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Despite cold temperatures and fresh coverings of snow, stores are now riddled with resort wear, thanks to the fact that that’s where everybody is fleeing. If you’ve been stuck in the same rotation of puffers, oversized sweaters, comfy pants and seasonally dark colors since October like most of us have, though, you could benefit from the mental and emotional escape from winter with resort wear whether you’re physically escaping or not!
Especially with so many holiday events and seasonal celebrations, features like the fanciness, luxuriousness and crisp whites radiating from resort wear and comfortable heels for women on vacation can actually be exactly what you need to amplify your outfit. The floral and tropical leaf patterns, light cottons, strappy heels and bright summer colors, however, can have the opposite effect and push your outfit into summer-style territory, so you’ll want to know what features to look for!
Add Soft Materials Into the Mix
Whether it be when you’re shopping or when you’re making an outfit, always be mindful of materials. The thicker and softer the material, the more appropriate for winter it will be. This opens up an opportunity to shop with more versatility when it comes to your resort wear in order to make it more appropriate year-round.
For instance, still get yourself a big floppy wide-brim hat — but make it wool instead of straw! While it may not be wearable for too many hours in the full sun and resort weather, it will be the perfect hat for shorter bursts, inevitable overcast and rainy days and evenings. Not only this, but it will be wearable back home with any outfit during any season thanks to the versatile material! When making outfits, this can come into play by mixing and matching materials to create a more wintry feel. For instance:
- If you insist on wearing your airy white cotton button-down beach shirt, it can be tuned to the world around it by incorporating a thick pair of jeans, a deep-colored wide-brim wool hat, cute ankle boots in a deep-colored suede and a soft peacoat. The added layers of soft and thick materials will make sure that people don’t feel cold when looking at you, and bring your shirt into the winter-style world.
Incorporate the Season’s Colors
We have stronger associations with seasonal colors than we do with seasonal clothing shapes. This means that your short dress will look odd when worn in the winter — until it’s done in red, green and white with sparkly accents. Then, it’s perfectly in place as a Christmas dress! Now, we know that you don’t have or want resort wear in Christmas colors, but colors like black, white, red, green, blue, silver and gold will do the trick just as well. Even if you don’t own resort wear in these sorts of shades, you likely own some that will go with them — so make sure you include them if you can! For instance:
- If you insist on wearing your bright green salsa-style skirt, incorporate the colors of the season by pairing it with red heels in any shade and tucking in a cozy white sweater. While it won’t make or break the look of the outfit, we definitely suggest some pantyhose or tights under the skirt to keep you warm even in the middle of winter.
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Recruit Other Resort Pieces for Coherency
Bringing other resort pieces into the mix that feature more wintry features like the ones that we’ve covered above will work amazing as transition pieces and give your outfit unrivaled flow and coherency. For instance:
If you insist on wearing your crochet crop top, consider incorporating comfortable sandals in a soft suede or leather and matching beach bag. This will make the crochet crop feel intentional and allow the outfit to be seen as resort-inspired even with distressed skinny jeans and a warm leather jacket in the mix. All of a sudden, an inappropriate-for-winter ensemble can be seen as an innovative and smart approach to an aesthetic.
Build Your Outfit Around a Good Base Layer
By building your base layer before you begin pulling on your desired resort wear and footwear, you can avoid the number one issue with wearing these styles in colder seasons, which is — you guessed it — being cold.
Depending on how much of your mid layer is resort wear and depending on just how thin it is, your ideal base layer may look slightly different but, in general, should include: a pair of pantyhose or a pair of leggings, a pair of cotton nylon or wool socks and a tank top or long sleeve undershirt in a material that will help regulate your temperature and eliminate sweat. From here, it’s all about building on top of this base, so:
If you insist on wearing flowy white cotton pants, as we all dream of doing when we’re at a resort, they will cover your pantyhose or leggings up almost entirely! From here, a strappy pair of metallic heels will instantly turn your warm-weather pants into glamorous winter holiday showstoppers and, thanks to your pantyhose or socks, your feet will stay warm. The only thing to watch out for is a heel too high that it lacks stability on snow-covered streets and slippery floors. On top, try a silky camisole to complement your equally shiny shoes and a soft cashmere-like wrap sweater to conceal any leftover traces of undershirt and keep you cozy — not to mention, make your outfit extra classy.
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Escape From Your Usual Winter Looks
Knowing what features to look for and how to incorporate resort wear, sandals and strappy heels into your winter wardrobe can help you uncover whole new worlds when it comes to having fun with your fashion. So even if you can’t escape from the weather and routine of home, you can escape the same rotation of bulky and bad-mood-inducing winter wear and substitute certain pieces with the sunny style you desire!
