While we thoroughly appreciate the joys of getting dressed, we understand the process is not always without conundrum. Fortunately, styling and getting dressed is our bread and butter so we come bearing solutions.

The Conundrum

A jumper paired with a midi skirt creates an undeniably cool  and feminine look- just check out the street style darlings that make it look effortless, even in the dead of winter. The look is best assembled sans leggings or tights, meaning exposed lower calves and ankles. But what if you are...a regular person who gets cold sometimes?

Photo: @ASOS_SAYANA

Step it up a notch with a chic monochrome look

The Solution 

Tights might be the first solution that comes to mind, but depending on the color of the tights, skirt, and shoes, as well as the style, you're likely to wind up looking a bit pedestrian. 

The trick is cropped nude leggings, simple as that! Being the perpetually cold person that I am, I first tried this jumper + skirt pairing years ago with my classic black workout leggings, scrunched up to hide them under the skirt. This was cute until they would loosen and fall, and trust me that is not a good look. Then I tried cropped black workout leggings, which worked until the wind blew or I sat down with legs crossed, exposing the jarring black underneath a soft pink skirt. Finally, I purchased an inexpensive and warm pair of beige tights, and had them cropped just below my knee at my local tailor for $8, and my life was forever changed. Ok, that might be dramatic, but I'd still call this a game changer. No scrunching or folding and even if they poke out while you're running around, the trick remains subtle.

Bonus Trick

While we are well aware that the standard for nude is not and should have never been a pale beige, i.e. white, a google search will mostly render whitewashed results. Dance wear companies will often provide a wider color-range of footless ballerina tights, although I presume these are not as warm. If you're looking for something heavier for warmer days, search for colors like camel, brown, and beige depending on your skin tone, and you'll often find warmer leggings of the athletic variety.