Get creative with fashion - Autumn and winter layering
The clocks have gone back. The mornings are dark, and the days are closing in. There's a wonderful scent of wood-burning stoves in the air, and it's almost Halloween. Bonfire night's just a couple of weeks away. There's no denying we're falling into winter as fast as the leaves are dropping off the trees.
Roll back time a few hundred years and people all over the northern hemisphere were preparing for dangerous times. They were stocking up on food, making their homes safe for the winter, holding ancient ceremonies to ward off evil spirits, keep disease at bay and persuade the gods to look kindly upon them until spring.
These days we turn the heating on, layer up and trust in the modern world to keep us safe and warm for the duration. But layering your clothing is about more than warmth. It also looks great, so much so that plenty of our customers actually prefer lovely layers of beautiful winter clothes than scanty summer ones.
So, what happens when we take our lovely nature-inspired clothing, created for fashion rebels who don't want to look like they've just stepped off the high street, and layer it up? As it turns out, pagan fashion layers up perfectly. Our exotic, colourful clothing and boho styles look wonderful piled on together as well as being deliciously warm.
How to layer up the Wicked Dragon way
Mountaineers do it. Polar explorers do it. It's science. Layers are almost always warmer than one very toasty item. Here are some tips.
Layering your bottom half
- Tights make a superb base layer
- Leggings go perfectly over tights, whether they're patterned or plain
- Add a pair of over-the-knee socks for extreme warmth
- Throw on some harems or one of our beautiful boho skirts and feel the heat
- There's no law says you can't wear more than one skirt. Some of our skirts layer up together beautifully, a short one over a long one
- Wear a skirt over your trousers, an elegant long-line look featured on several fashion sites this year
- The same goes for a summer dress worn over jeans, a look you can easily adapt for winter by adding extra layers underneath and on top
- Another 2018 style tip for layer-lovers: cinch a belt over all your layers to keep your look together and add definition
Layering your top half
- Start with fine layers and make them chunkier as you work outwards – it's lovely and comfortable that way
- A fine, plain black or white roll neck jumper goes under almost anything and doesn't interfere with your look. It just sits there quietly and makes the colourful top layers glow. A long sleeve T does the same job, and in really cold weather you can wear both, a supremely cosy under-layer
- You can throw a pretty top over that, even a cropped one or a lace one
- How about adding a cardi on top of that, something you can either button up or leave open? Or even a couple of shirts?
- A thicker top with buttons or a zip makes a great outer layer. Our hoodies and hooded jackets make an excellent job of it
- A snood or scarf looks brilliant over all that, and a hat keeps everything together
- If you're still chilly, add a winter coat...
Bored of dull winter coats? Think vivid instead
The final layer, of course, is a cosy winter coat. Most of them are boring. Dark blue or grey or black, with the odd red one thrown in here and there if you're lucky. Yawn. Ours are different, each a jewel-like masterpiece of creativity, many embellished with embroidery and appliqué in the most gorgeous colours. That's more like it. Now you don't have to hide all those fab layers under something too dull for words. Our collection of hoodies also includes some super-warm versions, a great alternative to an actual winter coat.
Layer your jewellery
So far, so good. Now for the finishing touches. There's nothing quite like jewellery for completing a look. We sell some really stunning delicate silver pagan jewellery featuring pagan themes, and it all complements our alternative clothing perfectly. You could also layer up the beads and bangles and go for an over-the-top ethnic fashion look. Charity shops and boot fairs are treasure troves of vintage jewellery, and you should quickly be able to put together a magical collection of necklaces in toning or contrasting colours.
Happy shopping!
The change-over of the seasons always marks a jolly good clothes shopping session! Hop over to our site and discover a blaze of glorious colour to lift the winter gloom.