How to get lay(er)ed
It’s that time of the year again, four seasons in a day. The mornings usually start off with an icy breeze as the dew settles over the damp green lawns. As midday approaches, the sun pops out in full blaze and makes you question if summer has turned up early, the jerseys and coats come off and the shades go on. Then, all too quickly, the evening beckons with its dark and cold allure, tempting you to curl up in a blanket and hibernate until the cold dissipates.
For those of us out and about, it’s difficult to balance functionality, practicality and most importantly comfort in one outfit, as opposed to being in the comfort of your own home or having access to your entire wardrobe, to chop and change your outfit according to the weather changes during the course of the day.
This is why I’d ideally love to stay at home in my pj’s until summer gets here but life doesn’t work like that. The simple solution is to master the art of layering your clothing. In my case, I like to dress according to the weather and I usually feel cold easily so it’s always important for me to plan my outfits accordingly.
In my quest to master the art of layering, I’ve learnt a few essential lessons that I thought others might find useful when faced with a similar dilemma:
1. It’s all in the fit. You don’t want to layer your clothing and end up looking like a small planet. Either decide on a slim bottom and a loose top or vice versa. Don’t make the mistake of wearing loose pants with a bulky coat or even worse, ill- fitted clothing items that make you look frumpy. The foolproof option is to pair a slim/skinny jean or chino with a smart button up shirt and a well-fitted cardigan or parka. You can use a belt or drawstrings on your coats and blazers to cinch in that waistline and avoid looking like a blooming onion.
2. Another tip to pull off a well-tailored look is to start off with a thinner base layer and progressively add thicker layers to it. This ensures that your outfit looks cohesive and neat. The last thing you want is to make the mistake of wearing a chunky shirt under a flimsy sweater and having the underlying thicker layers splaying over the outer thin layers. It’s simple, try pairing a cotton tee with a slim denim jean and layer over a knitted sweater and if it’s really nippy, a fleecy coat.
3. Planning is key. Whenever the need arises for you to layer up, have a look at the weather forecast and anticipate the degree of layering that you will need to do. Depending on the weather, you may need to just throw a light fleece jersey over your outfit or go into full Eskimo mode and pull out all the bells and whistles, ear muffs included.
4. Choose wisely. When buying an item of clothing, think about its practicality as well. Is it going to be versatile and comfortable, while remaining stylish? Can you use the item, such as a trench coat in more than one way? For instance, I recently purchased a suave Ruald Rheeder trench coat that I can style in multiple ways. I can leave it unbuttoned when it gets warmer, I can button up the very top buttons for a more edgy look and I can button it all the way up for a smart look or when it gets really chilly.
5. Accessorize. This is a great opportunity to elevate your outfit by adding a patterned scarf, hat or poncho to your outfit. Keep it classy by pairing a nude felt hat with a neutral coat or get creative and add a pop of color to an otherwise flat palette.
6. Fabric. Ideally, try to keep your base layers cooler fabric such as linen and cotton with your outermost layers being warmer such as wool and fleece. This ensures maximum comfort and better temperature control. Hence, you can shed the warmer layers as the day progresses without having to be stuck in sticky, uncomfortable base layers.
7. Keep your lines in check. Your outermost layers such as a cardigan or sweater should be longer than your inner layers for a sharp and clean look, in keeping with the tailored theme. On the same token, layer your thinner layers inside and then progressively get thicker with coats, scarves and parkas.
8. Comfort. Being comfortable through the day is the most important thing. Make sure the clothing you wear compliment the functionality of the tasks you are doing. For those working through the day, breathable and softer material such and cotton thermal wear work best. However for a night out on the town, wrap your jacket or jumper around your waist when the layers start coming off to remain stylish and amaze your friends with your Nifty skills.
Basically, during sporadic seasonal changes such as this, pick out your outfit according to your needs while keeping your style in check. Ensure that you have a versatile jacket or coat at the ready when unforeseen weather changes arise and hopefully it helps you keep abreast of the ever volatile seasons.
Written by The Nifty Attache.
