Your Happy Valley Winter Wardrobe Guide

Photo by Steph Distasio

Saying that Happy Valley is a beautiful place to live doesn’t even cover the half of it. If you have yet to notice, the weather here can be kind of erratic, and, above all, the winters can be more cruel than your Math 110 professor during finals week. So, do yourself a favor and get stocked up on these clothes to survive the wintery weather!

Footwear

Let’s talk about boots— an absolute necessity. Be warned the boots you wear for different parts of the winter is crucial to keeping your piggies warm and dry.

Ugg boots are great to keep your feet warm, but not the best once the snow starts to come down in blankets. They’re absolutely useless when they’re wet, so you’ll need a pair of water-resistant boots.

Hunter boots are rain boots, meaning they’ll keep your feet completely dry. The only problem is that they lack a heavy insulation. Hunter rain boots are basically just a thin piece of plastic. If you plan on relying solely on Hunter boots as your winter shoe, you’re going to want to invest in thick, wool socks. Otherwise, they’re great for rainy, slushy days. Check out Duck boots for a water-resistant shoe that holds the heat in!

If these weren’t your style, Timberland boots are thick and will keep your feet warm through a long day of walking through the snow.

Socks

Whichever boots you choose, you’re going to want a warm pair of socks. It’s one thing to be dry, but another thing entirely to be warm. You may think that any socks will do the trick, but that’s not true!

You’re going to want socks that are thick and absorbent. Investing in wool is an excellent place to start. Not only is wool dense but it will also wick up any bit of moisture that sneaks into your boots. Socks like these can be found downtown at Appalachian Outdoors.

Outerwear

Like boots, there’s a variety of outerwear to choose from. Not every single day is going to feel like Antarctica, prepare by having a few different jackets that will always keep you comfortable. A vest is a great investment (pun intended) for the beginning and tail end of winter, pairing great with a thick sweater. On the colder days, however, you’ll want something with sleeves.

When the temperature drops but it hasn’t started to snow yet, a fleece jacket will keep you warm. Fleece pullovers from Patagonia come in dozens of different colors and patterns. Not to mention, they feel like you’re wrapped up in a blanket. North Face also makes some pretty great zip-up fleece jackets.

A long, down parka is perfect for those freezing days. Water-resitant exteriors keep you dry while the down feathers keep you nice and toasty. Long parkas like these can be found at any department store and there’s plenty of variety to choose from!

Accessories

Beanies, crochet headbands and earmuffs are a few must-have winter accessories. Scarves are also a nice way to spiff up an outfit while keeping warm.

 Pants

Jeans are sturdy and thick, but will hold on to water on wet days, making you uncomfortably soggy all day.

Your best bet is to invest in some athletic pants, it’s best to invest in some fleece-lined ones. If they can keep the sweat off of you, they can keep the rain and snow off of you, too. You can find these at Dick’s Sporting Goods or even at TJ Maxx!

All this talk about winter weather may make you feel a little blue, but just keep in mind that the sun will always shine and this valley will always be happy!

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