I'm in the Mood to Amp Up My Winter Wardrobe, so I Said Yes to These 5 Pieces

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(Image credit: @jeannine.roxas)

You'd be right to assume that winter brings a lot less opportunity to have fun with your outfits, but as a fashion editor, I can never completely resign myself to boring basics and drab cold-weather gear. Interesting accessories are one way to liven things up, but I'm looking to make a few more dramatic changes. Enter the five pieces I'm calling my transformational capsule to add some much-needed variety to my collection of winter clothes.

Ultimately, they include staples and trends that are a bit more exciting, versatile, and, most of all, affordable. I spend nearly every waking hour scanning for clothes online, but for this, I really didn't need to look far. I found everything I needed within Target's new drop of winter pieces. Click ahead to discover everything I'm adding to give my closet a boost this season.

Cool Coats

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(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

Since amping up my winter clothes is the goal, it made complete sense to start with my coats. As much as I love a classic wool topper, it's just not as commanding as a cool puffer or printed coat. The assortment of outerwear below is basically guaranteed to garner compliments.

Polished Pants

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(Image credit: @sami.stasia)

Elevated trousers have been on my winter wish list, but it's taken a while to find the right pair. Sharp trousers do so much to make your outfit look put-together with minimal effort. They really are the ultimate sartorial shortcut. All of the pants below are great, and the high-rise pair, in particular, is a fashion-girl favorite.

Statement Sweaters

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(Image credit: @bellathomas)

I'm actively saying no to regular sweaters as of now—statement sweaters are all I can think about. What makes a sweater a part of the latter? Details like big buttons, eye-catching cutouts, and vivid patterns.

Faux Leather

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(Image credit: @jeannine.roxas)

Faux leather is pretty much a given during this time of year, but admittedly, my own collection of winter clothes could use more sleek leather pieces to amp things up. I especially love this two-piece matching set and plan on buying it in both colors for a quick special-event 'fit.

Maxi Dresses

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(Image credit: @taniceelizabeth)

I've long been crushing on maxi dresses, and in the midst of chilly days, they're more than cute. They're also functional. The longer length exudes more drama than a midi dress, and it's super easy to dress it up with a pair of flashy boots.

Up next: 6 Cheap Styling Hacks That Make Any Outfit Look More Luxe

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.