How To Build A Cold-Weather Capsule Closet, According To A Fashion Director

The start of the year always inspires me to re-assess my closet. I gift, donate, or recycle clothes that I no longer wear or that have seen better days; I identify the gaps that I may need to fill or essentials that could use an upgrade; and I visualize the clothes that I can see myself wanting to invest in. (The advantage of brands showing new collections half a year before they land in stores is having the time to consider whether you still want the items that caught your eye six months prior.) 

Despite (or maybe because) I am a fashion director (who is lucky to get clothing gifted to her), even when I create space on my shelves, I don’t buy more just to fill it up. And, when considering making a significant purchase — a process that can take me weeks if not months of consideration — it has to pass three tests: (1) I have to be able to style it with most of the other pieces in my closet, (2) I have to envision wearing it at least once a week, and (3) it has to last me a long time. With these "guardrails" in place, over the years, I have carefully crafted my closet with pieces that I love and wear, and without meaning to, I’ve created a capsule closet of sorts for every season. 

If you’re on the path of more conscious fashion consumption or are looking to streamline your closet, ahead, a guide — divided by outfit-making pieces, basics, and accessories — to get you started on creating your 2025 winter wardrobe. Though many of my picks are investments, they are also the types of pieces I wear on repeat (no, really, you will notice the same boots and denim skirt in several of the photos below, as well as other pieces that you might have previously clocked me wearing on this website) and have had for a while now (aka can vouch for). Because if there’s any girl math that a fashion editor can get behind, it’s cost-per-wear.

I coveted this Kallemeyer tie shirt for months before pulling out my credit card (just look at the color!). And I am so glad I did — I continue to wear it season after season. Similar to going-out tops, statement button-down shirts are an easy way to add a touch of interest to jeans or black pants (my go-to winter bottoms) with minimal effort. Other shirting styles that I wear on repeat: J.Crew’s (now-sold-out) feathered-cuff shirts — that I have in two colors! — as well as, more recently, the Dorothee Schumacher shirt with a long train that gets me compliments every time I wear it.

For a long time, I avoided knee-high boots, finding them too awkward-looking with mini skirts and over skinny jeans (yes, I know, I’ve revealed myself to be a millennial). As I’ve gotten older and transitioned to longer hemlines and more relaxed pant silhouettes, the boot style has become a wardrobe must-have thanks to the way it creates elegant lines underneath a midi skirt or how effortlessly cool my pants looked bunched over it. Opt for a lower heel to ensure that you’re getting the most use of them (I fully endorse these Larroudé and Frankie 4 styles which I rotate between), as well as versatile shades that go with everything else in your closet (and don’t get ruined by the snow and winter dirt).

In the winter, I gravitate toward suits. With a built-in layer in the form of a blazer and a matching other half, they’re the foolproof uniform I (frantically) reach for when I snoozed an extra 30 minutes, unable to wake up in the dark. While I have a few colorful main-character suits, I wear the brown, gray, black, and deep red styles the most. This doesn’t mean you have to stick to a black pantsuit (though I love one with no shirt underneath, a dark lip, and some pumps for a night-out look). Play around with skirt styles (both mini and midi); timeless patterns like herringbone, plaid, and tweed; and vest styles that you can re-wear in the spring. Or, accessorize the look with a brooch, colorful socks or tights, and an unexpected turtleneck layer that peeks out from underneath the shirt.

In a sea of black, gray, olive, and brown coats, I prefer black, gray, olive, and brown coats — with a twist. For the last few years, I’ve been switching between a utilitarian jacket from the collaboration between Scandi darling Ganni and Icelandic outerwear experts 66°North (pictured two photos us), a gray peacoat with a pink windowpane print from Essentiel Antwerp (pictured here), a brown denim trench coat with a gold design that I got secondhand from Dries Van Noten, and a flannel-like jacket from Isabel Marant. I live in New York City where my coats get at least five months of use (and eyeballs); as such, I wear them as statement pieces and, instead, stick to a neutral palette underneath. This is also a category area that I splurge on, investing in pieces that will last me a long time. To the point that I still have — and wear! — the first nice jacket I bought with my first big-girl-job paycheck at AllSaints in 2011.

Much like with coats, I don’t believe you need to stick to neutrals with knitwear. Sure you will get more use out of a gray crewneck (I’ve lived in this Sézane one for the past four months), but feel free to experiment with color and use a bold sweater to add a pop to your otherwise muted outfit (as I did above with the Christopher John Rogers turtleneck that I’ve owned for several years now). Alternatively, feel free to play with fluffy textures or interesting silhouettes (I have my sights set on a Rohe style with a built-in scarf).

Don’t underestimate the power of a thin style either, like the editor-approved J.Crew cropped crewneck or a simple cardigan (I like Lingua Franca ones that you can adorn with cheeky sayings and currently have the &Daughter red cardigan which landed on Lyst Index’s hottest products of Q4 list bookmarked) that you can style with a simple midi skirt and knee-high boots for a night-out look or juxtapose against baggy jeans for the weekend.

No blazer gets more use in my closet than Veronica Beard’s best-selling Dickey Jacket. Equipped with buttons and zippers to attach a dickey to, these blazers — which I own in linen, wool, and denim — are my travel must-haves for their 2-in-1 styling possibilities. I similarly look for versatility in blazers from other brands, whether it’s the ability to turn into an evening jacket (an Aligne signature) or serve as outerwear in the spring and fall.

Perhaps ironically, I prefer fitted baby tees in the winter. Blame it on the overall bulkiness of winter wardrobes, but I crave the look of a tight-fitting layer underneath an oversized blazer or peeking from underneath a chunky crewneck sweater. Unlike more loose-fitting tees that need more styling, these cropped styles look great on their own with sleek trousers or tailored jeans (also when you need to desperately shed all the layers after the packed rush-hour commute and cool down). Just top the look with a silk neck scarf and strong earrings, and you’ll instantly look polished.

When it comes to my bottoms, I rotate between a winter uniform of midi silky skirts that I pair with oversized sweaters, baby tees, and structured vests; maxi denim skirts that go with blazers and collared shirts; dark-wash denim that doesn’t look out of place in work settings; and go-with-everything pants (see: these almost sold-out A.L.C snap track pants) that look just as good with sneakers as they do heels. While I don’t subscribe to one denim brand, I am partial to jeans from Mother, Levi’s, Still Here, and, most recently, Jamie Haller, who managed to convince me to wear cargo pants again! Saint Art is responsible for my favorite skirt of the last year (with Agence’s maxi version a close second). 

While accessories are a great way to add boldness to your winter wardrobe, I tend to reach for the same classic styles time and time again: bold silver or gold earrings (Jenny Bird is my go-to for affordable styles that pack a style punch and don’t hurt my earlobes) and stackable rings (I’ve been wearing sculptural ones from Pandora’s Essence collection for the past year). Statement belts are another way to spice up an outfit; I am adding spare pennies to my piggy bank as I type to get this Déhanche style that can double as jewelry.

Here are some other items that are currently on my wishlist. With Fashion Month here, I’ve been reinforcing my winter wardrobe. In case of snow or cold temperatures, I have my eye on the bonnet from Yan Yan, an independent knitwear company known for its quirky, colorful designers. While I am not a sneakerhead, I haven’t stopped thinking about these Asics x Cecilie Bahnsen shoes after seeing them IRL in Brooklyn’s Outline boutique (a must-stop for anyone in the area thanks to its high-end selection of the Row, Dries Van Noten, and more). And while I missed out on getting the Coach Brooklyn Bag in suede when it first launched, I won’t be making the same mistake again.