your tracks’ snowfall. Coming back from Reading Week ready to finish the semester strong, it is now time for fashion trends that will step in and cover us up in looks that we feel great (and warm) stepping out in.
Layering is always a natural progression as the temperature moves further and further below zero. This idea can be utilized even in our footwear choices: Thigh high boots are not a new innovation, but their prominence in everyday street style is definitely gaining momentum. Most recently, Olivier Rousteing’s Fall-Winter 2016-2017 Paris Fashion Week show for Balmain featured a repeated focus on thigh high boots. The square heel, or even a flat thigh high boot, can add almost an entire pant-length of warmth to your daytime winter layering. Black, brown, grey, or any other neutral colour suede have been popular this season and can all be incorporated into already neutral winter wardrobes. Both aforementioned styles can easily make the cross to eveningwear, but the thin stiletto-style thigh high boot can also be brought out to make for a more dramatic evening look. It seems a fair bet that the trend will carry on into next year’s Winter season, so now is a great time to hit the mall and find a (possibly discounted) pair.
Faux fur jackets, vests, and scarves are all bold additions to any outfit, providing a space for your creativity to run wild through your style choices. There are a multitude of quality faux fur looks on the market that add just as much glam to a look as real fur. So for the sake of PETA, the animals, and our bank accounts, working a faux option into this year’s winter lineup is a positive sum game.
With numerous brands following the trend of oversized outerwear, there has even emerged the option to layer coats. A more fitted or lighter jacket can be worn under an oversized coat—a practical option for Montreal’s multiple degrees of frigidity.
Although many students resort to the hoodie as a safe source of warmth—but maybe not always style—the hoodie may in fact be having its 15 minutes of fame. Whether it will endure is still up for debate, but it is highly recommended to take advantage of the additional comfort factor before it has the chance to go back out of style. Statement hoodies are quickly becoming a fashion staple. Vogue even put together a creative online feature of gifs entitled 10 Fresh Ways to Wear a Hoodie. You may choose to work in a basic monochromatic hoodie right over your seemingly contrasting outfit (say, dress), or you could choose to make the sweatshirt the centerpiece of your outfit. Fashion icons from Rihanna to Kourtney Kardashian have been spotted rocking oversized sweaters as outfits themselves, opting out of pants and maybe even bringing the suggestions full circle with a thigh high boot.
Whether you implement these trends into your wardrobe one at a time, or all at once, experimenting with more fabrics in different places and of diverse kinds is the overall take-home. Fashion is constantly evolving and forever moving towards freedom for the user. More often than not, trends, especially those with a focus on layering, can be first tried with pieces you already have in your closet—possibly even the old worn out hoodie in the back.
