You've swung your door open and felt the burn of cold air on your cheeks for countless winters before, so you're already armed with the necessary gear to fight that crispy eye-watering chill — neutral knits, felted plaids, and practical black boots included. But, this is your season of repose, embrace it! Build the winter capsule wardrobe to carry you into 2021 based on comfort — not in the physical sense (though yes, that's important, too), but by the piece of mind it can offer. If you pull out your laptop in the morning and start your workday under the covers (no judgement), then wrapping yourself in a blanket coat or twisting an oversized scarf around your torso can offer that same cocooned feel.
As many city-dwellers trade in small apartments for rural getaways, tending the garden has replaced hours at the gym and perfecting banana bread has become the alternative to Seamless or Uber Eats. In a year when so much feels out of control, it's the simple pleasures that have become the saving grace for many — tugging on a pair of galoshes to pull weeds or water dormant flowers. Though the weatherproof boots may lack the glamour of buckling on a pair of spangly heels on your way out to a party, out in your own backyard, what you wear with those boots is up to you.
For those that have fully embraced the reality of sweats, you've by now realized the conundrum of 2020's outfit MVP. It's hard to feel dressed when you're wearing them. A tailored trouser or flared knit pant fills necessity while feeling a bit more put together.
There are the straightforward examples from the runways: the chain-studded knits at Dion Lee and Bottega Veneta, the cashmere sweater-suits at Barrie designed to look like jeans, and the relaxed trousers of Louis Vuitton and The Row, meant to replace your sweats altogether.
If you've hit a creative roadblock mid-project, change your scenery, or your sweater to massage your mind in different ways. When your short day is spent in the same space all week long, finding new ways to break things up is crucial. Settle on those hero pieces — tough combat boots, or a cropped sweater dress — that can transform your mood or creativity, and build from there.
A considered approach to curating what stays in your closet, what goes, and what new comes in can actually make getting dressed into an intuitive, enjoyable part of the day. You are no longer fettered by any rules of what you can or can't wear, it's about honing in on the trends that make you feel something, like a shimmery skirt that playfully twists at your ankles or a coat with a dramatic, furry collar.
Top image credit: Valentino coat, Alexander Wang hoodie, Victoria Beckham boots
Model: Franciele Santos
Photographer: Alexander Saladrigas
Stylist: Lotte Elisa Agullo-Collins
Hair: Naeemah LaFond
Makeup: Ashleigh Ciucci
