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My mom does a lot of winter sports. So, she is very intent on having the proper clothing and making sure that you are properly layered up for the elements. I always thought that layers might feel good, and they might keep you warm, but they don't do much for your fashion sense! I always balked at the idea of dressing in layers, even though I live in a state where temperatures can actually get into the minus 60 and 70 degrees in the winter. We aren't known for our beaches here in South Dakota. But at any rate, I balked because I didn't want to look silly or stupid wearing lots of layers. But something changed my mind.

When I was abroad, it was very cold. I was studying in France and I had brought along a bout a month's worth of clothing for about 5 months of living. I began my studying in January, and even though I was supposed to be in a warmer climate, it turned out to be a super cold year, unexpectedly. I didn't expect it to be so cold, and neither did the French! So, pretty much, during the winter, I was wearing a good majority of what I had in my closet each day! :) I didn't really have any heavy winter gear, so I layered up, instead. My mom was proud of me!

Normally, I'm a very fashion-oriented person, so I was frustrated with the fact that I hadn't brought along more fashionable winter clothes and therefore was forced to layer up, and look a little silly. It was exactly what I had always refused to do back home. Then again, back home, I had a car with a heater to keep me warm. Here, I was on my own and walking everywhere, so I had to layer up, even if it did make me look crazy. However, I discovered something.


Layers can be SUPER fashionable, even in today's world of wearing next to nothing to go out. I tried layering different things over my clothes, and really got some cute outfits out of it. I had gone into the trip thinking I would have to forsake fashion for warmth, and that didn't turn out to be so! I was really able to make cute outfits up that looked great and were very fashionable.

First of all, I had brought along long underwear. This is a must have for any trip that takes you into cold places, but most especially when you are walking a lot. I was walking every day to school, I didn't even have a car, so no matter how cold it got, I was out there walking. Therefore a good pair of long underwear that can be worn close to the body is a must have. It is very important to keep yourself warm so that you can concentrate on other things. Long underwear is sheer, and it can be worn all the way to your ankles and all the way up to your neck. No one has to know you have it on, and it can make all of the difference! I was wearing mine almost every single day, and I don't think anyone ever noticed.

Next comes your socks. I always wore at least two pairs at a time, one tucked under my long underwear and one over the top of it. If it was really cold, I put on a third pair. Whatever was on top would be the color that I wanted people to see with my outfit for the day, and whatever was beneath didn't matter at all! If I was wearing tights or other kinds of socks that are meant to be seen, I was careful to make the layers on the bottom thin enough to look good. Its really not about the thickness, it's about the material. If you are using polyester instead of cotton, your layers will keep you much warmer, even though they are thinner.

I usually put jeans on over my long underwear. If it was REALLY cold and I was going to be spending a lot of time outdoors, I would put a pair of polyester jammie pants over the long underwear, and under the jeans. This can be very fashionable if you have jeans that are ripped or worn, because the pattern on the jammie pants will look like it is supposed to be there. You can use wild patterns or solid colors, depending on what look you want to achieve. My best pair of jeans for this trip happened to have a rip on the knee that was meant to be there. So I was sure to showcase this by always wearing something interesting underneath.

Regardless, jeans are an important part of layering up in fashion. You can even wear your ripped and torn jeans if you have something underneath, but jeans are heavy and will keep you warmer than other types of pants. Jeans are also very acceptable in most situations, unless you are going somewhere fancy or need to be dressed up. If you have a nice pair of jeans that doesn't look worn, you can even use these for those kinds of situations, especially if they are dark colors.

Next comes your tops. I was already wearing a long sleeve long underwear shirt, so I was always sure to wear at least two tops over that. My long underwear shirt was white, so it wasn't a problem with whatever I wore on top of it. For my first layer, I would wear a long sleeve, solid colored shirt made out of polyester. This would be something that would be meant to be seen, so I would make sure it was long enough to go over my jeans. Then, I would coordinate a button down shirt over this long sleeve shirt, making sure that the cuffs of the long sleeve shirt stick out over my hands, and that you could see the bottom of the long sleeve shirt underneath the button down shirt. I would usually wear printed button down shirts, with the same color scheme as the shirt underneath. This preppy and neat look is very warm and also very cute. A third layer on top of the button down shirt would be a cute t-shirt that matched appropriately. This was a lot of fun, because I had lots of cute t-shirts that were brought along but that I couldn't wear because it was cold outside. It's okay if they are a little small, because in order for the layers to work you have to be able to see the layers beneath the t-shirt. It also is only for fashion, so it doesn't have to serve a purpose.

My last layer, and actually, the thing that kept me the warmest and also in my own unique style, was usually a skirt overtop of my jeans. This last layer could really complete the outfit because you could choose from many different patterns and colors, and along with the shirts, it was easy to make an outfit that really matched and looked good. I had brought along a lot of skirts because I had expected it to be nice outside. I couldn't wear any of them because even if I wore tights underneath it would still be too cold. So I wore them over my jeans and completed that look with a big chunky belt tied across my waist.

To complete my gypsy-traveler outfit, I would wear lots of jewelry, and usually something tied around my head or ponytail. I would be sure to have a big thick sweater along, which only added to the attire. I wanted to look like I was traveling, and also have that gypsy-hippie type look that I like so well in my normal, every day clothing.

What I came away with is a great fashion idea. It is completely functional, because you will be warm and comfortable, and if you get too hot, you can always take off a layer or two. By making sure that all of your layers coordinate with each other, you'll have a great outfit that will keep you warm and allow you to enjoy your surroundings! Oh, and you'll have plenty of suitcase room on the way home, if you are wearing all of your clothing on your back! :)