How To Build The Perfect Winter Capsule Wardrobe – And Keep It Chic

Dressing for winter’s bite doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. Helene Ravlich seeks out four women who know how to nail cold-weather cool.

When it comes to building a capsule winter wardrobe, it’s all about assembling a collection of elevated essentials with a cold-weather twist. You need pieces suited to braving strong winds and freezing temperatures, but also key items that are comfy and chic, if the latter is one of your personal non-negotiables.

Chic is most definitely part of the brief for the following stylish individuals, who have nailed the art of keeping out the cold – while consistently keeping it cool. I tapped them for their pick of winterwear essentials, with layering always top of mind.

Nicola Laird

With a star-studded wedding in Ibiza under her preternaturally stylish belt and a significant birthday on the famed Balearic island under way when we chat, it’s safe to say that founder of the Markwick label and vintage buyer Nicola Laird is a lover of summer. Born in Tāmaki Makaurau but a London resident for the past 16 years, she has also spent a lot of time in New York, and says of her first winter in the Big Apple: “Nothing prepared me for the wind-chill factor. The first time I experienced it, it caught me unaware and cut through me like nothing I had ever felt before!”

Now a much more seasoned traveller, she says, “I never do a New York winter without base layers, and turn to Smalls Merino pieces as they fit perfectly underneath my chunky knits”. A beautiful vintage find has also played a part in keeping her toasty - a Coach restored Shearling coat with whipstitching detail that she’s known to pair with leather trousers from New Zealand’s own The Luxe Edit.

Living in London, she emphasises that you need to be prepared for four seasons in one day, and when it comes to non-negotiables, you will always find cashmere gloves and a chic coat in her wardrobe. “I find that a beautiful coat elevates even the simplest of outfits,” she says. “This year, I invested in an oversized cashmere one from Loewe that fits easily over my chunky knitwear, but looks just as good slung over my shoulders in the evening.” Acne is her go-to label for high-end knitwear, “but Cos is great for the everyday knits I always stock up on at the beginning of each winter season”.

Sofia Ambler

A New Zealand resident since 2013, she’s very familiar with sub-zero temperatures and cites layering as the key to dressing appropriately for all weather and all seasons. “Swedes are great at layering and dressing for the weather and seasons,” she says. “My father’s favourite saying is, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes’, so I have long lived by that motto and still do.”

With fond memories of purchasing her first winter investment piece in her 20s – a pale-blue and grey puffer jacket from Moncler – she has a range of chic outerwear on hand for when the mercury drops, with a Swedish-designed puffer jacket a particular favourite. “It is like rolling yourself into a sleeping bag and always keeps me warm, and is perfect paired with my Sorel Snow Boots.” If hiking is on the cards, she favours selects from Icebreaker and Gore-Tex, “and if it’s raining, I have my favourite gumboots from Barbour that have lasted forever”.

A lover of cashmere, she also recently invested in a Burberry trench for the shoulder season. “It’s one of the few clothing items that is off-limits for my daughters to borrow, but they will definitely inherit it one day.”

Theresa Frankovich

An art director, creative powerhouse and global traveller, New Zealand-born Theresa Frankovich has spent the past decade living in Zagreb, Croatia and Milan, Italy, where she recently completed a Master’s degree in Creative Direction and Digital Content at the prestigious fashion school lstituto Marangoni. As comfortable in a Northern Hemisphere winter as she is a Mediterranean summer, the stylish expat always has the perfect outfit on hand – and an enduring curiosity that has seen her explore some of the world’s most intriguing destinations.

The coldest place she has visited is Reykjavik, Iceland, one New Year, where “once the champagne wears off, the sprint to get back indoors is very real”. But the coldest temperature she has endured for a longer period was in Croatia over a decade ago – in -20C and knee-deep snow. “Once I was at a party wearing a vintage fur coat layered over a classic Glassons merino cami and long-sleeve top. I can safely say the cold didn’t stand a chance against that garment shield.” She has also felt the bite of the Dalmatian Coast winds, with gusts up to 200km/h. “At -18C, without a balaclava, it’s less a breeze and more a full-face exfoliation.”

Theresa says the key to dressing for winter is knowing how to layer strategically, “as that moment when you step off a freezing street into a heated restaurant can be a shock to the system if you’re not dressed smart”. And in Milan, a beautiful coat is essential. “Beautiful can mean anything - from Loro Piana or Prada to Zara or H&M.” She adds, “it’s all about how you wear it.”

Footwear matters just as much, as Milan’s cold winter rains flood the streets fast, and the uneven cobblestones don’t make life any easier. “A well-chosen pair of boots – I love those from Ganni and Massimo Dutti – or a structured loafer (which Italians do incredibly well) will take you far.” Lastly, she adds flashes of colour through sunglasses, beanies, or a bold cashmere scarf. 

Jill Brinsdon

A brand and creative strategist who also coaches women to find their voice, Jill Brinsdon made the move to Central Otago a few weeks before the end of Auckland’s last lockdown – and has never looked back. “It felt like we had nothing to lose and so much freedom to gain,” says the ad industry powerhouse, “and that’s how it’s played out”.

Like most people from warmer climes, Jill says she arrived down South with “one ‘good’ cold-weather outfit – for those winter holidays. And I quickly tired of that! I really didn’t want to look like I’d just come off the Milford Track every day, so I had to double down on how to layer in some style amongst the need for warmth.” Now her wardrobe non-negotiables are a collection of really great coats – “this has been the most important investment”.

At the end of her first winter season proper, she purchased a Moncler full-length puffer in white, “firstly because you need one down here, but also because it was important to not just look like a marshmallow. It gives me joy every time I wear it”.

A Marle woollen overcoat and hooded Acne Studios piece are also high on her list of favourites, “and the proper footwear is important. My Sorels are mandatory”.

More winter style inspiration

From practical footwear to wardrobe staples.

What Is Aotearoa’s Version Of A Door Shoe & Why Do You Need A Pair This Winter? Seasonal slip-ons, mules and slippers that meet the easy-wearing brief.

12 Winter Boots To Suit Any Occasion. Need a stompy and sturdy pair of winter ankle boots? This collection of footwear, available to shop now, will deliver.

14 Cool Jackets That Will Keep The Cold Out. Button up and hunker down with these quality jackets.

21 Knit Cardigans & Sweaters Because The Cold Is Here To Stay. Reach for reliable textiles and cosseting cuts this winter.