Outdoor Dining Fashion: How to Look Cool and Stay Warm
Covid has pushed our social lives outside, and we’re clinging to any chance to chat in person even as temperatures dip. Here, hot tips for dressing warmly yet stylishly.
IN A MEMORABLE scene from the seasonal classic “A Christmas Story,” Mother Parker readies her groaning son Randy for the wintry walk to school by stuffing his little limbs into a snowsuit and encasing him like a mummy in layers of woolly accessories. As Randy complains that he can’t move his arms, his older brother (and the film’s narrator) Ralphie intones: “Preparing to go to school was like getting ready for extended deep-sea diving.” While the movie is set in the 1940s, the tendency to overdress one’s children for cold weather is a timeless tradition. And as Covid continues to force us outside to socialize, many of us are tempted to adopt Randy’s over-bundled look.
But you needn’t channel a fashion-paralyzed grade schooler to dine en plein air this season. Instead, consider this far more sophisticated strategy. Step one: Prioritize statement outerwear. Maddie Bailis, 29, a buyer for Brooklyn boutique Bird, sees current circumstances as the ideal opportunity to embrace maximalism. “I think people will start shifting their budgets toward more novel outerwear and thinking of coats not just as a cocoon that you peel off to reveal an impressive outfit underneath,” she said. The ideal coat for socializing is roomy, but not overwhelming, said Ms. Ballis. She advocates for Lemaire’s tent-like boiled wool coats and Dries van Noten’s cozy faux fur styles. Marjon Carlos, 37, a Brooklyn journalist, said “striking and eye-catching” are her outerwear prerequisites. Her pick: a crackled-patent-and-shearling showstopper.
Considered accessories are critical, contributing warmth and vital pizazz.
What peeks out beyond your coat’s perimeter should also insulate and look good doing it. New York stylist Doria Santlofer, 36, has found an appealing, cozy silhouette in substantial wool, high-waisted trousers by Marc Jacobs. “I like wide-leg ones so you can easily slip long underwear underneath,” she said. Leather pants by Veda are Ms. Carlos’s go-to—she contends they provide “the perfect insulation.”
Turtlenecks will keep your torso toasty and, as Ms. Bailis pointed out, “can provide a sliver of color or print above a collar.” Dickies—a sort of turtleneck-scarf hybrid—perform the same trick. Casey Larkin Blond, 41, the founder of fashion brand Mr. Larkin, whose flagship store is in Copenhagen, enthusiastically depends on dickeys. “I have several in multiple colors to go with different coats,” she said.
JUST CHILLIN’ No, you needn’t wear a snowsuit to hang with friends outside this season. Try these chic, insulating, essentials for chilly rendezvous. Clockwise from top left: Boots, $1,945, tods.com; Scarf, $290, acnestudios.com; Gloves, $120, hestragloves.com; Socks, $24, bombas.com; Hat, $565, moncler.com; Dress, $510, laurenmanoogian.com; Cape, $600, pologeorgis.com
While not a sartorial statement, base layers remain nonnegotiable. Bodysuits and Uniqlo’s layerable Heattech tops guard against the cold without adding bulk, and wool socks or heavyweight tights (or both!) will prevent toe chills.
Also critical: Reassess your accessories. Not only do they play a starring role in heat retention, they contribute vital pizazz. Ms. Blond slips on vivid gloves to stave off frostbite and add visual interest—her favorites are Clyde’s opera-length style in bright blue. If dining is on the docket, consider fingerless gloves to avoid greasy french-fry stains; for frigid walks in the park, Ms. Bailis recommends plush sheepskin mittens (hers are by Hestra) and stashing hand warmers in your pockets.
Head coverings are crucial and, after coats, make the strongest impression, so trade that cutesy pompom hat for something bolder. Ms. Blond suggests the pastel headpieces by Rus, a less bank-robberish take on the balaclava. “The trick is to show a little hair around your face so you don’t look like a toddler,” she said.
The anchor of it all, your shoes, should skew practical—not only are we spending more time in the cold, we’re walking and biking more. Ms. Blond, who pedals everywhere in Copenhagen, favors a reliable sneaker or a flat, knee-high leather boot. Ms. Santlofer swears by her black shearling-lined Feit clogs, and Ms. Carlos just ordered a pair of towering, Telfar boots with embossed-logo handles. “They’re fun and wild and ready for anything that life throws at me,” she said. And life has been throwing some curious things.
An infusion of that ready-for-anything spirit is exactly what our winter wardrobes need in 2020. We can’t predict much, including the weather, and being prepared—or at least having a stylish outfit that projects preparedness—can leave us reassured. Knowing this can be achieved without emulating poor little immobilized Randy is a relief in itself.