You're Done: 6 Winter Trends I Vetoed From My Closet (and 6 I'm Adding)

While I'm a big champion of shopping with longevity in mind, I'm also not immune to current trends. Being a fashion editor, I've always found it fun to look at every single thing that's trending and handpick the few that speak to my personal style so I can freshen up my outfit rotations. As much as I wish every single item I buy could stay in my closet forever, trying out new trends inevitably means that other ones will get the boot. My small NYC closet can only handle so much... 

Now that winter is fully on my mind, I'm realizing that the staples I used to wear between the months of November and February could definitely use an update, so to bring my cold-weather wardrobe into the present-day, I'm taking stock of what's in my closet and removing six winter trends that no longer feel like the freshest options. Items like knee high lug sole boots and statement fleece jackets that I dabbled in in past seasons are getting the boot, and now I have my eye on a few 2023 updates that will make all my winter outfits feel truer to where my style is at today.

With that, keep reading to see which winter trends I'll be relying upon over the course of the next few months and consequently which older ones I'm retiring.

Vetoing: Statement Fleece

Replacing With: Luxe Shearling

While they're hardly a new trend, shearling jackets are certainly having a moment this season with plenty of gorgeous runway moments from Proenza Schouler to Stella McCartney to back them up. And speaking of longevity, this is a "trend" that translates far beyond this season, this year, and I'd even argue this decade. While I dabbled in statement fleece jackets like the ones that come in bright colors and bold prints, I'm refocusing my outerwear on more classic silhouettes that feel truer to my personal style.

Shop my shearling picks:

Vetoing: Knee-High Lug Sole Boots

Replacing With: Second Skin Boots

Each winter, we're gifted with an array of new boot trends to choose from and right now it's second-skin styles that are tickling my fancy. They're coming back in the form of calf-hugging pairs in ankle and thigh-high height that look ultra-chic styled with oversize and boxy outerwear like the above street style look from Paris fashion week. My shoe rack can only hold so many pairs and with that, I'll be nixing my knee-high lug sole pairs. When I'm reaching for a lug-sole boot to trudge through the sleet and snow, it's going to be an ankle boot instead.

Shop my boot picks:

Vetoing: Fitted Ribbed Sets

Replacing With: Cashmere Sets

Loungewear sets exploded in the winter of 2020 when we wanted our comfiest at-home uniforms to be as cute as possible. Loungewear is still a major category in our closets but right now I'm noticing a spike in luxe cashmere sets rather than the fitted ribbed duos that dominated my loungewear drawer just a few winters ago. I'm very into the idea of tonal layering with cashmere pieces in a single color, whether it be a scarf-sweater combo like the Tory Burch one pictured here or the skirt-cardigan set from Helsa that translates the comfy trend for out of the house.

Shop my cashmere picks:

Vetoing: Bright Beanies

Replacing With: Balaclavas

Winter accessories are a non-negotiable and anyone who lives in a cold climate can attest to this. So when I went to refresh this section of my closet, finding an equal replacement was a must. In lieu of the brightly-colored beanies that I acquired in the past, I'm intrigued by the idea of adding a detachable hood or balaclava to my winter outfits. They may be another cold-weather defense, but they also add a hint of trendiness to otherwise simple outfits, and I'm always game for small updates like that.

Shop my balaclava picks:

Vetoing: Leather Pants

Replacing With: Denim Maxi Skirts

Don't ring any alarms just yet. I'm not completely ditching my leather trousers and honestly never will. But I'm seriously scaling back my collection of them this winter for denim maxi skirts, which I know will be the foundation of many winter outfits to come. They toe the line between minimalist and grungy depending on how you style them and per my colleague Yusra's outfit here, they're clearly a staple that plays well with other basics like cardigans and ankle boots.

Shop my denim skirt picks:

Vetoing: Printed Tights

Replacing With: Knee-High Stockings

Tall socks and knee-high stockings *are* the moment. Re-introduced by Miu Miu on their fall/winter runway and popularized by celebs like Bella Hadid and Olivia Rodrigo, this random and cheap accessory holds the power to make your entire outfit, a wardrobe addition I've already added to cart. On the flip side, trickier-to-style printed tights are losing out for space in my top drawer.

Shop my sock picks:

Vetoing: Printed Mesh Turtlenecks

Replacing With: V-Neck Sweaters

"Second-skin" tops or those printed mesh turtlenecks we all went crazy for during the winters of 2019 and 2020 filled my closet like no other. They were fun to style and easy to wear, but with the tides turning to more classic and preppy waters in general in fashion, I'm leaning on V-neck sweaters for a more of-the-moment staple to repeat all season long.

Shop my sweater picks:

Up next, the old-school shoe trend that's making a surprising comeback.