How to stay cute when it's Nordic cold

Lessons learned from a Californian in Oslo

There are many things in Norway that I’m still getting used to as a freshly planted immigrant from southern California. The utter lack of small talk and inferior produce come to mind. But unsurprisingly, the biggest adjustment has been the weather. This is my third winter in Oslo and I’m still learning how to not only survive but actually enjoy the seasonal shift. By now, I’ve purchased and resold plenty of garments, been underdressed and overdressed on many occasions, and learned some difficult lessons along the way. This year, I’m finally in a place where I can transcend basic comfort and think about staying stylish on even the darkest days of Nordic cold.

The truth is, most people who write about fashion simply don’t have these temperatures in mind. Not even the Copenhagen girlies have it this rough. Still, when I see articles by my personal faves like Jess Graves and Viv Chen, I’m hopeful! Ecstatic, even! Yet, I always find myself deflated — although I can pull some inspiration from these babes, the gorgeous outfits they dream up wouldn’t cut it in Oslo where the bone-chilling weather New Yorkers are suffering through right now is fairly normal.

So, I’ve compiled a list of tips to help you stay cozy, comfortable, and cute during these trying sub-zero winter days.

10 Outfit Ideas for When It's Really, Really Cold.

dressing for the big winter slump

First step: base layers

Surprise, surprise, you need to wear a thermal base layer. Everyone mentions them as a way to warm up your bum, but they’re essential on top, as well.

L to R: Samsøe Samsøe lettuce-edged hem; Dilling merino/silk pieces come in a variety of beautiful shades and even stripes; COS merino is a great value and features thumb holes to keep your hands warm; my favorite, Intimissimi, which also comes in a dozen+ colors

Lessons Learned:

Base layers don’t have to be boring

But they should be made of natural fibers. Most people swear by 100% merino wool, and you can find options with details like a lettuce-edged hem, which looks thoughtful and playful peeking out from beneath your other layers. I’ve also heard great things about merino/silk blends, like those from Danish brand Dilling, that come in gorgeous colors and stripes. But personally, I live and die for Intimissimi’s Cashmere Ultralight tops. They’re just as warm, incredibly soft and sheer enough that, should you find yourself in a moody wine bar or dinner party wanting to strip off your big fluffy sweater, there’s a subtly sexy surprise waiting for ya under there.

You can still wear skirts — carefully

Down below, it’s much of the same with the addition of fleece lined tights. These are a life saver. Last year, I grew tired of the pants+sweater formula and was determined to figure out how to winterize my skirts. Especially since a colleague taught me that much like with mittens (more on that later) the air caught between your legs while wearing a maxi skirt or dress actually traps more heat than jeans! But one thing I had to learn the hard way was that you can’t wear wool skirts directly over your base layer or they will produce static as you walk and bunch up around your knees until you’re so overstimulated you want to swan dive into a pile of snow. Fleece lined nylon tights (and/or knee-high leather boots) prevent that from happening so you can stay stylish and retain your sanity!

Second step: natural fibers + quality knits

Again, the trick to simultaneously looking and feeling good is in the quality of the fabric you're wearing. This is a buzzy topic right now, it seems. And thank god for that because life is too short to wear acrylic sweaters!

after a while, it will feel formulaic

Lessons Learned:

One good sweater a year

I’ve started to invest in one high quality sweater per winter season; since I spend so much time in each one, it’s important that they’re durable and chic enough to help me effortlessly feel great and look good on days when I wake up dreading the act of going outside. Knowing I’m just a few steps away from pulling a dense cashmere Totême turtleneck over my head makes all the difference some days.

Texture, texture, texture

One chunky knit is not the only solution. Layering knits and playing with texture is one of the ways I like to start having fun with my winter style without sacrificing warmth and comfort. I love a slim fitting turtleneck layered under a button up or even a boxy sweater on days I need to double down. Speaking of, double zip sweaters, button up cardigans, and both slim and oversized knit tees provide lots of styling options while helping me regulate my body temperature as I move through my day and in and out of heated buildings. Part of staying cute is feeling cute and overheating is not a part of that equation.

Don’t let denim define you

During my first few winters, I struggled to get out of a denim-lined rut because it’s all I had that felt durable and thick enough to do me right. Today, I’m wearing a fleece lined leather midi skirt and knee high leather boots. What a difference three years makes! I also have an array of wool, suede, and corduroy pieces in my wardrobe, as well as a few Corporate Hottie type synthetic trousers that are warm enough now that I have the proper undergarments. It will take some experimentation, but with the right layers beneath and on top, you can make nearly anything work in the winter. Which reminds me —

Third step: outerwear

Repeat after me: the coat is the outfit. At least for half of the time you’re out of the house; it’s also, in my opinion, the key element to striking the ideal balance between cute and cozy. If your look is cute but a perfunctory coat is covering it up? Outfit ruined. If your coat is cute but not warm enough? Day ruined. I’m not sure which is worse.

puffers that aren’t ugly, L to R: J. Kim @ Maimoun; The Totême sleeping bag I got from a few seasons back; Holzweiler Steila belted puffer; Stand Studio shearling trimmed puffer; GANNI with some sweet dimples; of course, Ms. Sandy Liang

Lessons Learned:

Not all puffers are created equal

Puffer coats get a lot of hate, but you don’t have to look like a South Park character while wearing one. After trying my best to go without, I found myself longing for one last year, and was thrilled to find a dramatic full-length wrap from Totême on resale earlier this season. It has saved my actual ass while allowing me to retain a bit of sophistication. Some of the Scandi brands listed later have other great options, too. I can’t stress this enough: the pleasure I derive from throwing on a gorgeous sleeping bag for a quick run to the market or on my way to pilates is a bright spot in my otherwise dark winter days. Don’t deprive yourself of that effortless comfort because you assume you’re doomed to looking like the Michelin man. Maybe aiming to look like the Michelin man’s artistic sister is okay.

Vintage wool over everything

This year, my mission was to find a great wool coat. And while many brands I like make them at price points both attainable and aspirational, I wasn’t satisfied with the quality of any of the ones I could justify buying. Everyone seems to be making double faced wool these days and while that might be good for a late Autumn day, it’s not what I’m reaching for in late January. After months of searching and nearly investing hundreds in something new, I finally found two coats I love — both made in the 50’s or 60’s, both beautifully lined, and both cost a total of 1050 NOK (93 USD).

Trust Scandinavians

If you’re looking for a modern cut or style, even if it’s second hand, trust the people who know real winters. Never have I ever been so disappointed as when I ordered a few treats from my beloved Paloma Wool only to realize you can’t fight Nordic winters with Spanish winterwear. Thankfully, Norway’s second hand market is swimming in regionally made coats from the likes of Skall Studio, by Malene Birger, GANNI, Stand Studio, and Holzweiler so the prices are reasonable, but they’d certainly be worth the investment if that’s not the case where you are.

Fourth step: accessories

Accessories are really where we make the magic happen this time of year. Every step before this was providing us with a beautiful foundation on which we will craft a masterpiece.

With the exception of the balaclava, everything is second hand and under 25 USD: fur Kangol with silver heart pin; Arket mohair balaclava with polkadot silk scarf; angora beret; handmade knit triangle scarf with wooden bird pin

Lessons Learned:

Beanies are not your only option

During my stubborn mission to feel stylish in the snow, I have happily grown my collection of headwear in ways I would have never imagined before. Whether it’s with a vintage fur Kangol or a handmade balaclava, my head stays warm and the very conduit of that warmth also adds a little personality to whatever coat is covering up the rest of my body.

Mittens are superior

Find an elegant pair of cashmere lined leather gloves and you will feel like a million bucks. Mine provide a surprise pop of gorgeous faded purple because I needed to buy some on a cold day and there they were, but you can also use them as a way to extend a tonal outfit all the way into your literal fingertips which is wholly satisfying. However, when it gets truly cold, as the U.S. east coasters are experiencing now, mittens are the only thing that will cut it. Shearling lined is preferable.

Make it personal

Brooches and pins have suddenly come out of your grandmother’s armoire and into the popular imagination, which is great timing because they are the perfect way to add a bit of flare to the coat you wear most days. Belting your coat has a similar effect, chunky rings look adorable on the outside of your gloves, and silk scarves can live as many lives as you can dream up. Wear lipstick even if you normally don’t. Never forget to wear earrings! I sound like my mother but these elements are really what make me feel put together when my winter brain is hanging on by a thread.

Fifth step: be practical

Nothing makes me feel more disgusting, frustrated, dumb, or overstimulated than being ill-prepared for the weather. And in Oslo, it’s not just the temperature we’re contending with — we spend half the year navigating slick icy roads and piles of gray city snow while still participating in the great Norwegian tradition of walking fucking everywhere. But I still have a corporate office to commute to, dinner parties to attend, and wine bars to haunt. So, I leave you with a few more pieces of practical advice.

dressing for the freezing female gaze

Lessons Learned:

There is such a thing as too many layers

The thing about all these layers is that it can get claustrophobic; if you don’t assess the weather correctly in accordance to what it is you’ll be doing, you can overheat and feel suffocated in a torture chamber of your own creation. Just last week, I realized that the impenetrable sheepskin car coat I have been obsessed with since finding it at a flea market last year was weighing me down so heavily, I came home in a bad mood every time I wore it. A betrayal! I was warm as hell, but at what cost?

Outside shoes are not inside shoes

Norwegians never wear outside shoes in the house because, well, they like to be clean. And in the winter, this habit can often extend to the office, as well. Not so much for the sake of cleanliness, but for comfort. During this season, I have three options for footwear:

1. For most of the winter, I’m outside in lug sole boots that can easily take me across slippery sidewalks while accommodating a thick wool sock. When I get to work, I change into one of the two pairs of flats I’ve stashed under my desk. These help me feel normal again after stomping my way across public transportation each pitch black morning. Outside of the office, some of my friends bring a pair of heels in their bag for dinner parties, but I just tend to wear nice socks.

2. On the truly icy days, foreigners and old folks put rubber harnesses around our shoes that have spikes on the bottom. While these feel terribly lame, they go a long way in making time outside more comfortable, less stressful, and they allow me to wear a wider variety of shoes.

3. When we’re blessed with a long enough period between snow storms and the ice has mostly melted, I can go back to wearing normal boots, sneakers, or flats. But heels over 1/2” are still out of the question, at least for me.

But I’m still taking my shoes off in everyone’s home.

Take your time, there’s always next winter

When I first visited Oslo in the winter of 2022, I was testing it out to see if I could move here. I had to exercise a godlike self-discipline to prevent myself from going out and purchasing a financially irresponsible winter wardrobe so that I could feel presentable while meeting all of my now-husband’s friends and family. It’s taken me this whole time to build up a closet that keeps me warm and makes me feel like myself during a time when I otherwise struggle with seasonal depression and homesickness. So take notes for what you think you need, what you see that inspires you, and what you find yourself wanting throughout the whole season and then prioritize buying it next year if you still want it. Good collections grow slowly.

With love from Norway

I hope these ideas help you move beyond survival mode and into a headspace where you can have a little more fun getting dressed each morning. “Look good, feel good” is about feeling good, after all. And when the winter blues are knocking at your door and the cold seems bitter and endless, getting dressed in something that brings you back into your body can help stave off the demons. But don’t forget — the days are already getting longer.