**Winter Ponderland**

With the freezing temperatures firmly frozen and refusing to thaw , my daily routine has become an icy challenge of arctic proportions and this has led me to question, is it too much to ask to simply dress appropriately for the conditions we’re facing and how are we actually expected to stay one foot ahead of the weather? Especially when the weather seems to be tripping over its Hunter wellies to keep up with itself!

I’m a regular commuter now. That is to say, I am well and truly wedged under the sweaty armpit that is the London rat race. Far be it for me to complain about this, as I day after day willingly place my 5 foot self into said armpit crevice and toddle off to work, however it’s not without its challenges. And yes, you guessed it; most of them are definitely outfit related (although Southeastern Rail is not without its fair share). What is a girl to do I hear you cry?

From sweltering summer evenings, to showery spring mornings, and wicked winter chills to average autumn days, ones 6am outfit choice is never going to be easy, or let’s face it, very inspired. At first glance, major outfit mistakes can be made. At second glance, even more gargantuan mistakes can be made. If I have learnt anything from my time trying to beat the UK weather, it is to go with your instincts as over thinking an outfit choice can often be catastrophic and to definitely plan the night before.

Top 5 Winter fashion faux pas.

1.       Welcome to my layer- It sounds obvious but a common mistake when it comes to dressing for the weather is wearing too many layers. True, we can always take them off, shed each layer like a snake losing its skin but realistically, when you have worked that hard to formulate an outfit that consists of ten elements (and that’s just on your top half), why would you want to ruin it by removing crucial layer number ten or nine or eight or….? And even worse still, after belting yourself in to said ten layers, suitably working up an almighty sweat and not to mention heat rash and a look to rival the Michelin man, it’s fair to say that layers two to ten definitely act as a barrier, a protection from the pushes and shoves of other fellow commuters.

Main problems accompanied by too many layers=

·         Hair stuck to neck sweat

·         Fringe stuck to forehead sweat

·         Bulkiness a hindrance when boarding overcrowded public transport

·         Extra washing created

·         Potential to cause fainting/nausea

To be honest, sweat patches are never going to penetrate this many layers so if you commit to the layer, it’s definitely a stayer!



Commit to the layer



2.       Layer fake- On the other hand, one can often make a critical error when it comes to dressing for the unknown weather by not wearing enough clothing. Ever concerned about the sweat pit that is the London Underground, I am conscious of not over dressing, despite the sub-zero temperatures in the outside world, as I know it will only come back to sweatily bite me on the well wrapped rump. However, at 6am in the middle of November, thoughts of frosty skies, icy pavements and frozen breath lead me in one direction only and that is to my knitted snood, furry ear muffs and woolly mittens. Imagine the scene a mere two hours later…on board a tube train with approximately  100,000 other woolly scarf, bobble hat clad commuters dreaming of frosty skies, icy pavements and if only I could see my hands let alone my icy breath!  So lesson learnt I hear you say…next day I travel minus snood, gloves and snuggly head wear only to be greeted by my friendly Southeastern Rail train that has busted heating. Correction… it has one carriage of heating. Not my carriage. And for those of you who commute you will sympathise with me here, we commuters are loyal to our carriage day in day out and will never betray it. Never. Commence hour and a half journey in a shivery fetal position, attempting to stay warm.

3.       For furs sake- The chilly winter months can only mean one thing for me and that is to wear copious amounts of faux fur. From fluffy scarves to woolly hats and furry coats to shearling lined boots, I have them all and I am not ashamed to say I will happily wear them in one big furry melting pot of an outfit. My current favourite items include a faux fur head warmer from trusty Primark. It sits snuggly and stylishly on my well groomed head and keeps my ears toasty and warm, not to mention looking ski-style chic. I’m also singing the praises of my new leopard print coat from New Look, which never fails to let me down- warm and trendy in equal amounts. However, the faux fur look is not without its pitfalls. Yes, it may be stylishly sought after and snuggly warm but when faced with the great British rain, it leaves a lot to be desired. Just picture… more drowned rat than ravishing diva. Enough said. 

4.       Foot flops- Far be it for anything other than sheer joy and delight to influence my footwear choice but it has to be said that making a winter footwear faux pas can be a total nightmare. Pump/leggings combo is a definite no in our nippy climes, as no one can look chic sporting Smurf-like feet. Knee high boots that look stunning on 6ft models but leave a lot less to be desired on my short stumps are a total blunder as I can assure you, you will spend the entire day trying to pull them up, hold them up and keep them up, probably to no avail. Stylish ankle boots with feathers, tassel's, studs, zips or laces often look the part but rarely keep contact with the icy pavements, leading to attempted auditions for Dancing On Ice. My Uggs are my winter feet savior and although clumpy and pretty unsightly (I’m fully aware that it takes a special type of person to make these boots look good) my feet regularly thank me of an evening when they relax into some comfy slippers, unaffected by the chill and still in one piece.

5.       Hat hair- It may be a myth that as much as 45% of your body heat is lost out of your head but why listen to this when believing it can be so much more fun? In that case, what better way is there to conserve your body heat than to treat yourself to one of numerous hats on the high street right now. Whether you are more of a bobble hat beaut than a faux fur trapper hat fashionista, there is always a style out there to suit you. However, don’t let the simple hat fool you. Once you commit to the hat at the start of the day, you will find it difficult, if not impossible to remove it later on. Accompanied with the perils of hat hair, a harmless looking hat, can play havoc with your hair but is it worth it? The decision is yours.



To hat hair or not to hat hair?

Until next time.xxx