Winter has truly hit Newcastle and if you don’t have your winter layers sorted then listen up! With a great range of puffer jackets, turtle necks, pleated midi skirts and sweatshirt dresses on offer, there is no need to brave the winter months in one layer; there are some great deals out there for simple layering. The key element to winter dressing is layers, layers, layers! The majority of the popular high street stores as well as online retailers such as Missguided offer a great range of pieces you can layer up. Layers are perfect because by the time you get into university for that 9am lecture and you’ve worked up a sweat, you can easily peel them off - and the re-add them - as you wish. There is a range of staple items to consider from each of the high-street winter collections, and it is worth shopping around.
Firstly, check out Urban Outfitters City Layers collection for a range of unique pieces, with the velour tracksuit bottoms being a particularly exciting piece. The pleated midi slip dress from the same collection is also a great one to layer. Expertly crafted from vintage materials, it proves to be a true investment as a limited edition piece. Go into any high street store and head for their basics range and buy a variety of turtle neck and/or long sleeve tops which can be layered with this strappy number – then wear alone for an alternative night-time outfit. There are cheaper versions in other high street stores but the slip dresses unique vintage character and the 10% student discount makes it worth it.
Urban Outfitters Slip Dress £25.20
Topshop Grey Funnel Neck Top £15
The most important piece for layering in the winter is the overcoat. In H&M’s interview with DJ and TV host Alexandra Fedorova, she said her winter signature style included an oversized wool coat. Being students it is next to impossible to find the funds for a real wool coat, but there are some great alternatives. Again, Urban Outfitters’ collection City Layers has some great coats but they are more expensive in comparison to Missguided.co.uk and New Look (who currently have 40% off coats and knitwear). In fact, whilst writing this article I (accidentally, ha!) bought a beautiful grey maxi coat that is incredibly soft and has a great tailored shape. If you are not in a mood for a thick layer, all of the high-street stores have multitudes of bomber jackets too. For the best value I found that New Look currently has a quilted bomber jacket in a variety of colours, and its reduced from £34.99 to as little as £26.94!
New Look Longline coat £34.99
New Look quilted bomber £26.94
Talking about value for money, there is also a comeback of reversible items at the moment. One of the best items I have found is this reversible Tote Bag from Urban Outfitters that comes in a range of different duo colours. It is perfect for someone who is indecisive, or wanting to invest in a versatile bag to suit all outfits. The underdog in the high-street market, H&M has a range of amazing knitted jumpers and turtleneck dresses. It also provides lots of inspiration for that all-important layering!
Urban Outfitters Mini Reversible Tote Bag £36