I am curvy. Lumpy, even. And my goal in life is to appear as lump-free as possible. Growing up, I envied the girls who could throw on long-sleeved thermal shirts and then layer their cute little graphic tees on top. Because when I did this, I looked like an outhouse with legs. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I was doing two things wrong: Trying a layered look that fought with my natural figure AND utilizing pieces that weren’t meant to be layered.
A few years after I moved to Minnesota, I realized that I’d better figure out this layering thing or lose my limbs to frostbite. So I experimented a lot, and finally got the knack of keeping warm through being super layered without going all Michelin Man. You’ll have to pick and choose which of these will work with your natural figure, of course, but I’m hoping that at least a few from each category will resonate with yas!
Nylon nude cami, long
OK, you might prefer silk but I find nylon to be superior for sheer ease of use. I handwash every week, but I grit my teeth through it … and since my nylon cami can go in the washing machine, I adore it. But, essentially, you want a slippery camisole that matches your skin tone. Something that you can wear under a white blouse that won’t show through, and something slick enough that it won’t cause friction with outer layers. Go long because nothing is more annoying than a base layer that migrates boob-ward all day long. Am I right?
Tight-fitting tanks, tees, and long-sleeved tees
As I mentioned above, part of my problem in years past was attempting to layer garments that weren’t meant to be layered. Some women can create artfully draped layered looks from loose garments, but most of us should stick to simpler and closer-fitting ensembles. Make sure your underlayers fit to your bod, especially if they aren’t going to be fully visible. I have several tank tops that would be positively risque worn alone, but work great layered beneath other shirts and just peeking out at the hip. Underlayers need to provide extra warmth, a bit of length, a dash of color, and STABILITY for outer layers. Make sure you have a few tanks, tees, and long-sleevers that are tight enough to stay put if you want to throw another similar garment on top.
Tights
Tights can be a bear, people. Unless you have rock hard abs and the exact proportions for waistband comfort, you will deal with Segmented Worm Syndrome. But if it’s a choice between doing the dance every so often or wearing pants all winter, I will happily get down and boogie. If the cheapies from your local big box store just make you miserable, try We Love Colors. The company makes tights and leggings in an amazing array of shades, and carries plus sizes for which I ADORE them. However you may do it, find tights that work for you and buy in bulk.
Slips
An absolute must for the wearage of tights. Unless you enjoy that whole squirrel nest-smuggler look. (Click the link for joke context, please.)
Silk long underwear
I wear pants very seldom, even in the dead of winter, but when I DO, you can bet your sweet bippy I’ve got my silk longjohns on underneath. Silk is a completely magical fiber that breathes in summer and traps warm air in winter. Wise, wise silk. And it’s slippery, which alleviates unsightly bunching.
Silk, in general
Yes, I just wailed a bit about having to hand wash my silk stuff … but sometimes it’s totally worth it. Weigh the annoyance of hand washing against those magical heat-trapping properties, and sometimes the magic wins out. Silk camisoles, slips, and blouses all make fantastic underlayers for your looser layered looks. Woven silks – in sweaters, blazers, and the like – make fantastic outer layers. Silk = good.
Gigantic scarves
You lose 317% of your body heat out of your neck, and also at least 15% of the body heat of the person standing nearest to you. So for the love of lemurs, get ye a scarf! The bigger and bulkier the better. Little slippery fashion scarves are for summer, find something with heft. Wrap it around your neck, throw it on like a shawl, toss it over one shoulder, whatever works with your figure and personal style.
Boots
The more of your foot and leg that is encased in windproof material, the warmer you’ll be. Boots – especially knee-high boots – will keep you hella warmer than tights and pumps. ‘Nuff said.
Blazers
Sweaters are grand, but knitwear has holes. No holes in a blazer, unless the moths have been feasting upon it. And so long as you stick to blazers that fit in the shoulders and waist – defining your figure instead of masking it – they can create a fantastic top layer. Why, you can pile on that nude cami, a long-sleeved tee, and a giant scarf before adding your blazer as a finishing touch. And you’ll STILL look sleek and pulled-together.
Layering dresses
If one dress seems too breezy, why not throw another one on top? Here’s a little video that shows you the ins and outs of dress layering.
Layering tights
I’ll admit it: I am yet to try layering tights. But my blogging compatriots SWEAR by it, and you can get such fantastic color and texture combos going by layering a sheer pair over an opaque one. Not recommended for those who become acutely ornery over matters of Segmented Worm Syndrome, though …
Layering cowlnecks
Audi did this a few weeks back and I’m still in awe. If any of you folks have tips on making this work, do holler. My guess is the inner cowl needs to be very lightweight and formfitting …
Layering season is upon us here in the Northern Hemi, and I’ve been applying these techniques more and more frequently the colder it gets. I’m curious to hear if anyone has other tips for successful layering sans lumps … comment away, if so!
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So many awesome layering tips here. I usually tend to layer for style and creativity more than warmth, but I think that a lot of these tips can apply no matter what your climate.
Very interesting post about layering.
I agree that silk is the most wonderful and warm material in the world for layering even if it is handwash.
In the winter, I swear by wool tights. They're more pricey, but I've had mine (Wolford) for two years and they still look like new and keep me warm and in dresses all winter long. For even more warmth, I wear socks over them (the weight depends on the boot).
And too, I swear by a cute, well made wool hat.
I'd love thoughts on gloves – I tend to stick to wool gloves, but leather ones look so much more chic. I know they line them these days with all sorts of things, but are they toasty, I wonder.
Great tips, Sal! I absolutely swear by slips once the temperatures fall. Not only for keeping things neat and friction-free when wearing tights, but also because it's one more layer to help keep my core temperature up (as someone who is 80% of the time cold). I'm going to have to add the nylon cami to my wishlist; I think it'd be a great addition for my wardrobe!
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
It probably sounds silly, but I really sort've thought I was the only person on Earth who deals with what you call Segmented Worm Syndrome. My self-confidence has been lifted just reading that this happens to everyone!
I am a slow learner. Your tips are SO welcome and helpful! I recognize that the layered look is what I gravitate toward when I admire other peoples' style. However, it is the issue at which I feel the most clumsy. I think I'm close to mastering the basic layer, though! Maybe by the time I'm 70……???
Great tips! My favorite tights solution has been thigh highs. Hue makes a great basic black. They stay in place and there is no horrible waistband cutting you in half or wrestling to adjust. Occasionally there is a bit of an updrafts with a very short skirt but for the most part they are just perfect.
Very good advice. The scarf tip is de rigeur!! It's also the kind of layering that doesn't add bulk in the "wrong spots". I'm putting on my scarf as I type…
Looks like I need a nylon cami!
Ever since I was wee, I hated tights and hose for the Segmented Worm Syndrome, so at the ripe old age of 12 I started taking scissors to my tights and hose.
If you get yourself a pair of nicely sharp scissors and chop off the top part of the elastic waistband, leaving about a half inch (or a quarter inch if you know the brand well enough) they'll still stay up but they won't dig in, or prevent you from…ya know…breathing.
Sara (1): I'm the wrong person to ask about gloves, I'm afraid! When it's 30 degrees or above, I can handle leather gloves. (Don't own wool ones since the wind goes right through them.) Anything colder than that, and I have to use mittens. I have dreadful circulation, and my hands get colder inside gloves than they do if I just make fists and shove them inside my sleeves. You probably know this, but since gloves separate your fingers from each other it's harder for your hands to keep warm. In a mitten, all your fingers are cozy-like and stay MUCH warmer. Not nearly as sleek or fashionable, but for warmth? Mittens all the way.
Anyone else have opinions on wool vs. leather gloves?
Elizabeth: TOTALLY. I love my thigh-highs for when I just can't handle any midsection lumpage. But when it's 40 below, full tights are the only way.
Sara (2): Really? The don't fray at the top or lose their ability to stay up/put?
Since you've done such a comprehensive list, these are more category expansions than anything else.
* cashmere tanks (often over a silk camisole!)
* merino wool–or better, extra-fine merino sweaters–over fit-fitting layers or under blazers and scarves
* sheepskin foot liners for boots
* I don't do silk longjohns or tights under pants (too bulky for me, but I am not ashamed to admit I wear pantyhose to stay warm!
ps I store my wool in cedar or with lavender soaps to try to stave off moths.
Great post! This'll be my first full winter back in Canada since I moved away 10 years ago, and I'll be using some of these tips.
I also take scissors to my tights that feel too tight at the top. Instead of chopping off the waistband, I make a snip vertically a couple inches to widen the waist. I've never had any issues with fraying, and as long as you don't cut too far down… it stays up just fine.
i just LOVE layering.. and i love this look on you.. great tips!! cause no matter what size you are.. lumping can occur with layering.
As nerdy as it is, I am a big believer in putting a pair of underwear on over your tights to help keep them up! They stay up through anything without ever worring about that crotch migrating toward my knees problem! I am also a big fan of earmuffs – doesn't screw up the hair and keeps my ears warm!
Fantastic! And I admit, I have been one to layer a thermal t under a graphic tee. Oops.
I've seen some scarf layering lately (at Academichic and Kasmira's blog) and it looks fantastic! Plus, it's gotta be doubly warm, right?
In the years since I moved to Michigan I find that I can easily be cold for six months out of the year. I have developed a very rigorous layering schematic that involves a lot of what you have in your post but it basically comes down to what I call "The Invisible Undershirt".
I have a number of long underwear tops and long-sleeved T-shirts that are close-fitting, close to my skin color, have very low necklines, and sleeves that are never longer than mid-forearm. Uniqlo's Heattech line is great for these.
I wear one of these everyday, tucked into my tights or long johns, and I can wear sweaters, dresses, or other knit tops over them. They provide plenty of warmth but they are not seen.
You are so NOT lumpy
I love the pink dress.
Amazing tidbits!
I also swear by slips, they just smooth everything out and prevent the creep-up!
I like to get full slips at estate sales and then cut them to the correct length (since most vintage stuff was a lot longer). Sometimes you lose some pretty lace, but that way I can make sure to have plently of varying length slips for my various dresses and skirts! Full slips also add extra smoothness and help combat the segmented worm syndrome!
fabulous post, Sal. i've been trying to incorporate more layers into my wardrobe in the last few months as the weather has gotten cooler (it never gets crazy cold here, but definitely cooler/wetter in the winter!), but it doesn't come naturally to this SoCal native! these are great guidelines… and I especially loved the dress layering tutorial.
What an amazing arsenal of tips. You're a godsend, Sal!
I hate layers…they make me fidgety. About the best I can manage is a jacket over a t-shirt. I'm always amazed by fashionistas who put on 32 layers — 16 of them sheer and just for effect — to go to the supermarket.
I prefer nylon or other slippery camisoles too, but am not having much success recently finding any to replace my older ones. Where do you get yours, or what brands? I guess I could take ArkieStyleErin's tactic & buy old slips & use the top half for a camisole & the remaining bottom for a shorter half-slip.
Ellen
Ellen: Actually, my best one is from Target. $12 last year … Gilligan & O'Malley is the brand. Have you tried those already?
Great layering tips! I love piling on the layers when it gets cold out and I agree that tight-fitting tanks/tees and thin nude camis are essentials (I swear by Uniqlo's Heat Tech camis in beige).
i finally ordered some silk long undies, even though you told me about these last winter. can not wait to get them!!
I have found that one of the things that helps with "segmented worm syndrome" (perfect description) is to buy tights in a size larger than I would normally wear. This means I wear a Queen or 1x in a lot of tights — I'm not big, but the combination of large calves and no waist means these fit me best. I always suggest to people that they go up a size, and it's amazing how much more comfortable they are.
Also, not a fashion tip but for those who live in the bitter cold and have to be outside for extended periods? Try men's jeans. The denim is MUCH thicker and a well-fitting pair leaves enough room to layer long johns underneath. I have a pair that I save for visiting relatives in Idaho during inclement months.
I am a huge fan of Chico's Traveler's line tank tops. If they fit you right (and they only come in four sizes, so they might not) they are not only good non-gappy tanks, but they are made of a slippery acetate fabric, and thus work great for layering and wearing as undershirts. Expensive in stores, but you can get them on eBay for $10 or so.
Great tips! It has been absolutely glacial here in Utah as of late.
My new favorite layering tip (and I mean that seriously, I have done it 5 times in the last week) is layering cardigans!
I read about it at this post over at Mary's Wishlist. If you are cardigan fan (and I am) it will change the way you look at your winter wardrobe.
Happy layering!
uberchicforcheap.blogspot.com
i am somewhat awful at layering, so thank you for these awesome tips!
This is a great list Sal!
@Ellen – I have a whole slew of nylon tanks from New York and Company. You can usually find them for the buy one get one half off price.
I have then in a wide variety of colors. I of course wear a skin tone one under many things, but I also like little pops of color to come through in my layering.
Sometimes I wear two or three thin tanks when it is really cold to trap the body heat in. This does an amazing job for me. I will also wear my sweater tights under my jeans if I am going to be outside for an extended period of time. I just don't wear my tightest jeans those days.
Another thing that I try to do with layers is vary the weight. Thicker structured button-ups pair well with lighter/thinner sweaters. And the opposite is true. Thinner button-ups pair better with thicker sweaters.
Ah, the tight layering. I am so there. I have some wool blend tights that are super warm (a Canadian winter skirt wearing must) but also kind of itchy, so I layer cotton ones underneath. I don't find synthetic tights warm in the least, and also find they make a person quite sweaty in unfortunate spots, so I steer clear.
And I second Anonymous abut buying a size up. I by tights rated for ladies with far more girth than myself, and I find they work well, and can sometimes be hikes up so far that they provide extra torso warmth as well (sexy, I know!)
these are such great tips! (love your outfit here btw)
i layer tights all of the time and swear by it!
I've shied away from wearing any sort of slip because I've been worried about their potential for static cling. I'm the kind of person who cuts the lining out of things rather than have it adhere to my body in an insane static nightmare. How do you deal with this? Do you carry around a giant can of Static Guard? Is there a better product you can recommend?
ebinbaby: Gosh, I've never really had much trouble with staticky slips … or if they do get staticky, they stick to me but still keep my skirts from bunching up, so I'm not too troubled.
Anyone else have advice for mitigating static?
Weighing back in…I always have a tiny purse-sized anti-static spray on me in the winter. Sometimes the craziest things get staticky! Even cotton tee-shirts.
I do have an opinion on the gloves vs. mittens issue. I have pretty much sworn by my old pair of cashmere lined leather gloves but then they got too worn out for me to wear. I have been searching for a good solution but could not find a pair of leather gloves that I liked. This Thanksgiving I was in Michigan visiting family and I found the best thing ever : leather mittens that are lined with "thermolite" (whatever that is) but inside they have individual fingers like gloves. They are really nice light-ish leather, not super bulky and they look nice. The brand is "Paris". I would highly recommend them.
Sal, Thanks for the great tips. Could you please suggest some places from where to buy silk long johns and camisoles? I am one of those who cringes at lace and waffle knit thermal wear – strange I know
. Hope these come in smooth silk. Thanks.
"An outhouse with legs?"
Goodlawd, Miss Sal. That made me laugh out loud!
Great tips. Must wear layers in Portland.
I've had luck rubbing a Bounce sheet on static-y clothing. You know, the ones you're supposed to throw in the dryer? A good, hard rub down of the stubborn slip and I'm usually ok. This only tends to be a problem when the air is particularly dry, otherwise, static isn't really an issue for me.
In: I swear by Wintersilks! They've got everything under the sun in terms of silk long underwear and camis, and everything is SO reasonably priced.
http://www.wintersilks.com/
Thanks so much for the tight/thigh high source! Being a curvy girl myself I've recently begun wearing stockings/thigh highs with garter belts and I'm always looking for new sources for stockings. I'd love to find some wool stockings for winter, but I think I'll just have to keep my eye out.
Thank you! As someone with curves who lives in a place where it is well below 0 (Celsius) for several months of the year, I have struggled with layers for years. This helped a lot!
Fabulous tips! I know I would never get by without all of my tanks and long sleeve fitted tops. I think I have one or the other, or both, on at least every day! In fact, it's the topic of a post I plan on doing soon. Definitely a must on the tights and boots too.
i first read this post while drinking my morning coffee. i had to make a wal mart run today..found tanks on clearance for 1.50 each…might have passed them up, but decided because of your post that they would be great layer pieces. thanks!!! love your blog!
"Segmented Worm Syndrome"–I love it! This is SO very helpful! Thank you for sharing these awesome ideas. As a curvy woman myself, I often struggle to create a smooth, sleek silhouette. I plan to make a stop at Goodwill sometime soon for some new layering pieces.
Your much better at the sleek layering than I am! I throw things on, thinking I've achieved elegance, only to look in a mirror at work to see a wrinkled mess! I love how you mixed the bright colors here too!
Wonderful, wonderful post. Lar and I are skinny, but we still suffer from unwanted lumpage and for reason it took me forever to realize that undergarments actually make a huge difference. I use to scoff at women who made a big deal over Spanx, but now I understand how great they are – especially Assets – the Target, cheaper version of Spanx.
I find that the high quality wool tights such as Cronert and MP don't give me as much of the Segmented Worm Syndrome as some of my others. I also like Foot Traffic's cotton blend tights; they do segment me up a little but the waistband is so soft that it's not uncomfortable. Thigh highs plus pettipants (to block cold breezes) is another good solution.
I've only layered cowls the one time, but when I did I made sure that the inner cowl was a smaller circumference.
great tips! layering can be a complicated process but you make it look easy peasy
Silk longjohns are awesome, but I had the mother of all battles with Wintersilks the last time I ordered from them–it was more than a month from the time I ordered to the time they arrived, with hassles galore along the way.
I had actually just decided last week to learn to wear slips. I own winter-suitable dresses now, for the first time in my life, and they are so pretty I want to wear them–segmented worm problem and all.
Excellent tips! Only recently have I realized not just the utility but the NECESSITY of tops that are too tight to wear on their own. I feel there's a whole complicated subcategory, though, of layers you're committed to wearing all day (because, for example, the layer under them is not seemly to expose) and layers you can attractively take off if you get warm indoors. We might need an advanced course.
I am right there with you on the need for mittens below 30 degrees. Any kind of thin gloves (like the kind used for winter running, or sold for $2 in the drugstore) UNDER fleece mittens is the best solution for me–it's much warmer, and if you need to take off your mittens to dig your bus pass out of your wallet, you can still leave the gloves on.
Another thing I do, as a year-round skirt-wearer, is layer leggings over tights, especially if I'm going somewhere that I'm going to change shoes when I get there. (I guess the fashion police will arrest me, but I walk 2 miles to work and I do it in sneakers or hiking boots.) That way I can wear warm socks under my outdoor shoes, but I don't have two layers of tights to make my indoor shoes feel tight. Despite being as squishy around the middle as anyone, I'm rarely bothered by the FEELING of tights, though they can create bulges.
Silk…I'd never thought of it. Which is silly. I mean, I'm a GROWN UP now. I should wear grown-up undergarments. And now you know my secret shame: cheapie girlish underpants.
I am sooooooo enthralled with We Love Colors now! I clicked on a link from my cousin's blog (From Sneakers to Stilettos) and feel as though I've stumbled upon a gold mine! A decent selection of plus size tights!! I had no idea such a thing existed!
I'd never really thought about nylon camisoles… I am going to go buy some right now.
For boots and tights: I am way, way too fidgety to layer tights, but I'm a big fan of wearing knee- or thigh-high socks over them. This looks especially cool with calf- or knee-high boots, but it can work beautifully with flats too. Plus, knee socks come in all kinds of great colors and patterns (Chinese Laundry socks via Filene's Basement are my favorites), and your legs are a great place to add some brightness to an outfit.
You also mentioned these in your post on slips, but I'd like to reiterate that pettipants are the best thing ever. They do the slip thing and keep your skirt in place, allow girls who don't like to cross their legs (like me) a bit more modesty, and (my number one reason) can be worn in hot weather to stop one's thighs rubbing painfully against each other all day, without the lump-inducing tightness of bike shorts or similar garments.
This pair (http://www.amazon.com/Velrose-Snip-It-Pettipants-Black-Medium/dp/B0006IXCGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1260936756&sr=1-1) is my favorite, because they can be shortened (the lace panels are meant to be trimmed) to work with your height and preferred skirt length. I also, personally, love leaving them long so that the cute lace peeks out from under my short dresses, but I also have a slight obsession with Victorian aesthetics.
Excellent post, Sally! Layering can be both stylish AND practical. The two should never be thought of as mutually exclusive.
Seriously great ideas, I must admit that I do not own much silk yet….. time to get on it sounds like.
Great post. Unfortunately I have to bypass the wool and silk since I'm vegan (or, fortunately, I guess?). So I am always on the lookout for silk-like longjohns!
I am swearing by 2 scarves this year (1 cotton, 1 acyrlic, layered) and also earmuffs (I can wear my hair up and still have a warm neck/scarves and warm ears but no hat head!).
This is such a smart list of advice, Sally. (I am also a lumpy person, and I think much more so than you are) and envied my more slender sister for being able to pull off layering tops and tees with such ease. It's taken me a long time to learn how to layer in a way that is both effective and flattering – I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it!
This fall/winter, I've been layering a lot of thin scoop-neck tees with elbow or full-length sleeves under dresses, blouses, or jackets – sometimes with a cami underneath, too – and the extra thin layers help tremendously. Also, I love scarves in any weather. I guess the plus side is that the Seattle winters don't tend to be as chilly or intense as what you experience in Minnesota, but we definitely have our frigid, icy days.
I also did not own any tall boots until a little over a year ago – I had trouble figuring out where to find boots that fit my calves – and I am absolutely amazed at how much warmer I am simply by adding boots with tights and tall socks hidden underneath.
I did manage to find a pair of opaque tights without a ribbed/elastic waistband that gives me *no* bisecting issues whatsoever – DKNY comfort luxe tights, which are actually not *too* pricey, especially since they are currently on sale. I'm not sure whether they are what you're looking for, but since you are also curvy, I thought I'd pass on the recommendation.
Hi Sal, Audi directed me here after I asked her to elaborate on lump-free layering. I read your blog all the time, but somehow missed this critical post! Great tips for the layering-impaired like me. Thank you so much!
I live in Alaska and am an expert at layering for outdoor activities, but terrible at getting it right for work. I can share a couple of other tips, though, which other comments hopefully have not mentioned…
– Vests! To me a flattering vest provides a core layer without the issue of tugging sleeves down under a sweater. Also, they're cute under a jacket without adding more sleeve bulk.
– Smartwool layers can look professional in black and are washable, breathable and warm. I also use their thin liner gloves under another pair of gloves.
- Leaving dress boots at work. I wear my Uggs/Sorels/practical boots back and forth, and change into my good boots in the office. This also saves the wear and tear from snow, salt, dirt, etc.
Of course, not everyone is insane enough to live in extremely cold conditions. I'm considering moving to Hawai'i to avoid the whole layering dilemma!
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