My Cold Weather Essentials

The PNW is finally in the thick of our cold and rainy season. After years of practice, and some financial investing, I’m starting to feel pretty good about my ‘keeping warm and dry’ strategies.

January will mark four years since my family moved from a smaller Oregon town, to the inner city grid of Portland. Before moving to Portland, I didn’t spend much time or money on winter coats. That’s because living in non-urban setting meant 99% of the places I frequented allowed for parking very nearby and walking quickly do the door. I pretty much dodged the weather and was uninterested in committing my resources to coats (save a ski jacket and the occasional light hooded jacket).

Moving to a city that requires walking was a big wake up call for my coat closet. The first winter here I was so cold! Since then, I’ve added several options, and let me tell you I’m experiencing the cold season in a totally different way. It’s much more pleasant and even fun to be outside, even when the mercury dips low.

Today I want to dive into my layering strategies to share which items are working well for me. Keep in mind, Oregon’s Willamette Valley doesn’t get super cold. We tend to hover in the 40’s and 50’s for much of our cold season, with the occasional freezing spell. However it does rain for most of fall and winter, which can make those temperatures feel quite a bit cooler.

Here are my most-used items for staying comfortable.

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LAYERS:

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I’m not sure why it took me so long to master this basic principle, but it has. I think I spent too long trying to make my short sleeve shirts work year round. Wearing a cozy base layer goes such a long way in trapping body heat and staying comfortable. A great bodysuit or a thin, ribbed top can layer underneath a button up or a sweater, and make you feel cozy without wearing bulky layers.

I own and wear each of these specific layers (photos are clickable!) on a regular basis. The ribbed, scoop neck tops pictured above are a staple for me. I have them in white, gray and black, and wear them underneath sweaters, button ups, and cardigans. I really like them because they are slim fitting for easy layering, but they are not so tight as to make me self-conscious if I were to layer down. The scoop neck works really well under sweaters because it does not peek out around the collar, a personal pet peeve of mine. I also like the scoop neck because it makes the shirt look more like a cute top than a base layer when worn alone.

The blue and black sweaters are from Everlane’s alpaca collection, which I am very impressed with. I love the shape of this sweater because it’s a lot more feminine than all the straight, square sweaters Everlane usually designs. The fabric is ultra soft, lightweight (great for layering!) and very warn. Everlane sent me one as a sample, and I liked it so much I decided to buy it in the heather blue. The sweaters have a cozy, fuzzy feel to them which kind of reminds me of mohair. The other sweaters linked above are layering staples of mine too – the basic cashmere crew and the cashmere waffle. Often I will wear these under chunkier sweaters (like my wool Babaà or L’Envers sweaters) to keep myself extra cozy. I wear each of these items in my true Everlane size – medium.

Sometimes if it’s really cold I will layer my Better Sweater fleece underneath a jacket too, though most of the time I prefer sweaters.

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WARM JACKETS:

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If it’s going to be extra cold, I reach for one of my warm jackets. Pictured above are my Long Puffer, c/o Everlane and my Down With It Parka by Patagonia. (Small photo above is forge gray, my actual jacket is black.) I own both of these in a size medium, but they fit very differently.

The Everlane puffer is loose and straight, while the Patagonia jacket is slim and fitted at the waist. This makes layering the latter a little tricky. I generally wear the Patagonia jacket with slimmer layers and not chunky sweaters. Because the Everlane puffer can fit over almost anything, I tend to wear it a little more. (The fact that it’s newer doesn’t hurt either.) I find the surplus color is a nice change from my usual black winter jackets, and it still looks good with my brown and cognac shoes and bags.

The downside to the Everlane puffer is that it’s quite a bit heavier than the Patagonia jacket. The overall materials (finishings and such) are heavier, while the Patagonia one is designed to be light. Both jackets are equally thick and warm to me. The Patagonia parka features responsibly sourced down and the Everlane puffer is made from recycled polyester.

[ shirt, c/o | jeans | shoes ]

A note on wool jackets: I don’t currently own a wool jacket that I love. Since it’s so rainy here, I often prefer the light water protection that a parka or puffer offers instead. However, I recently ordered Everlane’s cocoon jacket in a new color and sized down. If it turns out to be a keeper for me, I’ll let you know!

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 RAIN PROTECTION:

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This is easily the most crucial part of my ‘keeping warm and dry’ stash. It rains so much here (did I mention that already?), and many days are filled with drizzle, and others, heavy rainfall. I currently rotate between three ‘rain jackets’ – a waxed cotton one from Bridge & Burn, a classic, rubber rain slicker by Stutterheim and the City Anorak by Everlane. I use the term rain jacket lightly because two of these are more rain resistant than rain proof.

The waxed cotton jacket has been a good one for me because it doesn’t look like a rain jacket, but it largely acts like one. Somedays I just don’t want to feel all decked out in rain gear, even though I need my clothing to function that way. I bought my jacket (mine is navy) two years ago, and it still seems to do well in the rain, despite the fact I haven’t re-waxed any of it. It is a bit of a fitted jacket, so many times I reach for my looser rain coats to accommodate my layers. See it here.

This year I decided to buy a fashion-forward raincoat to make gray days every bit as fun as they are functional. I found a Stutterheim jacket on sale a few months back and eagerly snatched it up. I opted for the Mosebacke option because it’s longer and a bit looser so I could fit my chunkiest of sweaters underneath. Mine is Sand, which is a warm pinky-toned tan. I really like the jacket, and I love how pulled together it makes me feel in the rain. However, it’s a bit intense. It feels kind of rubbery and heavy at times, and getting into a car wearing a wet rubber jacket doesn’t exactly mean you slide in. However, the style-loving side of me is willing to put this aside for a smart-looking, very waterproof rain jacket. 

I bought a black City Anorak about a year and a half ago and have worn it frequently. It’s an excellent, classic rain resistant jacket with nice clean lines. It looks rather small in the graphic, but as you can see here  it fits a little oversized on me, which makes it really practical for layering over chunky sweaters.

I purchased the Bridge & Burn and Stutterheim jackets in a size medium; my City Anorak is a small. Right now the Stutterheim one is my favorite rain jacket to wear.

[ sweater | black jeans | purse ]

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ACCESSORIES:

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When you have a good base layer and outer layer the last piece of the puzzle is accessories. A beanie is crucial when it’s cold (and you want to be outside longer than a few minutes). A scarf is a great choice for adding warmth to a lighter layer on a mid temperature day or bundling up on an extra cold day. And lastly, but most essential, footwear! It doesn’t really snow in Portland, so I haven’t included snow boots on my list, but rain boots are about as important as blue jeans where I live.

But first, the beanie.

This is my beloved hat that I knitted with a gifted kit from We Are Knitters a few years ago. Read all about it here. Since then I’ve gone on to make this exact hat an additional three times! Once for a friend, and again for both of my daughters. It gives me great pleasure when I see them wearing my hats. I really like the loose fit of this beanie, and that it doesn’t feel like it’s going to squash my hair.

I don’t really have any good photos of my scarf, but it’s a beloved part of my closet and I wear it all the time. My mom made it for me using this pattern. I’ve actually used the pattern myself, when I made a gift. It’s a pretty simple project that knits up fast. I have a few other scarves, but this is definitely the one that sees the most action.

This fall my old, thrifted J.Crew rain boots got an upgrade c/o Alice + Whittles. These are the Minimalist Black + White Boot, and I cannot say enough good things about them! They are very comfortable and minimal in the sole, it almost feels like walking barefoot (in all the good ways). I got my pair on Halloween and promptly wore them all over the neighborhood when taking my kids out trick-or-treating. They look super stylish, and are very wearable on non-rainy days. I particularly like the almond-shaped toe.

Regarding the fit: The website says these shoes run small and to order a full size up. I took them in my true size 10 and have found them to be quite comfortable. They are great in length, but a little low volume in the toe box, meaning my toes don’t have a ton of wiggle room. The rubber is stretchy so they always stay comfortable, with the exception of one particularly chilly day when my toes couldn’t wiggle enough to get warm. That wasn’t fun. If you can, I would consider sizing up, especially if you want to wear them with thick socks. If you’re a bigfoot like me, it sounds like A+W is releasing a size 11 in the near future!

You can use the code SLOWFASHION to save 10% at Alice + Whittles. The company has recently re-priced their short rain boots to make them more accessible. They currently retail for $96 instead of $160.

Now you know my strategies for keeping warm and dry – donuts are , but optional. Do share your techniques below in the comments if you’re so inclined.

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This post is not sponsored but it does contain affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase I will make a commission. I am extremely picky about the products I link to, and in the case of this blog post have only linked to the actual items I own and wear. All outdoor photography is by Kiara Rose.