Scraping ice off the car—gross. 5-day-old-gray-crunchy-snow—gross. Fewer hours of sunlight—gross. I don’t mean to be a Negative Nellie, but let’s be real: after Christmas has come and gone, and we’re left to the bleak January doldrums, it’s hard to look forward to winter. I’m all for boycotting winter. Okay, that's a little bit of a lie, because it does have a few redeemable qualities. Number one, my kids love hitting the slopes. And number two, I love to layer for winter. When it’s actually cold outside, I get a chance to layer my frozen little heart out (and if you’re here, you already know how I feel about layering). Sweaters, scarves, jackets, cardigans, coats, hats, and Halftees galore! I mean the opportunity to mix and match patterns, and colors, and add depth and dimension to your outfit is where. It’s. At. So let’s focus on what we love about winter: how to layer for warmth and style when it’s cold out. 

The real trick to layering for winter is determining what article of clothing you want to highlight. Is it a favorite sweater or shirt? Is it a jumpsuit or dress? Find what piece you want to pop, and build your outfit around that. For example, with this outfit, Rebekah knew she wanted to start with this black blouse. We styled her with a cream Long Sleeve Turtleneck Halftee knowing we could color block with this shacket (which would pull in both the black and white elements to coordinate her outfit). We also liked the outfit with a hat to add an accent color. 

Now let’s look at Wendy’s outfit. She has this super cute corduroy skirt that works so well for winter. If you have corduroy, knitted, tweed, or  flannel skirts, you should definitely be pulling them out around this time of year! Here’s my next layering tip —and the gen-Zers are about to come after me, but I don’t care— if you are going to style a baggy top, make sure you have more fitted bottoms. If you are going to style baggy bottoms, make sure you pair it with a more fitted top. This way your body shape doesn’t get totally swallowed in your layered outfit. That said, because Wendy’s corduroy skirt is more fitted, I added a chunky turtleneck sweater vest up top, and added a Bell Sleeve Halftee underneath for a little more dimension. We topped her outfit off with a snakeskin purse, and shoes to match. Pro tip: French Tuck the front of your sweaters into your skirt to give more shape to your outfit.

Let’s take a look at Rae’s outfit. She loved this striped Sleeveless Turtleneck Halftee, and winter is a great time to pull out patterns. I added this olive Spaghetti Strap Oversized Tee and a more fitted black cardigan to match her leggings (again, back to color blocking, baby). 

Let’s take one look at littles. I’m obsessed with button up cardigans on girls. Toss on a Halftee, and the outfit is practically put together. You’ll have to try this out and let me know what you think of this layered look for your little girls. 

See! Styling for winter can be fun! Just keep color blocking and highlight pieces in mind and you’ll be ready to rock and roll.