I am often asked how I put my outfits together and as I spill my secrets to the Montgomery College population, why not make it practical as well?

Let’s work our way from head to toe, which would first bring us to hats. Great stores to purchase hats are Target, Macy’s and Kmart. They have a wide range of styles and pricing as well. While I suggest staying away from online purchasing due to lack of consistency between designers and brands, hats are a little more forgiving on sizing, especially for men. If you are looking for a more unique color you can always shop online with stores and bands that are more trendy such as American Apparel, Obey, or Supreme.

There are so many different places where you can find great scarves and they are probably the most overpriced item out of the five essentials. If it covers your neck and it is warm it makes a great scarf. An easy way to make an infinity scarf is to cut off right under the arms of an old T-shirt that you no longer wear.

Next, we have coats. Ideally, in good styling, we anchor the outfit off the coat. It is the most prominent article of clothing and it has the most material out of the five essential. Coats can be what I like to call hybrids when it comes to material. Maybe it is both wool and leather of polyester with a nylon outer. the best piece of advice I can make as far as the combinations go is that you should research the brand of some of your older coats that held up to the winter and go from there. I personally have been using a Hollister nylon coat with down filling and it hasn’t failed me yet.

Gloves are a simple:  Always go for a black pair, because they will absorb heat and keep you warmer. I never try to spend more than five dollars of a good pair of gloves unless they are leather, in which case they can easily cost anywhere between $35 and $60.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a good pair of boots for under $70. A good investment are Dr. Martins because they are multipurpose shoes. They work well with all types of weather conditions and have easy-to-manage care requirements. Aldo and DSW always have great promotions on shoes as well, so if you are searching for a good price, be sure to check them out.

If you shop smart, you can get away with a warm and functional winter essentials for around $300 easy. That number is with consideration of the outerwear being the most expensive. Remember, Urban Outfitters is a great store to shop for unique and off-beat finds. Also remember that you you can always find treasures at your local flea market or thrift shop if you don’t mind the searching and scanning for what you may like. My suggestion is Unique Thrift shop at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Randolph Road in silver Spring. Always remember to dress sensibly and don’t forget to layer up. Stay warm.