How to Sleigh Your Outfits This Winter

OW3 - On Wednesdays We Wear

How to use jewel tones to elevate your winter wardrobe.

How To Style → Jewel Tone Velvet

Colored pants can feel intimidating and overwhelming to style. These pants are such a deep emerald tone they almost appear black, and as a result are just the perfect subtle touch of color with this outfit. Add in the fact they are velvet and *chefs kiss* absolute perfection. While dark denim or a dress pant would have gone well with this, the cropped velvet pant just takes it to that next level. It’s dynamic and interesting, plus it oozes elegance.

We love that this outfit is so transitional. You can wear it with mule loafers for a daytime look, maybe swap the long sleeve blouse for a tank top to dress it down a bit more. For evening wear you just need to pop on heels and you’re ready to go. The Mini Kelly feels like a good call for either occasion though - I mean can you really ever go wrong with a Mini Kelly?

The key to wearing jewel tone velvet in our opinion, is sticking to bottoms. Velvet can be difficult to fit properly because it’s usually a thicker and more stiff fabric. Straight fit pants or a velvet skirt are easier to work with than a top or dress. Tops or dresses in velvet may end up looking cheap - largely because of fit issues - which is the opposite effect of what we’re going for. Unless you have your clothing tailored, velvet bottoms are the way to go.

How To Style → Jewel Tone Silk

A silk top can easily be paired with trousers or pumps instead depending on the occasion and will still look great together. For an evening date night or holiday party vibe you can go with a full silk dress in any jewel tone color. Whether you get a silk top in a jewel tone or not it’s a must have staple piece for any wardrobe.

When purchasing silk pieces it’s extremely important to pay attention to the craftsmanship and quality of the material. A more expensive piece does not necessarily mean it’s higher quality. Silk should feel very smooth to the touch and have a slight crunching noise when scrunched in your hand. Next, check out the seams of the garment. Check for loose stitching and “puckering” where the seam does not lay flat. This will make your clothing look cheap and low quality, even if the price tag says otherwise.

Since silk is a material that does have any stretch it’s not very forgiving when it comes to the fit. It is lighter in comparison to velvet and as a result less likely to look ‘frumpy’. However, because silk is so light if it’s too tight in the wrong places, it’s going to show. Make sure blouses have enough room in the arms and dresses are well fitted around the waist - these are the two most common areas where we see the fit go wrong in silk pieces. If these areas are a concern for you opt for a wider fit in the arms, or even a tank top, and pair a silk top with a different material skirt to still get the dress effect without a full silk outfit.

How To Style → Jewel Tone Knits

Being elegant this winter doesn’t mean you can’t be cozy when you want to be. We chose to style jewel tone knits as our last way to wear this trend over sequins because it’s a more everyday look. Our goal is always to give you items you can style and restyle in multiple ways. A sequin dress will look great, but really isn’t going to get the same kind of love as a knit sweater, so here we are.

Whether it’s in emerald green, sapphire blue, or amethyst purple you can’t go wrong with a knit sweater. Jewel tones are darker than other colors so they tend to give this soft, luxe, vibe without being too in your face like some of the brighter colors you may explore in spring/summer. Making them a great way to add color to your winter wardrobe in a more subtle way.

When it comes to materials we personally love cashmere and wool. Investing in these fabrics will not be a decision you regret. They look more elegant, and they last forever if you take care of them properly. Always look at the labels to see if the material is blended or 100% and make sure they are priced accordingly. Washing knitwear less often and hand washing when you do will preserve the life of these fabrics. Fabric softeners, harsh wash cycles, and heat drying are guaranteed ways to completely alter the shape, size, look, and feel of these fabrics so please - don’t do or use any of those things.