Outfits of the Week: Winter Outfits | Erika Marie
There is something quietly thrilling about getting dressed in winter. The layers, the textures, the way a good coat can completely transform an otherwise ordinary outfit — it all adds up to a season that, at least in terms of personal style, feels genuinely rich with possibility. I know winter gets a bad reputation. The cold is real, the daylight disappears early, and there are mornings when the idea of putting together a thoughtful look feels like the last thing on earth you want to do. But that is exactly why I keep coming back to this weekly roundup. Having a record of what I actually wore — not just what I pinned or saved or dreamed about wearing — keeps me honest and keeps me inspired.
This week’s outfits were a little bit of everything. I had a cozy work-from-home day, a dinner out with friends, a Saturday errand run that turned into a longer adventure than expected, a Sunday farmers market trip in the kind of biting cold that makes you question your life choices, and a few days in between that called for something polished but still practical. Here is everything I wore, how I styled it, and the thinking behind each look.
Monday: The Work-From-Home Cozy Edit
Mondays are always a negotiation between comfort and the faint desire to feel like a functioning adult. Since I work from home most of the week, I have gotten intentional about what I wear even when no one is watching — because it turns out it really does affect how I feel and how productive I am throughout the day.
This Monday I reached for a pair of wide-leg caramel-colored corduroy trousers that I have been absolutely living in this season. Corduroy is one of those fabrics that somehow feels both nostalgic and completely of-the-moment, and this particular shade works with almost everything in my winter wardrobe. I paired them with a fitted ribbed turtleneck in a deep forest green, tucked loosely at the front. The color combination sounds like it might be a lot, but earthy tones and deep jewel tones are one of winter’s best pairings — they feel warm and intentional without being matchy.
Over that, I threw on an oversized wool-blend cardigan in oatmeal. It is the kind of piece that lives on the back of my chair more than it lives in my closet. Open at the front, long enough to hit mid-thigh — it functions almost like a robe but looks pulled-together enough that I do not feel embarrassed on video calls. Chunky knit socks and my beat-up shearling-lined slippers completed the look, which I fully intend to wear every Monday for the rest of the winter.
The beauty of a work-from-home winter outfit is that you can lean all the way into texture. Mix your ribbed knit with your corduroy and your chunky knit and your cozy slippers. Nobody is policing texture ratios from the comfort of your own living room, and you deserve to feel like you are wrapped in the softest version of autumn’s leftovers.
Tuesday: Polished Layers for a Busy Day Out
Tuesday was one of those days with back-to-back commitments — a morning meeting across town, a lunch with a friend I had not seen in months, and a quick stop at the post office and grocery store on the way home. I needed an outfit that could do a lot of heavy lifting without requiring me to change or stress about whether I looked appropriate for each situation.
The anchor of the look was a camel wool coat. If you do not yet own a camel coat, I cannot recommend the investment enough. It is one of those pieces that reads as expensive and put-together even when everything underneath it is fairly simple. Mine hits just below the knee and has clean, unfussy lines — no oversized lapels, no oversized buttons, just a coat that does exactly what a coat should do.
Underneath, I wore straight-leg dark wash jeans, a white ribbed long-sleeve top, and a chunky-knit vest in a warm cognac color layered over that. The vest is the detail that makes this outfit interesting — it adds dimension and warmth without the bulk of a full sweater under a coat. I finished the look with knee-high boots in tan leather. They have a low block heel that is actually walkable, which matters a great deal when you are navigating city sidewalks in winter.
A tortoiseshell clip pulled my hair back loosely, and I carried my go-to structured tote in chestnut leather. No jewelry except small gold hoops. The whole effect was clean, warm, and versatile enough to feel right for every part of the day.
Wednesday: A Quiet Day and a Favorite Outfit Formula
Wednesday was slower. I had no obligations outside the house until the evening, so I let myself ease into the day with one of my favorite simple winter formulas: dark denim, a cozy crewneck, and good slippers or sneakers.
I wore my favorite pair of straight-leg black jeans — these are the kind that are technically casual but look sharp enough to wear almost anywhere — with a vintage-style varsity crewneck sweatshirt in burgundy and cream. The sweatshirt has a slightly boxy cut and the softest fleece interior, and it has become one of those pieces I reach for when I just want to feel like myself without overthinking it.
For shoes, I wore my cream-colored platform sneakers inside the house and switched to ankle boots for a quick walk in the afternoon. I layered a long puffer gilet over the sweatshirt for the walk — one of those sleeveless down vests that adds serious warmth to your core without restricting your arms. It sounds utilitarian, but in a dark charcoal gray it looks quite sleek paired with all-black or mostly neutral outfits.
This is the kind of Wednesday outfit I want to remember. Not every day needs to be a fashion moment. Some days are for the things you love wearing most, the formulas that feel like second nature, the colors that make you feel grounded. Winter invites this. Let it.
Thursday: Dinner Out with Friends
This is the outfit I was most excited about this week. I had dinner with a small group of friends at a new restaurant in the neighborhood — somewhere a step above casual but absolutely not formal — and I wanted to wear something that felt festive and intentional without looking like I was trying too hard.
I started with wide-leg black trousers in a slightly glossy ponte fabric. They have a high waist and a long hem that grazes the floor, which gives even a simple top-and-trouser combination a certain drama. I tucked in a satin-finish blouse in deep burgundy — one of those pieces that reads as both romantic and sophisticated depending on how you style it. The combination of the matte trouser and the satin blouse is one of my favorite winter dinner pairings because the contrast in texture does all the work for you.
Over both, I wore a slim-cut blazer in chocolate brown. It is not quite the same shade as the trousers, which is intentional — mixing tones of the same color family (here, a range of deep browns, burgundies, and blacks) creates a look that feels rich rather than stark. My shoes were strappy black heeled mules that I have worn approximately one thousand times since buying them three winters ago. They are comfortable, they are classic, and they go with everything.
For accessories, I went a little bolder: a long gold chain necklace layered with a shorter pendant, gold drop earrings, and a small black clutch. I kept my makeup slightly more polished than usual — a deep berry lip and a bit of highlighter — and called it a genuinely good Thursday night.
Friday: The Transitional Work Day
Friday was back in the office for a longer stretch, which meant I needed something that walked the line between comfortable enough to actually function in and professional enough to not feel out of place in a work setting.
I wore a midi-length skirt in a warm plaid — a mix of rust, cream, and navy — with a navy ribbed turtleneck tucked inside. This combination works because it takes a print that could feel a little preppy and grounds it with a dark, clean top that brings out one of the plaid’s colors. Tall boots in dark brown leather tied the whole look together, adding some height and echoing the warmth of the rust tones in the skirt.
The coat I grabbed on the way out was a long dark navy wool wrap coat — slightly different from my camel coat, with a more relaxed belt-tie closure and oversized proportions. I carried a large tote in dark pebbled leather that holds everything I need for a full day without looking like a bag of chaos. Small gold studs, no other jewelry, and a very good thermos of coffee. That last part is not technically an accessory, but in winter, it absolutely feels like one.
Saturday: Errands That Turned Into an Entire Day
Saturday was supposed to be quick errands. It became a full day of exploring a neighborhood I do not get to enough, stopping into a few new shops, grabbing coffee and then lunch, and ultimately wandering around until the light started going golden and the cold became impossible to ignore.
For this I wore my most reliable cold-weather casual outfit: high-waisted straight jeans in medium wash, a thick cream fisherman-style sweater, and my long puffer coat in a dusty sage green. The puffer is a divisive piece — I know some people have strong feelings about puffy coats — but I genuinely believe that when you find the right one, it becomes one of the best things in your wardrobe. This one is long enough to cover most of my thighs, fitted enough in the shoulders that it does not overwhelm my frame, and the color is soft enough to feel elevated.
I wore my favorite white sneakers with this, which I know sounds like a cold-weather risk, but I have found that white sneakers work in winter as long as the rest of the outfit leans warm — the cream sweater and dusty sage coat read cozy enough that the white sneakers feel intentionally fresh rather than out of season. A ribbed beanie in caramel, a matching knit scarf, and my large leather crossbody bag completed the look.
This is an outfit I could wear every single Saturday from now until March and feel completely happy about it.
Sunday: Farmers Market in the Cold
Sunday farmers markets in winter require a very specific kind of outfit. The kind that says: I am awake and I chose to be here and I am delighted by root vegetables, but also I am absolutely freezing and I made approximately zero sacrifices for fashion today.
I wore a pair of wide-leg fleece-lined trousers in a warm taupe — these are technically loungewear-adjacent but styled up with the right top they pass in public without question. Over a fitted thermal long-sleeve in white, I wore an oversized plaid flannel shirt in red and black, left open as a layer. On top of everything went a long shearling-trim coat in camel — a slightly different silhouette from my regular wool coat, with a fluffier collar and a more relaxed shape. Slouchy leather ankle boots, thick wool socks peeking above the shaft, a basket bag for the market haul. A coffee in one hand, a bunch of winter kale in the other. Peak winter Sunday.
A Few Things I Keep Coming Back to This Winter
After going through the week’s outfits, a few themes keep surfacing that feel worth naming. The first is the power of a really good coat. More than any other single piece, the coat you reach for in winter shapes the entire look — and having a few options at different levels of warmth and formality makes getting dressed significantly easier.
The second is texture. Winter dressing rewards you when you play with how fabrics feel alongside each other. Ribbed knit with satin. Corduroy with chunky wool. Denim with sherpa. The contrasts are what make an outfit feel considered rather than assembled.
The third is a color palette that you actually love. For me this season, that palette is living in camel, forest green, burgundy, deep navy, rust, and cream with black as the constant anchor. These colors work together in almost any combination, which means getting dressed in the morning rarely involves a wrong turn.
Winter style does not have to be a battle between warmth and looking like yourself. When you know your pieces, trust your palette, and give yourself permission to dress for how the day actually feels rather than how you imagined it might feel, the season becomes one of the most genuinely enjoyable times to get dressed. I hope something from this week inspires you to look at your own cold-weather wardrobe with a little more curiosity and a little more love.
See you next week with a new set of outfits — and hopefully a few new ideas to bring into your own closet.
