Comfy, cozy, clean–the three pillars of 2022 winter fashion. As the temperature drops, everyone is breaking out their winter wardrobe, but clear trends are emerging. If you are looking to stay current in your fashion, here are the nine clothing staples to embrace and avoid this season.

What’s new:

Square necked tops have been big this year. Coming into the winter season they are a guaranteed closet staple. Most students purchase them at free people or in Aritzia. There is a wide variety of these square necked tops, they can be sweaters, body suits or a chic tight fit top. They are mostly neutral colors: white, black, beige, burgundy, light green. The wide variety of materials and colors can make it flexible for someone to dress it down and wear it to school or dress it up and wear it out. It fits into the clean category in our winter fashion guide.

As with nearly all pants in the past few years, sweatpant legs are becoming wider. Straight-leg sweatpants are dominating the sweatset scene,

allowing for maximum comfort and flexibility. In recent seasons, wide-leg trousers, straight-leg jeans, and flare leggings have become increasingly popular as culture has swung like a pendulum away from skinny jeans. Similarly, matching lounge sets emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a wardrobe staple for maximum comfort. The blending of these two trends gives us the ultimate comfy piece, and is sure to keep you on trend this winter.

Ugg boots have made the ultimate

comeback. They have always been around and are here to stay this winter. Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have all been spotted wearing Ugg Ultra Minis and Platform Uggs which spurred a commotion from the fashion community. It is the best model-off-duty cozy pair of shoes.

What’s staying:

The Aritzia Melina pants dominated the 2021 winter fashion scene, and it seems like people aren’t quite

ready to let go of the leather trend. Leather pants elevate any look as the perfect intermediate between jeans and trousers. Dress them up with a sweater or down with a baggy t-shirt, but we recommend pairing them with the square neck tops for the ultimate “clean girl” outfit.

Of all the trends, puffer jackets’ longevity surprised us the most. In cold Minnesota winters, the extra insulation will keep you warm and cozy even on the chilliest days. There is a wide variety of lengths from cropped to waist length to mid-calf to choose from for winter layering. For the ultimate cozy look, consider layering your puffer coat with your best chunky scarf and fuzzy Ugg boots.

Whether out and about in the city or just wanting to keep comfy and warm while building a snowman a thick, long, fuzzy scarfs will make your look. These scarfs have been appearing all over Instagram and Pinterest for the past two years and will be featured again this year. The aesthetics of the scarf not only make your look seem clean, but it is the ultimate comfy accessory.

What’s out:
Knit matching sets made a brief resurgence last winter and spring, but they are officially out this season. Although they provide the ease of instant coordination, that is the only convenient aspect of this wardrobe piece. They aren’t comfy or cozy, violating two of the foundational pillars of fashion this winter. When picking out your next winter outfit, make sure to avoid reaching for those matching sets.

Leather leggings are the definition of “cheap looking.” Their shiny, black appearance makes them look like latex, not even leather. They are extremely impractical and don’t fit into the comfy, cozy, “clean girl” look that every fashion guru is striving for this winter.

The Nike Blazer shoes have had their time being in style, but it is time for you to put those in the back of the closet. With the shoe trend transitioning to platform shoes, these shoes are no longer in style. Without any warmth to them, they are impractical for this winter season and don’t fall under any of the three pillars for this season.