It’s cold around here (despite the freak 60-degree day we had – with heavy rain – the week of Thanksgiving). It will be cold for months to come. The last vestiges of my summer/early fall wardrobe have been relegated to the back of my closet or the dresser in the spare room. And my winter style uniform has reappeared.
I work in a business-casual office environment (higher education). Most of my colleagues don’t wear suits (unless they have important meetings), but we also don’t wear jeans, even on Fridays. (This is one reason I sometimes wear jeans to church on Sundays: because I can’t wear them during the week.)
I also commute on public transportation, often through rain, snow and slush in the wintertime. I need polished, professional (but not overly buttoned-up) clothes, and shoes that will support my feet (and keep them dry). Over the past few years, I’ve gradually pulled together a winter style uniform, some variation of which I wear almost every day.
The formula looks like this: sweater/tee + scarf + pencil skirt + tights/leggings + boots.
If it’s raining or snowing, I wear my red wellies or snow boots and carry a pair of flats in my bag. I now own five winter coats: three wool, two down. (Plus a lighter trench coat for warmer, rainy days.) I have a growing collection of handknit hats. I own a few dresses I love, and sometimes I swap the sweater/skirt combo for a dress/cardigan or tunic/tee pair.
Here’s what I know: I feel more like myself in soft separates rather than crisp button-downs. I’m not big on busy patterns, but I do love stripes. I own a dozen or so scarves, which I swap out according to the colors of my outfit (and the weather: freezing temps call for warm handknit cowls). I’ve begun experimenting with bolder tights – red, purple or a brand-new teal pair. My black riding boots get a real workout in the winter, though I also own a brown pair. And I rotate my coats – especially my new jade-green one, above – according to weather and mood.
Most of the time, I love this uniform. It’s smart, proper, warm and stylish, and it means I don’t have to deal with wet, dragging pant hems (my least favorite thing), damp socks, or ironing in the morning (or the night before). It also saves me from having to make too many decisions while I’m rushing around in the morning (unless the tee or skirt I wanted to wear is in the laundry). I function much better if I can put off decision-making until after my first cup of tea.
But sometimes, I get a little bored with my uniform – especially because I know I’ll be wearing it for several (cold) months to come. So, stylish readers, any inexpensive tips for jazzing up my standard style formula? I’m all ears.
cakes, tea and dreams 
Try leggings with a tunic top. Then you can experiment with some fun belts over the tunic. Or you could also try a dark pair of skinny jeans paired with a long top/tunic and boots. There are lots of styles that are pretty dressy. If it’s not too wet, I love to wear wide leg trousers as I can wear a “normal” pair of warm shoes instead of heels. – Jacque
I also work in higher education and I’m also not allowed to wear jeans even on Fridays, so I know exactly how you feel. My standard uniform is a sweater (I have SO many), ponte pants, and my tall snow boots. When I get to work I switch out the boots for one of the several pairs of flats I have under my desk. Sometimes if I’m feeling really fancy I’ll throw on a scarf. I guess I don’t have a suggestion so much as I’m also looking for help/inspiration 🙂
Maybe a pair of skinny pants in a fun color? You could still tuck them into boots. If skinny pants aren’t your thing, maybe try matchstick, which aren’t as tapered.
I work for a charity and we have a similar dress code. I’m the last person to give fashion advice, but if it helps, I tend to stick to pretty dresses so I don’t have to think too much in a morning! I like soft jersey blazers as well to smarten up outfits and when it was warmer, I was experimenting with patterned cropped trousers. I’m a huge fan of scarves too – have you seen this video about how to tie scarves? I thought it was amazing! http://youtu.be/5LYAEz777AU
Sweater dresses were one of my saving graces the last few years layered with tights and sometimes a snappy long-sleeve underneath for added warmth and an accent for my forearms. I do love your winter dress code though. I’ve seen it in action and have been impressed at your knees’ breeze tolerance in those tights.
I’ve been trying to find my new “uniform” since I moved from Chicago to San Francisco 2 years ago. I used to wear suits and blazers to work every day in my corporate office! Now I have a more casual wardrobe because people don’t dress so formally out here. But honestly, I prefer to look more professionally dressed than casual.
I wear sheath-style dresses pretty much year round, and add tights, cardigans, or suit jackets as the weather gets colder. I commute wearing Puma-style sneakers and keep all of my nice shoes at work. On Fridays, I bring a pair of shoes home for the weekend. I read a great tip (on Pink of Perfection, I think) for shopping: have a theme word in mind–elegant, comfortable, classic, etc–and when you are debating a purchase, make sure that the item fits with the theme that you are creating for your wardrobe.
Great tips, everyone!