How to Layer your Summer Clothes in Winter

In all the blog posts we’ve read, YouTube videos watched, and Pinterest pins pinned, the general consensus when it comes to capsule wardrobes is that you have one with clothes to wear in the summer, and one with clothes to wear in the winter, with a handful of transition pieces for those in-between months. We’re here to make a case for bending some of those rules, and showing you how to style some of your favourite summer clothing in winter time. Of course, in less temperate climates, one of the biggest barriers for a year-long wardrobe is that a t-shirt just won’t cut it in -20 degree weather. So, we’ve come up with some clever ways for how to layer clothes so you can wear your summer clothes in winter and get more wear out of your fav seasonal pieces.

 

(left to right: @candicemtay and @jillematthews) 

Turtleneck under… everything

It’s become a huge trend recently to layer a turtleneck underneath everything from a simple T-Shirt, to a strappy dress, and we have to say that this is the ultimate hack for cold weather dressing. If you’ve ever wondered how to wear a summer dress in winter, a turtleneck is a chic way to go. We personally think our Everyday T-Shirt Dress makes a great dress for layering a turtleneck underneath in the colder months. Checkout our “How to wear a T-Shirt Dress for Any Season” blog post for more seasonless styling tips for that piece.

(left to right @candicemtay and @emmairenecavanagh)

Knit Sweater Under Blazer

Transform your stand-alone outerwear by doubling up --  wear a knit sweater under your blazer, and top the whole look off with a peacoat or a duster jacket. When just a blazer solo won’t cut it, it works nicely sandwiched between two warmer layers. Same could be said for your favourite denim jacket. We love the look of our Unblazer layered over a neutral sweater for a monochromatic look, as seen styled above by Emma Irene Cavanagh.

(Encircled Revolve Dress and Encircled The Dressy Legging)

Leggings Under Dresses & Pants 

Leggings are a secret weapon when it comes to winter bundling. They can easily be worn underneath pants for that extra lining, or on milder days, dare to wear your leggings underneath a dress instead of nylons. Tall boots can conceal warm socks that bridge the gap of the footless leggings for total insulation. When choosing your layering legging, we recommend something softer than your typical nylon or polyester activewear legging. They have a plasticky feel and a really compressive fit which won’t be as comfortable as something like our Fair Legging or Dressy Legging. They're made from ultra-soft, sustainable bamboo blend fabric for that cozy feel you want as your first layer.

(left to right: @thebirdspapaya and @candicemtay)

Cardigans 

Knit cardigans are the perfect transition pieces for the mild season, but also serve really well as bundling layers, especially if you’re going to be hanging out inside for when you get to where you’re going. (read: sometimes the office is chilly in the winter, and you have to bring a desk-cardigan)

 

 (@hersimplesole)

Cropped Pants

Just because the weather cools down, doesn’t mean you have to pack up your beloved crops. Instead, we recommend wearing tights underneath and pairing your cropped pants with a high cut boot. We love how Sharon (as seen above) paired the Comfy Wide Leg Crop with booties and a trench. This look works great for a mildly cold day, but for the peak of winter, we would go with a taller boot to avoid any gap between your pants and boot.

 

Extra Hacks for How to Layer Clothes for Winter

Nearly everyone in the Encircled offices grew up in Canada where we have become pro’s at bundling up against the cold (except for Peter, he’s from Florida!!). Here is some of our well weathered advice (get it?) for warmth and style!

(From left to right: Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket, Frank and Oak Skyline Water Repellent Packable Puffer Vest, Patagonia Women's Re-Tool Snap-T Fleece Pullover) 

Shell Layer 

Pro-tip for buying winter clothes in summer: when you’re buying a winter coat on sale in the spring, make sure you don’t just try it on over a t-shirt, and consider space for a shell layer! You may not remember what it’s like to need it at the time, but when the time rolls around, you’ll thank yourself.

 

The BEST Base Layer

If (when) it’s REALLY that cold out, sometimes multiple layers is what’s necessary. Start with a base layer, and add thin layers in succession to really lock in the warmth. Pro-tip: Extra tight clothing isn’t going to be extra warm. You need some space between your layers to promote air flow, those pockets of air will keep you warm!

 

We hope these tips will help you get more use out of your wardrobe while keeping you extra cozy yet stylish through the colder months of the year. As a sustainable fashion brand, we want to help women get as much use out of the pieces in their wardrobe as possible, and layering your summer clothes in winter is a great way to do that. We also have a blog post with lots of tips and tricks for how to layer your winter clothes for the spring which you may like!

 

 

Have any tips for how to layer clothing for winter? Leave them below in the comment section!

 

 

All photos are copyright Encircled. Contact us for permissions/rights to re-use or repost images.