Style Guide #1 with Lynn Mikolajczak - "Winter Edition"

You already know Lynn Mikolajczak from our latest StrongVoices interview, where she gave us inspiring insights on her career path, personal hurdles and styling essentials.

Today the Belgian entrepreneur and work fashion expert answers questions from our Instagram community regarding the appropriate business styling during the cold wintertime.

STYLING QUESTIONS FOR LYNN:

One general question to start with: which factors are especially important to be considered when choosing an outfit on cold winter days?

During winter you want to have the perfect balance between being warm and looking professional, thus layering is definitely recommended as soon as the cold days arrive. For example, wear an extra top under your blouse. Also, invest in finer knitwear and turtlenecks. They are perfect to wear under a blazer. If it’s really freezing, you can opt for thermal clothing under your work clothes. It’s my secret winter work fashion hack.

What styles do you suggest in order to handle the cold and snow on the one side and to be stylish on the other? Can we choose a warm pullover without looking too casual?

I suggest to always incorporate one business essential into your work outfit to make sure it doesn’t look too casual. You can for example combine your warm pullover with suits pants or a pencil skirt and a classy loafer or black heel.

Overknees are also common during winter. Can we wear them for work or is this not appropriate? Which sort of “winter boots” can we wear without concerns?

It depends on your work environment and if there are written or unwritten dress codes at your workplace. I would not recommend wearing overknees in a very corporate work environment with a business formal dress code - unless colleagues and managers are also wearing it. However, in general, overknee boots make shorter dresses more work-appropriate and longer work dresses trendier. So, they definitely can be suitable in a work environment. My favorite kind of boots during winter are ankle boots - especially those with lace-ups. They are very versatile and you can combine them for example with pleated skirts, pencil skirts, a suit, tailored trousers or jeans.

Which colors can we wear in winter? For example, are white pants acceptable or shall we better leave them in our closet during the cold time?

In my opinion, you can wear every color all year round. White can actually be very powerful during winter and make you stand out. Opt for winter-proof fabrics like cashmere and knit. You can also mix different shades of white to give your overall look more depth.

Skirts and dresses are quite beloved by many women. How do we wear them appropriately, especially now, during wintertime?

Make sure you keep your upper body and feet warm. Like I mentioned earlier, you can wear an extra top or thermal top under your dress.  I also suggest investing in qualitative and thicker nude-colored tights.

Especially during rainy days in winter and the need to use public transport, it is often hard to keep the hair and make-up in style. Do you have any recommendations on how to deal with this?

A classy hat that matches your coat and/or shoes in combination with an umbrella is the best and most classic way to commute elegant and professional during rainy days. Wear your hair in a knot or classic low ponytail to keep your hair into place. Carry a little makeup bag and hairbrush with you in your work bag to have a little touch-up the moment you arrive at your work destination.