How to Style an On-the-Go Lunch Date Look: Winter Edition

Here’s how to style an on-the-go lunch date look, the winter edition.

Winter dressing can feel repetitive, mainly when most days consist of a jumper, long coat, and possibly boots. It can often discourage you from meeting your mates for a quick lunch date. Fortunately, yours truly has curated a list of styling tips on elevating a winter look quickly and effortlessly.

Sometimes, people tend to gravitate toward the most exciting thing in their closet to make an outfit fun or unique. The very piece that also happens to be the thing in their wardrobe they least enjoy wearing. Drifting outside your usual style is not necessarily the key to unraveling an effortlessly chic winter lunch date get-up. It may sound boring, but stick to the basics. Once you build the foundation for your attire, everything you add after the fact is an accessory that enhances your style.

The first example is the weekend lounge-about-but-might-go-out look. If the weekend is any indication of the average nine-to-five weekly schedule, then chances are you’re grocery shopping and doing housework. An immediate reaction is to wear sweats and a jumper and embrace your inner house troll. Nothing wrong with that, sometimes. However, since it is the holiday season, chances are family and friends will try to catch up with you any chance they get. Here’s how to stay comfy and look cute if you have to run out and meet friends for lunch.

Start with an oversized cable-knit sweater and a pair of black leggings. If you’re not one to wear leggings out of the house, those people exist; this is a judgment-free zone, so a pair of skinny jeans or mom jeans would do, too. For those going the legging route, throw on a blanket scarf and beanie, and for shoes, a pair of flat knee-high boots or combat boots – think Frye or Doc Martens. On the other hand, mom jeans with Birkenstocks, loafers, or sneakers with the same top half of the outfit remaining the same as discussed above are simple but still stylishly effective.

Moreover, weekly attires tend to be drastically different for some. Finding the happy medium between a work-appropriate and casual lunch outfit can be tricky. Fortunately, there are some great tips to help find that euphoric middle ground.

One of the best tips for a work-friendly outfit with the potential to come across as carefree casual is to start with a trouser pant. Trousers can easily transition from formal to casual. The key is to choose simple elements that build on the trousers. For example, instead of heels, wear a pair of sneakers. On top, a tighter-fitting turtleneck top tucked in and a blazer. The blazer can be oversized, although you should avoid one that could swallow you whole. You’d risk the outfit looking too boxy to be considered chic. If you opt out of the blazer, wear a slightly larger turtleneck with a french-tuck in the trousers.

Furthermore, maxi skirts are trending currently. A maxi skirt with ballet flats can be comfortable and understated. Pair it with an oversized sweater or a bodysuit and blazer.

These are a few ways to build an effortlessly chic on-the-go lunch outfit. Find the foundation, and everything else are just the embellishments you add to make it your own.