10 essentials you need to get ready for winter
Summer may just have wrapped up, but you’ll soon be wrapping up for winter. Prepare well…
With winter well and truly on its way – Don’t believe us? Just look out of the window – and the cosy days of summer retreating further away than your flip-flops and linen shirts into your wardrobe, it’s time to get ready for the colder months to come. Thankfully, although summer has wrapped up, winter means wrapping up – and we’ve got the ten essentials to lay the foundations of your perfect winter wardrobe.
There’s nothing worse than commuting into work in the cold, getting to your desk with freezing fingers and having to type all morning with blue digits and a wince of pain on your face. So buy a good pair of gloves. We’d recommend these Merino wool gloves from Drake’s – crafted from thick, soft wool and flecked to add a little interest.
It’s often said that when your head is warm, the rest of your body is too. So, to ensure that you keep yourself cosy during the winter months, invest in the best beanie you can buy. They’re wooly, easily stored and if you pick a subtle, neutral colour, they’re incredibly versatile. Go grey, like your gloves, with this offering from J.Crew.
Scarves can do wonders. Warmer than many jackets, easy to take off and perfect to hide in if you’ve got a long, exhausting commute, choose one that goes with many of your outfits and it’ll soon become second nature to grab it when you leave the house in the morning. To help with this matching, go reversible – like Ralph Lauren’s virgin wool burgundy and dark grey offering.
Your feet are just as important to keep warm as your head, so wool up down low as well as up top. Don’t go too thick – hiking socks and work shoes aren’t a good combination – but if you invest in a good pair of woollen socks, you’ll be both warm and in possession of some of the most versatile socks you can buy. Pantherella sell such socks – and these laburnum ribbed merino socks are some of their best.
Winter isn’t exactly known for nice weather these days. Even our days of light, fluffy snowflakes – showers we don’t mind getting caught in – seem to be over. Instead, sleet and slush are here to contend with, so invest in the best umbrella you can buy or you risk turning up to work looking like a drowned rat. This classic wooden-handled umbrella from Paul Smith has a sleek black canopy and keeps things both tradition and – more importantly – dry.
There’s no finer shirt material for autumn and winter than brushed cotton – at once both slim fit smooth but with a warmth normal cotton simply doesn’t afford. This Emma Willis shirt is both a neutral colour and will also introduce a little relaxed style into your workwear – despite the cut not sacrificing formality.
You may be inside, but your dressing gown doesn’t have to be some fluffy polyester-blend travesty. As we know, all true gents wear pajamas, but take this one step further with a good brushed cotton robe, and you’ll be the most dapper sleeper around. Patch pockets and a subtle check keep things cool, whilst you remain warm.
A lightweight, warm sweater will work in any occasion this winter. Over jeans on its own or over your work chinos and shirt, this is the ideal layering piece – navy and Hugo Boss. Take it to the office, take it skiing, take it on a hike – wherever you choose to don this jumper, it’ll fit in – and keep you warm every step of the way.
Layering is a key style to master before the seasons turn – and the foundation of any good layered outfit is a Henley. A t-shirt, but with added interest in those buttons, the Henley is at once rugged and refined – and this NN07 slim-fit cotton version is the reliable basic shirt you’ll be relying on this winter.
We’ve told you how to incorporate your knitwear into your everyday work attire, but wool’s formalwear applications doesn’t end there. The knitted tie is a stalwart of suiting accessories – and winter is the perfect time to deploy it in the office. Essentially a tiny scarf, it’ll keep you warm and smart – and this dunhill offering, subtly navy and featuring a taupe chevron, is the perfect addition to your collection.
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