I did not think Nashville would be cold. That was my first mistake. I packed a light jacket and a pair of thin flats and spent an entire January weekend shivering my way down Broadway with my sister, who had, of course, packed a proper coat because she always packs a proper coat.
She never lets me forget it either. Every time I mention a trip she asks if I remembered to bring “something with a lining this time.” Fair. It was a rough weekend for my feet.
So this post is partly for me and partly for anyone who has ever underestimated a Southern winter. 👀😂 Because it turns out you can look put together AND stay warm, and you don’t have to choose between the two.
These are the looks I keep coming back to when it gets cold.
The Cold-Weather Looks I Reach For All Season
Chocolate Shearling Jacket With Dark Straight-Leg Jeans
A chocolate shearling jacket is the piece I would build a trip around. There is something so rich about that deep brown, and it makes even the plainest jeans look intentional.
Pair it with dark straight-leg jeans and a simple knit underneath. Add a pair of boots and you are ready for a slow morning of coffee and window shopping.
Plum Puffer Coat With Black Thermal Trousers
I resisted puffer coats for years because I thought they made me look like a marshmallow. But a plum one changed my mind completely. The color does all the work.
Under it, black thermal trousers keep you warm without any bulk, which matters when you are walking a lot. And you will walk a lot.
Camel Wool Coat With Knee-High Leather Boots
If I could only own one coat it would be camel wool. It goes with everything, it never looks tired, and it makes you feel like you have your life together even when you absolutely do not.
Knee-high leather boots finish it off beautifully. This is the combination I lean on for the best of my fall and winter outfits, honestly, because it carries from October straight through the coldest weeks. My sister has the same coat, which is either flattering or annoying depending on the day.
Cream Funnel-Neck Sweater With Plaid Midi Skirt
A cream funnel-neck sweater is cozy in a way that photographs so well. It sits right up against your chin and keeps the wind off.
Tuck it, or half-tuck it, into a plaid midi skirt and add tights. It’s a look that feels a little bit country and a little bit polished at the same time, which is very Nashville if you ask me.
Red Wool Cape With Black Fleece-Lined Tights
Now, a red wool cape is a statement. I will not lie to you. But sometimes you want to be seen, and a cape does that without you having to say a single word.
Wear it over black fleece-lined tights and a fitted top so the cape can be the star. In fact, keep everything else quiet and let that red do the talking.
Technical Ski Jacket With Wide-Leg Snow Pants
Okay, this one is for the actual snow. If your trip involves any kind of mountain, a technical ski jacket with wide-leg snow pants is non-negotiable.
These are the lake tahoe winter outfits I daydream about while sitting at my desk in the flat, boring middle of February. Warm, functional, and somehow still cute if you get the colors right. My friend Dana wore a bright teal set last year and I have not stopped thinking about it.
Tuxedo Blazer With Pointed Western Boots
A tuxedo blazer with pointed western boots is the outfit I wear when I want to feel a little fancy. The blazer is sharp, the boots have attitude, and together they just work.
This is a very good dinner-out look. Add a simple top underneath and you are done. So easy.
Black Oversized Coat With Balloon-Leg Trousers
Big coat, big trousers. Sounds like a lot, I know. But when both pieces are the same color it reads as intentional and modern rather than shapeless.
A black oversized coat over balloon-leg trousers is one of those outfits that looks like you tried when really you just grabbed the two comfiest things in the closet. Which is the dream.
Fair Isle Sweater With Cream Corduroy Pants
A Fair Isle sweater brings all the cozy holiday feelings without being too much. I love the little patterns and the way they look so handmade even when they are not.
Cream corduroy pants keep the palette soft and warm. This is a curl-up-by-the-fire kind of look, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
Faux-Fur Collar Coat With Grey Straight-Leg Jeans
A faux-fur collar adds instant glamour to any coat. It frames your face and makes you look like you are about to step out of a taxi in some old film.
Grey straight-leg jeans keep the outfit grounded so the collar can shine. This is a very good choice for banff outfits, actually, because it holds up in serious cold while still looking like you put thought into it. Which you did.
Leopard-Trim Puffer With White Winter Denim
White jeans in winter feel a little rebellious and I am here for it. Winter denim in white is crisp and fresh against all the grey skies.
Top it with a leopard-trim puffer for a bit of playful print. It’s a look that says you are not taking the season too seriously, even while you are staying perfectly warm.
Purple Knit Sweater With Burgundy Leather Skirt
Purple and burgundy together is one of those unexpected pairings that just sings. I stumbled into it by accident one morning and now I do it on purpose.
A soft purple knit sweater tucked into a burgundy leather skirt, with dark tights and boots. Rich colors, cozy textures, done.
Khaki Cinched Jacket With Midi Skirt
A khaki cinched jacket has this utilitarian-meets-feminine thing going on that I really love. Cinching the waist gives you shape under all those layers, which is a small miracle in winter.
Pair it with a flowy midi skirt and boots. It’s practical enough for a long day out and pretty enough for a lunch date after.
Camel Quilted Coat With Brown Velvet Skirt
Velvet in winter is my little luxury. A brown velvet skirt catches the light in the most beautiful way and feels special without much effort.
Layer a camel quilted coat over the top and you have warmth AND texture. This is the outfit I would wear to a nice holiday dinner where I still want to be able to sit comfortably through three courses.
Checked Skirt Suit With Black Thermal Turtleneck
A checked skirt suit feels very grown up in the best way. It’s the kind of thing my mother would have called a “proper outfit,” and she would have been right.
Wear a black thermal turtleneck underneath so the entire look stays cozy. These are the kind of boston winter outfits I picture when I imagine walking to a museum with cold cheeks and warm everything else. Very East Coast, very put together.
Long Shearling Coat With Lug-Sole Snow Boots
A long shearling coat is basically a wearable blanket, and I say that with love. It swishes around your ankles and keeps you toasty from shoulder to knee.
Lug-sole snow boots underneath mean you can actually walk on ice without doing that terrifying little penguin shuffle. And nobody wants to do the penguin shuffle in front of strangers.
Rust Knit Co-Ord With Cream Shearling Jacket
A rust-colored knit co-ord is comfort dressed up. Matching top and bottom in that warm autumnal shade looks intentional and takes zero brainpower in the morning.
Throw a cream shearling jacket over it and the contrast is so pretty. This is my travel-day outfit, the one I wear when I want to be comfortable on a long drive but still look like I made an effort at the rest stop.
Striped Polo Sweater With White Straight-Leg Jeans
A striped polo sweater has that preppy, clean-lines feeling that I keep coming back to. Stripes just make everything look a little more thought out.
With white straight-leg jeans it becomes crisp and bright, a nice antidote to grey winter days. Add loafers or boots depending on how cold it actually is out there.
Violet Statement Coat With Black Tailored Trousers
Some coats are meant to be quiet, and some coats are meant to be seen from across the street. A violet statement coat is very much the second kind.
Keep the rest simple with black tailored trousers so the coat can do its thing. When I daydream about the best nashville winter outfits, this is the one I keep coming back to, because it stands out against all that neon on Broadway without trying too hard.
Navy Peacoat With Burgundy Ankle Boots
A navy peacoat is a forever piece. It never goes out of style, it works with jeans and skirts alike, and it makes you look like you have your act together.
Burgundy ankle boots add just the right pop of unexpected color at the bottom. These are the quebec city winter outfits I keep saved in a folder on my phone for the trip I have been promising myself for three years now. One day. My husband keeps saying we will book it, and one day we actually will.
