Winter Fashion Essentials

I moved to Calgary on a cold winter night in February 2014, I wasn't expecting less of a frigging cold when I planned my relocation to this beautiful city but the experience is totally different from what I had anticipated. The lowest temperature I ever experienced previously was -6 degree Celsius in Dublin and here It was as cold as -33 degree Celsius.

I came with some of my winter outfits but soon realized that -30 degree Celsius downwards winters will require far warmer items of clothing compared to what I have with me. I immediately had to do some necessary shopping.

1. The Winter Coat: Winter coats should have a hood and warm lining, and be waterproof and windproof. They should be loose-fitting to trap body heat while ensuring air circulation; there are so many types of winter coats in the market, you have the coat for temperature in this range -30, -20, -10 and other coat for milder temperature. Calgary is blessed with Chinook wind which suddenly breaks the winter, you could have a temperature as low as -20 degrees Celsius yesterday and suddenly have -2 degrees Celsius today. Invest in the warmest coat and as time goes on, you can build your wardrobe with other types.
2. Thermal Wear is insulated underwear, they are worn under your clothes- honestly, they work wonders. It comes in top and bottom. I bought mine from Marks and Walmart.
3. Winter boots Can you survive in the winter without a boot? I don't think so unless of course, you drive everywhere. Invest in boots with rubber soles, avoid heels because the ground is obviously slippery so you need something with grip. Buy 1 size bigger than your size. There are some boots specially made for extreme winter, that is what you should get.
4. Cozy Sweater They help with layering, get the one with long hands, they do the trick of keeping you warm.
5. Hand gloves Bless God for who came up with this piece of accessories, the first place you start feeling chilly is your hands so you require a cover-up. They come in different styles, buy what you feel is warm enough.
6. Winter Scarf This should cover your neck, you don't want to leave any part of the body bare.
7. Head Warmer & Winter Cap: Wear a hat because most body heat is lost through your head. Winter hats should cover your ears because if it is not cover, it can be discomforting.
8. Winter Socks: I have different sizes like knee-length, ankle-length, and sport socks. They are must-have during winter.

These are your basic but you could keep building on them as time goes on.