“Sweater weather” in style

By Viktoria Anderson,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

The faded jeans and grey waterproof jacket have been worn every other day for a month. The old black vest is as boring as household chores on a Saturday. Any source of inspiration is clouded by the 38-degree weather.

Sometimes, it feels as if the long winter days and crisp cold wind are too defeating when it comes to fashion.

“There was a time when it was snowing outside and all I had on was a sweater,” college student Ana Schloemann said.

But then there is that Parisian-looking young woman, Pia Moubayed, crossing the street with an astonishing air of dignity as if she were walking down a red-carpeted runway.

Drab, faded jackets and stiff, raw fingers may not be the only look in December.

Moubayed, 22, is a French Insta-famous fashionista who photographs her every outfit throughout cobblestone alleys within the wandering streets of Paris. Scattered between her photos of patterned coats, boots on autumn leaves and vintage clothing brands, is all the fashion inspiration a young woman could need.

Of course, she never neglects to include her daily cup of coffee and current classic novel in her snaps.

“I love sweater weather,” Moubayed said. “I’ve got a huge collection of sweaters, it’s such a fashionable item.”

Each morning, as she prepares for her daily internship at Hermès Paris fashion boutique, she plays around with combinations of sweaters. Various shapes, colors, and textures of pullovers and jumpers- so many options- paired with corduroy and patterned cotton bottoms.

“Coats, coats, coats! I love coats, being long or fluffy,” Moubayed said.

Camel coats and faux fur lining are rarely absent from her photographs, and are often paired with accessories: hats, patterned socks, and “always extra, extra large earrings,” as Moubayed said.

“As long as [the coats] are comfortable and make you feel like you got out with your blanket on and have pockets to tuck your hands in,” she said.

She is forced to untuck her hands when a strand of hair comes loose and catches on her freshly applied red lipstick. Nevertheless, she is not in favor of gloves.

“I hate to wear gloves… I feel like my hands are useless,” she said. “So I always get my hands frozen as hell…I’m a geek.”  

Layering seems to be the essential solution to escaping the biting air, from Paris to New York.

Christie Tyler, an ‘old soul’ style based fashion blogger, embraces the bleak months as she captures her favorite moments on film while buying flowers and enjoying brunch in the remote cobblestone corners of SOHO, New York.

“I would say layering is very important, like layering a turtleneck under a camel coat with a scarf is a very chic look that’ll keep you warm,” Tyler said in an email to the HUB.

Dark, wintery colors in wool, textured cotton, and corduroy are her staples to create the much-desired comfortable yet trendy look regardless of the wuthering skies and bitter frost of her city.

“Navy is the warmest color,” Tyler said. “Play around with different essentials.”

Whether window shopping or sipping a warm latté with a novel, she recommends pieces like a fluffy coat, a favorite turtleneck, and tall boots.

Locally, Davis clothing boutiques surrounding the farmers market, whether on the busy streets, or tucked away in small alley ways, burst with patterned blazers, knit sweaters, and faux fur coats.

Davis High senior, Shaelynn Defty, stresses the importance of “lots of layers” so that as the day and its weather progress, layers can be added or removed.

“You can just wear a warm sweater or a long sleeve under a vest and they keep you warm all day,” Defty said.

“In my view, winter in Davis is not too cold,” said Xuege Ma, a member of the UC Davis Fashion and Design Society. “Besides popular items, everyone has different styles, so one can be fashionable in many ways.”

Shoes, bags, and other accessories can be unique to each outfit and yet make it simple to keep up with fashion, she continued.

Susan Taber Avila, UC Davis Professor of Design, believes it is important to create looks through thrift stores and exchanging valuable, memory-filled pieces with close friends.

“Fashion is an attitude as much as a garment and society needs to think more about their consumer habits,” Avila said.

But nothing will satisfy warmth until the feet are taken care of- “Thick socks are key!” recent DHS graduate Kirsten Bernhardt said.

“For instance, one time I was walking around in miserable cold, rainy weather in Philly but I was completely fine because my feet were so warm and dry,” Bernhardt said.

As the winter months progress, so does desperation for what to wear, and unhappiness in outfit choice is quite apparent, especially on a coffee date.

Moubayed has the ultimate solution.

“A winter combo according to me: coat plus turtleneck plus socks equals a masterpiece!” she said.