Cold-Hardy Chic 

Sure, now you’re excited to break out your sweaters, swaddle yourself in scarves and lace up your leather boots. But in a few short months, when the winter doldrums set in, good luck maintaining your enthusiasm for puffy coats. Dressing well through the long Vermont winter — when, frankly, we’d rather zip our shivering bodies into hoodie-footies wrapped in mummy bags — is a challenge few can master.

For advice and inspiration, Seven Days invited three stylish Burlingtonians to our office to play dress-up with clothes from their own (unbelievable) closets. Aimée DesOrmeaux-Lewis, the budget-conscious beauty behind the blog Thick & Thrifty, showed us how to layer artfully. Caitlin Pierce, the effortlessly fashionable, enviably redheaded author of style blog Wore Out, proved you can never have too many coats. And James DeRosia, who owns the Burlington vintage-clothing store Downtown Threads, demonstrated how a dash of color can warm up the coldest nights.

Roll over each image to find out more. All photos by Matthew Thorsen.

Aimée DesOrmeaux-Lewis

Age:

27

Occupation:

Business development associate at Heritage Automotive Group, South Burlington

Style icons:

“My mom has insanely great style, so I get a lot of pieces from her.

And then … hate her, but I love her style: Kim Kardashian. She’s very classic and very tailored. Beyoncé: That’s my girl. She’s very free with her wardrobe; she just does whatever she feels like. It’s very earthy, natural. Also, Amelia Earhart — sharp!”

Blog:

thickandthrifty.tumblr.com

James DeRosia

Age:

30

Occupation:

Owner of Downtown Threads, Burlington

Style icons:

“I like Robert Redford a lot, actually. He’s kind of my boy. Looking at him from the ’70s — he was just kind of a boss. He’d wear a lot of elegant longer coats. His style was classic.”

Blog:

downtownthreads.net

Caitlin Pierce

Age:

25

Occupation:

Marketing assistant at Resource Systems Group, Burlington

Style icons:

“Stevie Nicks — it’s effortless with her. I really love Iris Apfel. She’s famous for her accessories, like her huge glasses. I take a lot of my style from characters in movies, like Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair. Everything was spot on, perfectly in character. One day, that will be my grown-up wardrobe.”

Blog:

woreout.wordpress.com