Winter essentials
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When going shopping for winter clothes, it’s important to get the essentials sorted out first, before you accessorise. Although we’ve had a mild start to winter this year, there’s no reason to be complacent. The cold weather will come at some point and you don’t want to get stuck without a decent winter coat, or have to dig out last year’s coat that you’d got sick of wearing.
The recession has made some women rethink their wardrobe choices. Instead of buying some items for fashion’s sake and others for pure practicality, it’s a sensible idea to see where you can combine the two – into practical yet stylish clothing.
So, thinking about coats, it’s worth having a look at the outdoor brands that you’d usually associate with hiking and winter sports. North Face, Karrimor, Berghaus…all of these brands now produce a huge range of jackets in an array of colours that would look equally good on a mountain slope or on the high street.
And the same goes for footwear – there are plenty of walking boots that are designed just for hill walking and country hikes, but you can get others that are far more adaptable to city life. Similarly, snow boots comes in a variety of styles – some would feel too clumpy for the high street, but others are lighter weight and suitable for road walking but also walking terrain.
When choosing snow boots make sure you get a good fit – and it’s best to try them on with thermal socks, as you’ll want to keep your feet warm, yet able to breathe. You don’t want your feet to be squeezed, but neither do you want room to slide around in them either. It’s best to get an expert opinion from a shop assistant trained in fitting.
Although you’re unlikely to need ice grips for shoes unless you’re going walking somewhere more remote like the Brecon Beacons, you never know – they may come in handy on a really cold day when there’s lots of ice on the streets.
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