Things I Require This Winter Or I Will Surely Die

Melodrama is so hot right now! (Not really.)

So, with the temperature dropping, it seemed like time to compile a list. I haven’t yet decided on my Winter direction; it always takes me a bit of time to put it together. I can tell you though, that it will definitely involve my vintage leather jacket, the new shoes I bought on Saturday, lots of scarves & hats. I am accumulating a lot of black things again — totally a throwback to my teenage years — & to avoid looking too serious (& wearing black all the time), I’m mostly working on acquiring pretty vintage dresses in superb colours with mind-blowing patterns. If you get the right size, you can layer them up with merino wool tops, thick stockings, scarves & boots & gloves, & then you have a fabulous pop of colour in amongst the dark. It’s like dressing as a supernova!

Regardless of all that, after appraising my wardrobe, here’s what I’d like to stock up on this coming season.

Wool hats, knitted caps & berets. With beading & sparkly thread, & brooches pinned on, etc. It’s great having long hair (why, thank you Wildilocks!), because it makes hat-wearing a totally different experience. It means I still look really feminine even if there is something covering my noggin — while it used to make me feel a bit androgynous.

A whole drawer full of new stockings. I swear that good legwear is one of the most important pants of Winter. If you have lots of choices, you can still wear your summer dresses & shorts! Here is what I consider compulsory: Grey wool with a pattern, vertical stripes, grey over-the-knee socks, black ribbed, glittery something-or-rathers, gradient stockings (a deep colour at the toe fading up to white at the top, definitely a DIY job) & black stockings with tiny holes that make unusual patterns. You would be surprised how great those last ones are to have — I have a pair of black stockings with a kind of weird crochet design & every time I wear them, people go crazy for them!

More glove/wristlet things. Ideally I would like black leather fingerless, short black wool fingerless, cobalt blue fingerless, wool wrist-warmers & perhaps a pair of mittens. (Melbourne is never really cold enough for these things but you know, I’m stock-piling for New York…)

Boots. I want something really extreme-looking, hence why those cursed Dizingof boots haunt me! They’re totally mental, with a huge platform & suede criss-crossing the toe. I have all kinds of boots but you know, sometimes you need something else.

Something houndstooth. I think I’ve solved this by buying a dress with a white/black diamond print, which is close enough. I actually haven’t seen a lot of houndstooth about, v. disappointing. But I think a houndstooth mini or even a scarf would suffice!

Layering pieces. There is nothing worse in the middle of winter than having a bare midriff or a cold back! I would especially like some long singlets & t-shirts (in white, black, blue, pink, turquoise) for wearing under jerseys with jeans, etc. I want good quality ones though, because when you buy them from the underwear department they shrivel up & look like dried fruit. Not a good look.

Interesting knitwear. My absolute favourite place to go for knitwear is Ricochet in New Zealand because their stuff is warm, well-made & best of all, really different. I always wear their stuff to death. Cardigans with cut-out shoulders or a cut-out in the back, jerseys with a diamante button & teeny little holes, cardigans that button at the front & back… the list goes on. Love them. I can’t wait to go shopping in a week’s time, argh!

What are your must-haves (or lust-haves) for this coming season?