Winter Fashion: What to Add

Each year at the end of November, I find myself asking the same question: what is the key to maintaining personal style throughout the winter months? The reality of being a student at Queen’s University is enduring cold, Kingston winters. The sun sets earlier each day, the wind howls through the streets, and the temperature dips into the negative. In reaction, the student body transitions into winter with a shared sense of resignation, and a large collection of Canada Goose jackets. Leandra Medine, founder of Man Repeller, aptly summarized this annual phenomenon by asking, “What’s more elegant than a lady in a bell coat, holding her purse close to her heart? A reasonable question, but the answer is: avoiding hypothermia.” Winter weather restricts what can realistically be worn out of the house, and sees every outfit get swallowed up by a winter jacket. I spend the season wearing a black TNA parka with faux-fur trim on the hood and a zipper that stretches from my knees to my eyebrows. It’s kind of like a wearable sleeping bag: comfortable and warm, but entirely functional. However, Man Repeller recently shared the secret to maintaining personal style during wintertime, while announcing the launch of their accessories line earlier this month. “I realized that accessories could maintain the same transformative quality that all the rest of my stuff did. That by simply electing to wear a certain hat or pair of sunglasses, a small handbag or earring… I could engage with fashion thoroughly and meaningfully without thinking twice. Without feeling weird or bad about or bored by wearing the same plain pants and sweater every day,” Leandra wrote. Accessories are lauded for their ability to reflect the wearer’s unique tastes, elevating outfits from purely functional to expressive–and that doesn’t change during the winter months. This capability makes them one of the most powerful tools in the fashion artillery. In light of this revelation, here’s a rundown of this season’s accessory trends. Clockwise from top left: Daisy Jewelry, Zara, Man Repeller. Clockwise from top left: H&M x Mochino, Zara, Zara, The Gap. Clockwise from top left: Man Repeller, Neophyte Jewels, Etsy, Neophyte Jewels Clockwise from top left: Bonlook, Topshop, Man Repeller Clockwise from top left: Salvatore Ferragamo, Burberry, Kate Spade, Halogen, Givenchy. Claudia Rupnik is the MUSE Fashion Editor. Want to submit? Click here.