Do you feel it?
Winter is coming.
In fact, it's almost here.
Are you ready for it?
More importantly, is your wardrobe ready?
The problem – most guys don't even know how to dress for winter.
Half of the guys walk around in shorts, and a t-shirt and the other half are ready to climb Mt. Everest.
It doesn't have to be one of the other. You can still be stylish and stay warm.
In today's article, I'm giving you a men's winter style guide on the seven clothing mistakes most men make and how to avoid them.
Winter Clothing Mistake #1: Not Layering Intelligently
This mistake might not seem like the biggest mistake, but many men don't know how to layer appropriately.
First, you need to understand the basic rule: thinnest to thickest. The thinnest layer should be the closest to your body.
For example: if you have a heavy coat, vest, shirt, and thermal top, you'll want to layer it in this order:
- Thermal
- Shirt
- Vest
- Heavy Coat
This is a general rule and wouldn't apply if you had a thicker sweater and a thinner jacket, but this will allow you to stay as flexible and as warm as possible.
Layering gives you the most possibilities during your day. Imagine – it's snowing outside, and all you're wearing is a heavy winter coat over your dress shirt.
When you get to work, you have to take off that top layer – what if it's still cold inside? What if a co-worker left a window open?
You're going to be freezing. The solution: add more layers.
Throw a sweater over your dress shirt so that you have more options during your day.
Mistake Clothing #2: The Wrong Gear for the Job
Guys, you need the right gear for your climate in the winter. How do you do this?
Be proactive – check the weather. This mistake might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many men have the wrong clothing for their climate and don't understand why they never feel comfortable during the winter.
If you're in California and it's getting down to 50 degrees, you don't need a heavy winter coat. Instead, opt for a medium jacket that will keep you plenty warm.
If you're in Canada and it's snowing every day, and it's below freezing every day, you need a heavy-duty jacket as well as sturdy boots with a rubber sole to keep your grip.
Once you know the weather in your area, you can then choose appropriate items for your climate.
Another issue I see guys do all the time in the winter is wearing sneakers in the snow. I love sneakers, but they are not equipped for the snow.
Not only will you have a more challenging time staying on your feet, but most sneakers are not made to stand up to the harsher climate of winter.
Mistake Clothing #3: Overspending on The Wrong Items
Get your priorities right – buy what you need.
First of all, a famous name brand doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Don't get me wrong, I love many brands but – do your research on how you spend your hard-earned money.
Some major name brands will promote a winter jacket made of polyester. While polyester is fine when mixed with other fabrics, mostly polyester coats won't stand up to the cold.
Polyester is not breathable and may leave you sweaty if the temperature were to rise or if you're shoveling snow while wearing it.
Instead, try to get a jacket made of wool or a wool-blend. These will keep you warm while being moisture-resistant and flame-retardant. Wool jackets are long-lasting as well.
Also, don't overspend on something you don't need. This mistake may seem obvious, but you may be surprised.
For example, you don't need a coat that will protect you from sub-zero temperatures if it never gets below 30 degrees where you live. While it would be nice, it's overkill and ultimately a waste of money.
Mistake Clothing #4: Not Spending Enough on the Correct Items
While it's easy to overspend on the wrong items, it's also easy to try and go cheap on the thing you do need—big mistake.
What are the correct items to invest in?
- Coats & Jackets
- Thermal Underwear
- Footwear
When it comes to coats and jackets, you need high quality. Just like I said before, you want a wool or wool-blend jacket. These can often be more expensive than their polyester counterparts.
Thermal underwear is another place to invest in. These are your first line of defense and a foundation to your layering for winter. If you don't have a great foundation, you won't stay warm enough. These will also be against your skin, and you're going to want that to feel as comfortable as possible.
While thermal underwear is the foundation of your layers, footwear is the foundation of your whole outfit. You have to invest in quality when it comes to footwear for any season but especially winter.
The best part of spending so much on all of these products is that they will all last you much longer than their cheaper options would. Spend a little bit more now on the right products and you'll save in the long term.
Mistake Clothing #5: Ignoring the Power of Color and Patterns
This is a problem I see many guys doing, and they don't even realize it. The best part of winter and fall is that you can bring in so many different colors and patterns that you usually can't wear in summer or spring.
You don't want to be wearing pastel colors in the winter – it just wouldn't fit. Try to mimic the environments change in color. What do I mean by this?
Take trees and grass as an example. In the summer, a lot of trees are bright green, and the grass is as well. In fall and winter, the leaves begin to change colors and become warmer. The grass becomes more muted. As winter comes, the trees are darker with more texture on the bark from the harsh weather.
Use neutral colors like black, navy, tan, and olive green and patterns like corduroy and tweed for winter.
These are all great colors and patterns for winter and help your wardrobe fit into the winter season. If you were to wear bright colors, you would stand out horrible, and the heat from the sun wouldn't warm you as much because those colors are more reflective.
Mistake Clothing #6: Buying Clothing That Doesn't Fit
Guys, just because it's colder outside doesn't mean that you can forget about tailoring. It's easy to do. You're more focused on staying warm but looking good is still a huge part of winter style.
The standard rules apply – nothing too tight or too baggy. Find the sweet spot that is fitted or tailored to you. This will give your clothes a high-quality appearance and make you look even better.
A common mistake men make is wearing their pants too tight or too baggy. In winter, both are bad options. First of all, they both look bad. That's easy. But did you know that this can keep you from staying warm?
It's all about air and heat conductivity. If your pants are so baggy that air circulates too easily, then warm air isn't trapped in them. If your pants' material is permeable to the air (which most skinny jeans and pants are), the tight pants will give you no protection, and the wind will cut right through them. Check this article on stylish winter pants.
Mistake Clothing #7: Buying Cheap Sunglasses
Believe it or not, the sun is closer to the Earth during winter, making the sun brighter in the winter.
Due to the Earth's shifted axis, the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the sun during winter. It is a common misconception that the seasons are caused by the Earth's proximity to the sun. They are actually caused by the angle of the Earth's axis relative to the sun.
Okay, enough of the science lesson.
Because of this, the sun is closer and brighter. On top of that, snow reflects the sun very harshly and causes it to be even brighter.
The first sunglasses were made in prehistoric times by the Inuit people using flattened ivory glasses with small slits to see through to block the sun.
Today, quality sunglasses are defined by their UV protection. You want to find a pair of sunglasses that blocks 100% of UV rays. Polarization is another nice touch that will reduce glare.
BONUS: Not Having A Winter Grooming Routine
In the winter, we can get kind of lazy. “No-Shave November” is all the rage, but you shouldn't do it.
You can do it, but many will see you as lazy and unkempt, which is never something you want to hear. It's also essential to moisturizer.
It's more critical to moisturizer in the winter than it is in the summer. This is due to the air's dryness, which will cause your skin to crack and become flakey.
Lastly, it's essential not to take scalding showers in the winter. While they feel good, they will lead to your skin being more dry and damaged.
Men's Winter Style Guide – Summary
There you have it guys.
The eight most common cold-weather style mistakes that most guys make.
Well – most guys except you.
Now that you know not to shower with water that is too warm, why not learn all of the hair mistakes you are making?
Click here to check out my guide to the worst hair mistakes you are making that damage your hair, or check out more articles below!
Click below to watch the video – 10 Style MISTAKES Men Make (Cold Weather Edition)
