Winter Business Casual Outfit Ideas You Need This Year

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In DC, it takes for flipping ever for the seasons to change. In fact, it can take until mid January for the temperatures to drop. But when the do, they drop fast. And when the temperature drops, that’s when I need to start shifting to thinking about winter business casual outfit ideas. Like Fall, I love this time! I love layering up my looks even more than in the fall. Also, even though I tend to do a little more color for summer, there are a few bright colors that I like to add into a winter wardrobe.

Everlane The Cashmere Crew (Similar)
J.Crew Factory Wool Mini Skirt (Old, Similar)
Anthropologie Oversized Scarf (Similar)
Blondo Waterproof Boot (Similar)

DC woman blogger wearing Everlane The Cashmere Crew

DC woman blogger wearing Anthropologie Oversized Patchwork Bandana Scarf

DC woman blogger wearing J.Crew Factory Wool Mini Skirt

DC woman blogger wearing Blondo Volly Waterproof Riding Boots

Everlane The Cashmere Crew (Similar)
J.Crew Factory Wool Mini Skirt (Old, Similar)
Anthropologie Oversized Patchwork Bandana Scarf (Similar)
Blondo Waterproof Boot (Similar)

How To Dress Business Casual In the Winter

Getting dressed for work in the winter gets super weird because you really need to take all of the weather into consideration (more so than any other season, ugh that cold weather). So let’s talk about your winter work wardrobe and the pieces to include.

Bring Extra Shoes

Ugh. Anyone else have to deal with the winter commute and trudging through snow? It’s the worst. How do I deal? I bring a pair of cute flats to work in my bag! That way I can wear my clunky snow boots (or rain boots for gross rainy weather) for my commute, but I don’t have to wear those around the office. Sometimes I’ll also keep a pair of shoes stored in my drawer at work.

Winter Coats

Be smart with your winter jacket. It needs to be warm and cover you completely. Why? The warmer and more it covers you, the cuter your outfit underneath can be. You also need to protect yourself from the snow. So personally, I like to have two good winter jackets. The first is a snow jacket. It’s a long puffer jacket to completely cover me and keep me dry. The second is a more polished longer wool coat. This one will look great on the way into work and will be perfect on the cold, but not wet days. Either way, both will keep you super warm on your way to work and not ruin your work outfit at all.

Layering

Layering is seriously the most important thing of all. For me especially. I can get overheated, but I also get so chilly again. That’s why I’ll typically wear a tee under my sweater and keep a blanket or shawl at work. I’ll also try to wear socks over tights (inside my boots, of course).

Tights

Which brings me to tights. I know some people hate them, but I truthfully don’t know why. I LOVE them because it gives me the chance to break out more of my skirts in boots in the winter. In fact, while I know some people prefer slacks for their winter wear, I’d rather wear my wool skirts with tights and boots (maybe even a pair of OTK or thigh high boots). I love that tights keep you warm, but don’t overheat you. But, if you want, you can always pick up a pair of fleece lined tights to keep you extra warm on those super chilly days.

Warm Skirts

I think it’s so odd that my favorite time to wear skirts to work are the summer and the winter, but hey, I’ll roll with it! I think it’s because, like I mentioned earlier, I love wearing tights to work! Wearing tights with skirts allows me to bring out all of my boots (ankle, riding, and OTK), and show off all of my skirts.

If you want to wear skirts in the winter though, there are a few rules. First, your skirts have to have a bit of weight to them. lightweight fabrics are not your friend here! It’s winter so it’ll probably be windy and you don’t want your skirt to go flying up. Second, your fabric should be warm! Wool skirts are the best. Suede is also a great option in my option, as is a ponte knit. Finally, avoid static at all costs. It tends to happen a lot if you’re going to be wearing tights, but one of the easiest ways to avoid that is to just wear a slip with your skirt. A super simple solution, plus it’s another layer

Wear More Sweaters

I think it goes without saying that I love sweater weather. I mean, I know some people wear sweaters year round (even in the summer), but it’s just so much more appropriate to wear them in the winter. Plus, you’re able to bust out the heavier sweaters, really increasing the size of your wardrobe. I do want to mention that in this case, when I say sweaters, I’m referring to both pullover sweaters and cardigans. Both of them are excellent since they’re both great for layering and often within a dress code!

More Winter Business Casual Outfits

Here are a few more combinations based on some of the tips that I’ve mentioned above. These are all work outfits that I’ve worn in the past and absolutely loved. If you just follow the tricks I’ve mentioned above, I’m sure they’ll work perfectly for you too!