Dressing Professionally for the Winter Season

By: Lauren Farmer

Living in Indiana at Purdue University, we all know that the weather can be brutal during the winter season! One day it is 50 degrees and thunder storming, next thing we know wind chills are in the negatives and there is 3 inches of snow on the ground.  And we all know how hard it is to dress up for work and internships and still stay warm on our bone chilling walk to campus.  Well I have some style tips for everyone! Here are a few tips for still dressing professionally and staying warm at the same time.

1. Layers are your best friend.  This allows you to still wear those great tops that may not keep you warm by themselves, but paired with a great blazer or cardigan sweater will keep you nice and toasty.  This also is useful for when you get inside the office and get hot and sweaty from your brisk walk because you can remove some of the layers to be comfortable inside the warm office. For men, wear a shirt under a button down and add a sweater vest over it.  (Girls love a nice man vest.) Then add a nice jacket over it all. 
2. Find your statement pieces.  Pick out your favorite pair of pants and a cute top.  Make sure you wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in and don't make you slip on the ice and snow.  I would recommend cute boots. But wear thick socks to keep your feet warm.  (I usually wear crazy fuzzy socks under my boots.  They keep my feet warm and no one sees the crazy patters on them!) Then you can add a button up shirt or a cardigan over your top.  And to keep extra warm add a jacket or blazer too.  Men, make sure your shoes cover well and wear thick socks too so the wet snow doesn't sneak in and soak your feet!
3. Get a quality coat. The next most important article of clothing that is a must have for winter is a good quality coat. Instead of a thick, "only for comfort not for looks" kind of coat, get a nice winter pea coat (men, overcoat), long or short.  They are still great at keeping you warm and allowing you to look nice and professional as well. 
4. Accessorize. Who says you can't accessorize in winter? Well, they're wrong. Winter accessories include hats, gloves, scarves, and cute boots! They can be fashion statements and keep you warm at the same time. What a great concept! 

And there you have it. Four easy steps to keeping you warm and professional (and fashionable!) for the bitter cold.  Have fun bundling up in these fabulous layers and stay warm!