Winter fashion is tricky. It’s so difficult to wrap up warm and look stylish at the same time, especially when it comes to layers. You need enough layers to avoid the cold without looking too bulky, but you also need to be able to take them off easily when indoors.
Fleeces make the perfect layering piece but knowing what to wear them with can be a hard task to achieve. Matching a fleece with your footwear can be the first step in learning how layers work best. In this blog, we’ll tell you about the types of fleeces and footwear that go together, as well as thinking about matching your colour scheme.
Features of a fleece
We’ll first look at what features you might want to look out for when purchasing a fleece. Will you be wearing it on top of several layers, or do you want more of a jacket style? Do you want to be able to take it off easily, or will you be wearing it for a longer period of time?
Will it be a statement piece in your wardrobe or do you want it to blend in with the rest of your clothes? Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered in our handy guide below. You just need to have a think about where you’ll be wearing your fleece and what you’ll be wearing it with for most of the time.
Thickness: You will need to decide whether you will be using your fleece as an outer layer more or layering it underneath a coat. This will then determine the thickness you will be looking for. For a jacket style, the thicker the better. Our Huggate Fleece Jacket is perfect for when there’s just a bit of a chill in the air. If you’d prefer a lighter style to wear during winter as a layer, the Agnes II fleece comes in a variety of shades and will look great as a pop of colour under a coat.
Colour: This is entirely up to personal preference. You might want a shade that goes with everything, so in this scenario, it is best to stick with a classic black, brown or navy - checkout the Garton range for this. Alternatively, you might want a statement colour, such as turquoise, teal or purple, to have it stand out more. You could dip your toe into colour if you’re not that brave with a mulberry shade, which is always in fashion every autumn/winter.
Alternative coloured trim/zip: If you’re going for a classic shade, you could try a style with a coloured trim to make it look more luxurious. Some have a leather-look trim in a tan colour, which looks extra stylish without breaking the bank! If you’d rather have more colour in your life, our Agnes II fleeces all have a coloured zip in a similar or different shade.
Full zip or half zip?: Think about the duration of how long you’ll be wearing the fleece for. If you know you’ll be taking it on and off, opt for a full zip style. Off to walk the dog or just a general countryside walk? A half zip Huggate will be perfect to layer up with.
Sleeves or no sleeves?: During the colder months it’s likely that you’ll be living in a sleeved fleece for warmth, but once the summer months come round, a waistcoat style fleece, like our Huggate, Hapham or Garton styles of waistcoats, can be really stylish. It will look great over a long-sleeved shirt or riding polo shirt.
Pockets: It’s often hard to find proper pockets with womenswear, so fleeces allow you versatility. If you know you won’t require many contents, stick your phone, keys and maybe some lipstick in your pockets and you’re all set!
Elasticated draw cord at the bottom: If you prefer a tighter fit, most fleeces have an elasticated cord at the bottom to allow you to make the waist as tight or as loose as you desire. We recommend tightening it if you’re wearing it as an outer layer especially, just to avoid a draft getting in, so you can maximise warmth! Our Ladies Huggate jacket range also feature an elastic cord at the back waist; this allows the waist to be pulled in, creating a lovely hourglass figure.
Matching your fleece to your footwear
Now for the extra tricky part. You have options when it comes to pairing a fleece with the footwear of your choice. The main benefit of wearing a fleece is that it is such a versatile item to have in your wardrobe. You can wear it with trainers, ballet flats, brogues, heels, boots and even wellies! Let’s take a closer look at what you can rock your fleece with your desired shoes!
Match the colour of your fleece to your shoes: If you’re looking for a sleek look, choosing a classic shade of fleece such as black or brown can make it easier to match to your footwear. Most boot styles come in at least two colours: black and brown. We like to wear our Huggate Fleece Jacket in Bark with our Hutton Quilted boots. Add a blouse or long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of jeans and it’s the perfect outfit for running errands or spending time with the family.
Not to mention you can top off the boots with some boot liners for extra style points.
Keep the colour of your shoes in the same colour family as your fleece: By this, we mean if you choose a grey fleece, you can pair that with black or even white footwear, like these Roxby Canvas trainers in Horse White II. Similarly, brown styles go great with tan boots and navy jackets will complement any blue shoes!
Match your footwear to the accent colour of the fleece: We’re a huge fan of picking out accent colours in patterns and accessories to turn your clothing items into a complete look. Our Cherry Agnes II zipped fleece has a feature zip in a bright blue. How about pairing it with our Wistow Wellington Boots in Flying Duck Haze, a look perfect for taking the dog for a walk in the countryside. You can go ahead and sort yourself out with a stylish pair of deck shoes or canvas trainers for when the weather suits.
Stick to classic coloured shoes to let your fleece shine: If you want your coloured fleece to stand out, choose quieter shoes to give your fleece full impact. Try an Emerald fleece with dark coloured footwear of your choosing (boots, flats, trainers, wellies) and the fleece will do all the talking.
Wear a dark coloured fleece to allow your footwear to stand out: On the other end of the spectrum, if you have some amazing shoes that you want to show off, you could wear a darker coloured fleece to let the attention go to your feet. This look works especially well with wellington boots, like our Ripon II High Gloss wellies in Rose. Pair them with our horse riding gilet range and your feet will stand out!
Having a fleece jacket is such a versatile item to have in your wardrobe and as you can see, there are so many different styling options when it comes to footwear.
Go casual with trainers for running the kids to school or add a heeled boot for a sleeker, more thought-out style. When it comes to wellies though, anything goes, and you can get creative with colours and prints.
Once you have styled your feet, don't forget to style the rest of your body too, for instance with women's gloves for your hands as well as some on person storage with our cross body bags or a backpack.