As I’m sat at my computer writing this blog post there is actually frost on the ground, I needed to defrost my car this morning, and I’ve got the fire blazing in the living room. It’s definitely feeling wintery out there and that can only mean one thing; time for some new winter essentials.
I try not to splash out too much on new clothing during the year. My thrifty nature ensures that I always ask myself ‘do I really need it?’ before buying something new and often the answer is no. I can go for months without buying myself something new and my jeans usually get holes in them before I consider upgrading! Even so, there are some essentials that I can’t live without each year, and it’s usually around autumn/winter that I start thinking about adding a few cosy items to my wardrobe.
Firstly, I picked up a couple of jumpers from House of Fraser. Every year, when the temperature drops, I look in my wardrobe and say to myself ‘I have no jumpers’. I don’t know where they disappear to during the year, but all I can find is 3/4 length sleeved cardigans and they just won’t cut it on chilly winter mornings. So I decided on two fail-safe cosy jumpers to add to my winter wardrobe.
This super-cute fox intarsia jumper in navy blue is ideal for casual wear with jeans and is currently discounted online. It’s kind-of festive without being an all-out Christmas jumper. Not to mention that it’s the softest top I’ve ever worn. Seriously, it’s the kind of jumper that makes people want to hug you! I also wanted something smart enough for work so I browsed the sale section and chose a simple burgundy jumper (my signature winter colour!) with a little sparkly beaded detail around the neckline. I thought this would make a great Christmas meal outfit and take me from day-to-night for festive drinks.
While browsing online I found this floral dress at Blue Vanilla. The pattern grabbed my attention because it’s nothing like any of the dresses I already own, and I love an over-sized floral print! When I looked more closely I discovered the perfect cinched-in waist (that actually makes me look like I have a shape!), casual side pockets, a not-too-short-but-not-too-long skirt length and capped sleeves. Essentially, it was everything I look for in a dress and when it arrived, it actually fit me! I’m so used to having to send things back because I’m not sure of my size when shopping online but this one matched the measurements perfectly, as if it had been made for me. So, as you can probably guess, I’m pretty confident that I’ll get a lot of wear out of it.
I could team it with opaque tights, black knee-high boots and a cosy over-sized cardigan for a casual work look or dress it up with sparkly heels and jewellery for a night out. It’s definitely an office-party head-turner for Christmas, and because it’s not too short, it looks classy yet undeniably “dressed-up”. I’ve got a wedding coming up in the early spring too, so it may be a winner for that occasion too.
One obvious essential on frost mornings is a big, snuggly winter coat. I’ve been wearing the same coat for the past few years but some of the buttons have pinged off and it’s looking rather bobbly so I’ve decided to invest. I wanted to choose a new coat that would last me for a good few years and keep me warm all winter long. For bigger investment pieces like this my thriftiness comes out in terms of ‘cost-per-wear’. If I know that a coat is well made, warm and covers all eventualities (autumn days, winter snow, spring rain etc) then I know that I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. This year I put together a wish list of everything that a coat should be; wool, with a hood, funnel neck for warmth and preferably in a ‘go-with-everything’ colour like navy blue. While I was searching for my ideal jumpers in House of Fraser, I found this Dickins & Jones duffle coat that ticked all the boxes. What do you think? Looks pretty snuggly, huh?!
As my thoughts turned to Christmas I decided that a sparkly top was essential for Christmas day so I looked around for something cute. I found an embellished sheer top in a delicate nude ballerina pink by Dickins & Jones and fell in love with the sweet peter-pan collar in sparkly beads. The subtle beading in shades of silver, grey and nude catches the light and it’s not just across the centre – there are little sparkly touches all over the top. It comes with a matching pink cami top to wear underneath the floaty top later so it’s a two-for-one really and don’t need to go out hunting for a coordinating vest! I’m planning to wear this tucked into a cute pencil skirt for nights out (festive parties here I come!) and probably with trousers on Christmas day.
What do you think of my 5 essential items for winter? I honestly don’t think I’ll need to do much more shopping between now and the new year, I’ve got every eventuality covered! What are the clothing items that you can’t live without in the winter? And what wardrobe essentials will you be investing in this year? Let me know by leaving me a comment below or tweeting me @Cassiefairy.
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
