If you mark the arrival of cold weather by throwing all your summer clothes into a storage box, this year, you don’t have to. Why discount any piece of clothing just because the calendar changes, when you could simply find fun new ways to rock your favorite staples all year round?
The easiest way to transition your wardrobe into winter is to start wearing tights. Tights can remake an entire outfit by adding a colorful punch and excitement, and they keep you warm too.
Here’s how to wear tights to transition your summer staples into winter outfits:
Shorts
Shorts are not just for your summer beach vacay. Thanks to tights or knee- or thigh-high socks, shorts can be worn year-round. In fact, many can be found in such winter-friendly fabrics as leather, wool, thick knits, and velvet.
Shorts are also easy transition pieces. You can buy a pair now to wear with socks or tights and sport them with bare legs as soon as temperatures allow. For now, try pairing your shorts with a cozy sweater or a tee with a cardigan.
Summer Dresses
I live in dresses all summer, and I’d be very sad to see them go as the weather grew cooler. So for me, tights are the best way to keep them in the game. Rock the look with brightly colored tights and just about any type of shoe -- stilettos, flats, mid-calf boots or wedges. Pair the dress and tights with a blazer or, my personal favorite, an oversized, belted cardigan. Bonus: When you create a monochromatic look with tights that are the same tone as your dress, it’ll make you look totally thin.
Capris
I know cropped pants are a spring and summer thing -- but they don’t have to be. Pair them with tights, and they become a winter outfit. To keep the proportions right, make sure your top hits at or above your hips. Match the color of your tights to your pants -- either the most prominent color or a subtle one from the pattern.
Rock the look
There are many ways to make tights work. Since it’s the year of color blocking, you can be as bold as you dare with your color combos. Get pink-and-red tights and wear them with your LBD or your gray pencil skirt. Why not, right? Colored tights are just so fun, who cares what they match!
How many pairs of tights do you own? Are they all the same color?
Photo: Corbis Images
