Before I attended college in the Midwest, I had no idea how to properly dress for winter. The boots I packed with me were rubber rain boots from Target. I had one (beautiful) cropped green corduroy peacoat from Gap. I did not own gloves. I thought scarves were solely for fashion. When I went home for spring break, I had to go to the dermatologist because my skin was so dry my *eyelids* peeled incessantly. Winter had ravaged me. Both sides of my family are Southern, so I had to learn how to survive it on my own.
I visited an elementary school once that had a chart by the door with temperature ranges and a corresponding guide to proper layers. I made something similar for myself, and still try to abide by it, with some adjustments because Pacific Northwest cold is a whole different beast.
One hard and fast winter dressing rule I have is that if the low is above 40 degrees and the high is above 60, I don’t *have* to wear socks. We had a few days in that range in last month, and it was glorious. Another dressing habit I have is phasing out my wool sweaters after mid-February and bringing in more cotton and and cashmere. I am excited for spring, but I know I’ll likely be in layers through May. Bright colors and bows will get me through!