Winter Essential Clothing

As the summer fades and the autumn brings rainy days, windswept branches and colourful leaves, I scan my wardrobe and assess what is needed for the coming year. If you have kids then you’re probably looking at buying quite a few new things as they tend to outgrow them from one winter to the next. If it’s for yourself or another adult, you might want to give last years winter clothes a wash, look for holes or damage, and see what you need to buy, or treat yourself to something new anyway.

Lots of comfortable layers for the winter

The best way to keep warm in the winter is to use layers, especially if you’re going to be going in and out of different temperatures. The clothes you wear in the car will be different to walking to the office or around at lunch time, which will be different to what you’re comfortable working with. You might want to walk the dog or go hiking and then head into a local cafe for a much needed cup of tea and slice of cake. This requires that you be all layered up so that you’re warm in the coldest part of your activity, but can peel off layers when things heat up.

A good example of layers would include

Base – Thermal Layer such as a vest or onesie for a child, or thermal leggings for those tackling a colder environment, hiking, skiiing or camping. Base layers are figure hugging because they’re designed to avoid thermal leakage – so they insulate you well.

Middle – Thin but appropriate and comfortable top – for example a short or long sleeved t-shirt, blouse or shirt. For performance sports there are many options available, whilst for casual wear you might simply want to wear something fashionable that’s also comfortable.

Top – A warm sweatshirt or fleece that can be removed when you head indoors or start feeling too hot.

Outer – Your coat, jacket or waterproof outdoor layer which you will only wear when outside, chosen to provide resistance to the type of elements you’ll be facing.

The best outer layer

Your outer layer will be very dependent on the type of activities you’ll be doing and the weather.

Warm Winter Coat – Essential for every day wear in the winter when you want to keep warm whilst outside.

Waterproofs – Very important to have for those wet days when you can’t avoid going outside, for example walking the dog. Very handy for families who plan to spend time in the playground, on the beach or exploring the outdoor world. These are usually lightweight and you can get many waterproofs which can be folded up and kept in your bag or the bottom of the pram, only taken out when the rain threatens.

Ski Jacket – A good quality ski jacket is the holy grail of outdoor jackets for those who are active in a winter environment. As the name suggests, they are essential for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and ice skating, but can be a really good addition to a wardrobe even if you’re not doing winter sports. We are an active family and walk the dog every day, go hiking, camping and explore forests, come rain, shine or snow! Ski Jackets are have high levels of waterproofing to keep out the snow and rain, whilst being breathable to allow moisture and heat to escape, so ideal for making sure you don’t overheat even when you’re physically active. Some ski packets will have insulation to allow them to be warm, whilst others are called shell jackets without insulation. With synthetic padding, a lot of ski jackets now hit the jackpot with the perfect balance of warmth and waterproofing.

At Simply Hike you can find a wide range of ski jackets to suit the whole family – from kids to adults, for fashion and all the protection you need for outdoor winter activities.

Your must have accessories for your winter wardrobe

Accessories are about keeping you warm, comfortable and letting you look stylish too! For families you want something your kids like the look of, enjoy wearing and are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, otherwise you’ll have a battle trying to keep them on. My advice for those with children would be to always give them some options – so take them shopping or let them look at the online catalogue and give them a few choices to make. Feeling like they’ve chosen their own accessories make them far more likely to wear them without complaint!

You’ll want to make sure you have a good set of:

• Gloves
• Hat
• Scarf or Neck Warmer
• Warm and Comfortable Socks
• Appropriate footwear

In my opinion it’s always worth investing in something good quality. The first time I paid £20 for a pair of gloves I thought that was rather expensive, as I’d always bought cheap pairs for less than a quarter of that from the supermarket before – but the difference in warmth, comfort, waterproofing and durability is definitely noticeable. Winter can be an uncomfortable time for us as no one likes to be wet and cold, but with the right wardrobe there’s absolutely no reason anyone in the family needs to be uncomfortable and unhappy, whether 5 years old or 50!

This post was written in collaboration with Simply Hike. Images used in this post provided with permission from Simply Hike.