The groundhog says six more weeks of winter, meaning six more weeks of snow, sleet and all-around unpleasant weather. For the fashion-conscious, this also means six more weeks of cashmere scarves, J.Crew pea coats, velour sweat pants and wet Uggs. For the even more fashion-conscious, keep reading. We've included our four best tips to ensure that whether it's raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing, you'll stay fashionably fabulous until the spring weather sets in.
Mix brights with neutrals
Just because it isn't spring or summer doesn't mean you can't break out your Lilly Pulitzer clothes - you just have to be a little more discreet about it. To make a bright sundress wintry, put on a black long-sleeved shirt underneath it or a white shirt with black stockings. Adding a touch of emerald green, sapphire blue or - if you're adventurous - bright orange is always a safe way to bring a little color into winter hues like black, gray and navy blue.
Invest in rain boots
We know it's hard to part with your Uggs, but has anyone other than us noticed how useless they are in snow and rain? This leads us to our next bad-weather buy for the next six weeks: rain boots. Love them or hate them, rain boots are definitely a great investment for now and later. They will see you through the snowstorms, the sleet and the hail. And when April rolls around, they will still be useful. J.Crew carries a wide array of "Wellies," while Ed Hardy also makes trendy and functional rain boots for the less preppy fashionistas.
Umbrella, ella, ellas
Most of us know umbrellas as purely functional accessories - we open them, they keep us relatively dry and then we close them before we get indoors. But who says that your umbrella can't be functional as well as a means of improving your ensemble? One of the hottest trends this season is transparency, so clear plastic umbrellas will be easy to find. Since another one of the season's hottest trends is bright colors, stand out on campus with a hot pink, bright yellow or blue umbrella, too. A few things to avoid: Try not to match your umbrella to your boots. Think about it this way: Burberry rain boots and Burberry umbrellas are adorable separately, but a fashion disaster when mixed together.
Patterned tights
Let's face it - leggings are pretty useful, but they're getting old. This season, try going the extra mile by wearing patterned leggings or tights instead of plain colors. If you still want to wear monochromatic tights, try a different color with a neutral outfit, such as pink with gray, green with navy or red with black. Patterned fishnets are also a great way to add your own personal twist to the trend. They are available in many colors and patterns everywhere from Neiman Marcus to CVS in Tenleytown.
So even though we know it's a shame that the groundhog saw its shadow, we love the trends that will keep you looking fabulous until spring comes. Until then, we'll see you, your rain boots and your bright colors all over campus.
Stay Stylish, Lara and Virginia
