I love cold weather – but only because it means hot drinks, cozy clothes, snuggling thick duvets, and long hot baths. Another thing I love is dressing up. In lolita fashion, a little chill means being able to put on more layers without sweating all over our precious treasures. But of course, that’s often not the case. In places where winters are harsh and last for practically half the year, measures have to be taken in order to adapt to the environment.
I’ve been living in Minnesota for about 2 years now. There are lots of fun things to do outdoors, and I often want to dress up in order to fit the aesthetics of a place we’re visiting. As such, I’ve learned a few tricks on how to survive the harsh temperatures without compromising my coordinates. I’ll share them with you today.
First, wear thermal underwear. These long john sets are the best base you can have for retaining heat. I recommend using skin tone ones so they’re not as obnoxious in case you decide to wear translucent or knitted clothes. Alternatively, you can pick a color that matches your clothes. I also suggest thermal socks to keep your toes warm and attached to your body.
Next is to choose warm fabrics. These include wool, fleece, fur, and corduroy. Fleece tights and leggings are especially easy to find in stores – online and physical. Several brands also carry cute wool and fur coats. Having good fabric choices helps a lot because it also means less layers.
I also recommend buying a size up for comfortable layering. A common problem in layering clothes is the amount of pressure it puts on your body. Having some looser pieces will make it much easier to put on clothes and improve mobility. I usually have 3 layers of legwear on because my coats don’t reach far down enough to cover my legs. I also size up when buying boots because I like to stuff hand warmers inside them when I stay outdoors for long periods of time
For blouses, I suggest using high-collared, long-sleeved blouses. This hides your thermal shirt’s neckline and provides extra warmth. If your blouses don’t have a neckline high enough to hide your underwear, you can cover it up with a scarf. Scarfs also work well to protect your neck from wind chill.
Head protection is also important since it’s gonna be the part of your body least covered by fabrics. To help with this, you can wear a wig. Luckily for lolita fashion, wigs are commonplace and come in a wide array of options. Thicker wigs will insulate you better. For extra precaution, wear hats. Hats are easy to accessorize with clips and pins if they’re not already designed for lolita, and apart from keeping you warm, also keep your wig in place.
In the spirit of layering, wearing hand muffs over your gloves is also a great way to make sure you have fingers to upload your cute pics to instagram after your frigid but frilly adventure. It’s not easy to find well-insulated gloves suitable for lolita fashion, but hand muffs are available as a cuter and probably warmer alternative. And if your gloves are too tight to fit hand warmers inside, they can go in your muffs instead.
Next is to invest in a good coat that you really love because – let’s be real – it will cover your coordinate 80% of the time anyway. Thankfully, there are options available for every substyle with a good range of fabrics to suit your taste and temperature tolerance. These are also available in various lengths, in case you’re not willing to hide your print which we all want to see anyway.
And most importantly, don’t force yourself to wear lolita if it’s not practical to do so. I personally avoid it when the temperature reaches single-digits in Fahrenheit because fabric layers can only protect you so much.
Winter is undoubtedly a wonderful season with so many beautiful sceneries and activities. With a few extra (frilly) precautions, we can absolutely enjoy the cold months while looking amazing.
Ruffle Road 