I will not lie to you, my favorite part of the entire holiday season is the market. Not the shopping, not even the baking, but the wandering around under all those little lights with something warm in my hands.
My sister and I have a tradition. Every early December we drive an hour to the closest market, walk in circles for three hours, and buy nothing but a bag of roasted almonds and one ornament we don’t need. It’s perfect.
So here are 20 outfit ideas I keep coming back to.
My Go-To Winter Market Looks From Cozy to a Little Dressy
Snow Boots With Fair Isle Knit And Puffer Jacket
This is the one I reach for when it’s genuinely freezing and I’ve stopped caring about looking chic. A Fair Isle knit under a puffer jacket, thick socks tucked into snow boots, done.
And honestly? It still photographs beautifully. There’s something about that patterned knit peeking out from under the jacket that just reads holiday. My sister has the same sweater in a different color and we always end up matching without meaning to.
Green Puffer With Cream Trousers And Knit Scarf
A green puffer feels festive without you having to try. I pair mine with cream trousers so the bottom half looks a little more pulled together, and then a chunky knit scarf on top for warmth.
Grey Scarf With Wool Coat And Boots
When I want to feel like a grown-up instead of a marshmallow, I go for a proper wool coat. A soft grey scarf, the coat, some boots, and I feel like I could be strolling through any european christmas market outfit photo you’ve ever pinned. It’s classic and it just works, year after year.
Wool coats are an investment, of course, but mine has lasted about six winters now and still looks great. Worth every penny.
Long Coat With Sweater Dress And Knee-High Boots
A sweater dress with knee-high boots and a long coat over the top is my sneaky little trick for looking dressed up while being SO warm underneath. Nobody knows the dress is basically a blanket.
White Puffer With Monochrome Knit Set And Boots
I used to be scared of a white puffer because I’m messy and there are roasted almonds involved. But paired with a monochrome knit set in a soft cream or oatmeal tone, it looks so clean and expensive. Boots to finish.
Just maybe don’t wear it the year you also want the powdered-sugar pastry. Learn from me.
Cozy Knit Set With Shearling Boots
Here’s my most-worn cozy christmas market look, no contest. A matching knit set, top and bottoms, with shearling boots that feel like slippers but are allowed outdoors. It’s the coziest thing I own.
The first time I wore this my husband said I looked like I was going back to bed, and I said yes, exactly, that is the goal.
Acne Studios Scarf With Knit Dress And Boots
The big fringed scarf, the kind everyone has, over a simple knit dress and boots. I resisted buying one of these for years thinking it was too trendy and then of course I caved and now I wear it constantly. The scarf does all the work. You barely have to think about the rest.
Big Scarf With Knit Dress And Boots
Similar energy but with whatever oversized scarf you already own tucked in the closet. A knit dress, boots, and a scarf so large it’s basically a small blanket wrapped around your shoulders. So easy.
I keep a big scarf by the front door from November on. It just lives there. And it means I never leave the house cold, which for me is a small miracle.
Long Cream Puffer With Leggings And Snow Boots
For the coldest possible night, a long cream puffer that goes past the knees is the answer. Leggings underneath, snow boots, and you are essentially wearing a sleeping bag that society approves of.
This is the outfit for the night you plan to stay OUT. Three hours minimum. No shivering allowed.
White Puffer With Cream Knit And Wide-Leg Jeans
Wide-leg jeans have completely taken over my winter wardrobe and I’m not mad about it. With a cream knit and a white puffer on top, the look is casual but still feels considered. And the jeans hide a second pair of leggings underneath, which is the kind of tip nobody tells you.
Rust Knit Co-Ord With Cream Shearling Jacket
Rust is such a good market color. It’s warm and autumnal and glows under all the string lights. A rust knit co-ord with a cream shearling jacket over the top is one of those combos I put on and immediately feel festive in.
My friend Dana wore this exact thing last year and I copied her within the week. Sorry Dana. Not sorry.
Cream Puffer With Tonal Knit Set
Tonal dressing sounds fancy but it just means everything is roughly the same color and it always looks intentional. A cream puffer over a cream-and-oatmeal knit set. Simple, soft, and very photogenic against the dark evening sky.
Red Puffer With Black Knee-High Boots
Now for a little COLOR. A red puffer is such a joyful thing to wear this time of year. With black knee-high boots it feels a bit sharp and modern rather than costume-y, which is the balance I’m always after with red in December.
People smile at you more when you wear red at a market. I have no data on this. I just believe it.
Black Puffer With Red Sweater And Dark Denim
If a full red puffer feels like a lot, flip it. A black puffer with a red sweater underneath and dark denim gives you the festive pop without committing to a bright coat. This is a great christmas market outfit europe travelers reach for because it packs down small and goes with everything in the suitcase.
Red Sophie Scarf With Grey Knit
A red scarf against a grey knit is one of my favorite low-effort ways to look holiday-ready. The grey keeps it calm, the red brings the cheer. And a scarf is such an easy thing to swap in when the rest of your outfit is neutral and you want a little life added to it.
Cream Knit Set With Faux Fur Hat
The faux fur hat! I bought mine on a whim and now it comes out every single year. Over a cream knit set it looks so cozy and a little bit dramatic in the best way. My kids call it my “movie hat” because apparently I look like I’m in a film. I’ll take it.
Burgundy Knit Dress With Knee-High Boots
Burgundy is the color I turn to when I want to feel a little more special. A burgundy knit dress with knee-high boots makes a lovely christmas market date outfit, warm enough to wander in but pretty enough that you feel like you made an effort for the person next to you.
My husband still doesn’t notice outfits, of course, but I notice, and that’s what counts.
Chunky Scarf With Puffer And Leggings
Back to pure comfort. A chunky scarf, a puffer, leggings, and honestly this is what I actually wear more often than any of the dressier ideas. It’s the uniform. There’s no shame in the uniform.
Some nights you just want to be warm and eat almonds and not think about it. This is that outfit.
Cream Sweater With Plaid Midi Skirt
A plaid midi skirt feels so festive and I love it with a soft cream sweater tucked in. Add opaque tights and boots and you’ve got something that photographs like a holiday postcard. I will admit this one is more about the photos than the warmth, so I save it for milder evenings.
Cream Funnel-Neck Sweater With Plaid Midi Skirt
And to round it all out, a slight variation on that last look. Swap the regular cream sweater for a funnel-neck one and suddenly the whole thing feels cozier and covers your neck when the wind picks up. The plaid midi skirt stays, because it’s too good to only wear once. When I want a proper christmas market outfit that reads dressy but still keeps me warm, this is where I land.
Funnel necks are so underrated, by the way. All the coziness of a scarf without the bulk. I don’t know why I waited so long to try one.
