I Can't Stop Noticing These 2026 Winter Trends on the Chicest NYC It Girls
Triangle scarves, actually cute puffer coats, and lots of cashmere.
Winter has hit New York City in full force. I'm once again getting used to waking up to a “feels like” temperature of 19 degrees, the radiator in my pre-war Brooklyn apartment sounding like a Victorian ghost is trapped inside. It’s the type of miserable cold where I step outside and feel it in the marrow of my bones.
That won't stop me from wearing a slip dress and slingback heels to Marie Claire’s Manhattan office, though. We New Yorkers are known for our grit and resolve. We don't let circumstances beyond our control dictate how we show up in our lives. For NYC’s fashion crowd, that means wearing what we want, when we want to—regardless of what Mother Nature has in store.
The principle occasionally comes at the cost of practicality. (Outside of Tibi’s New York Fashion Week show last February, I helped an editor friend whose Khaite wedges got stuck in a snowbank.) It's about working smarter, not harder, and using strategic layering and the right winter trends to bypass weather restrictions.
With a base layer of Uniqlo HeatTech, you can leave your heavy-duty puffer coat at home. Triangle scarves and cashmere-lined leather gloves are as elegant as they are easy to throw on. Cute snow boots exist—you just have to know where to look. (And I’ve already done done the legwork for you.) And with a pair of fleece-lined tights, you’ll have no issue wearing slingbacks in December (so long as you sidestep any patches of ice).
Allow NYC’s most determined dressers to inspire you to keep putting together capital-L looks this season, even when the forecast proves challenging. Here, I share the proven and new-in Winter 2026 trends that enable fashion girls like myself to never forgo style for function.
Shop NYC It Girls’ Go-To Winter Trends
When you see a well-dressed woman wearing a coat that doesn't look up to task for the wind chill, the odds are high she's piled on HeatTech underneath. Uniqlo's proprietary lightweight heat-absorbing material is every fashion girl's saving grace in the winter.
I own one, and I convinced my best friend to buy one—Aritizia's viral Slouch Coat is perfection. It's roomy enough to wear an oversized sweater underneath, but not so shapeless that you feel like you're wearing a sack. Plus, the camel wool fabrication is designed to withstand temperatures as low as -4 degrees.
I've seen at least three fellow fashion editors wearing argyle sweaters in the past week. I love the punch of lime green in this Zara option.
Yes, even NYC's harshest fashion critics are Ugg boot fans. The mini options are particularly popular, as they're less of a capital-B Boot and closer to a more minimal slipper.
ICYMI: Skims and The North Face teamed up on a second collaboration of puffers, athletic wear, and wardrobe basics—and the fashion community went wild for it. These brown leggings are great to wear under a pair of baggy jeans.
As I previously wrote for MC, I'm seeing dainty knit bandanas on nearly every city block. I love this cherry red option from Madewell, a winter color trend that fashion girls can't get enough of.
The same goes for a cutesy knit bonnet. I'm particularly enamored by this bright butter yellow one from Free People. (Trust me: The color is still going strong in fashion, despite what the skeptics say.)
No matter the season, no matter the weather, It girls will take their favorite trendy sneakers out for a spin. Adidas' Taekwondo style is, without question, the hero sneaker of 2025.
In a pair of flannel-lined jeans, like these from L.L. Bean, I can be out and about on a frigid January Saturday without complaints.
Fair Isle sweaters are a stalwart winter staple for a reason. I love this icy blue cardigan from Favorite Daughter, which I'd wear with black cigarette jeans and chunky loafers.
A puffer coat doesn't mean you're doomed to look like a Jet-Puffed marshmallow! I own this snatched-waist one from Aritzia in black liquid shine and get compliments every time I leave my apartment.
Want to feel like a wealthy woman who lives on the Upper East Side and is on her third husband? A pair of leather gloves will get you there.
A faux fur coat will also exude a rich, elegant look. This gunmetal-gray Mango option is high on my to-buy list.
I call these my stompers. Vagabond's Tara Chelsea boot have helped me walk fifteen NYC blocks during a snow squall and not fall flat on my face.
The scarf coat that started it all: Toteme's draped jacket singlehandedly kicked off an outerwear trend and remains a frequent flier all over NYC every winter.
If you don't want to commit to a coat with a built-in scarf, you can use an elevated wrap to hack the look. I'm partial to this best-selling option from J.Crew.
Alternatively, what about a scarf coat puffer jacket? This Cos one is already in my virtual cart.
Chocolate brown is every fashion girl's favorite winter color trend. I'm now noticing it on the street wherever I go, especially as delicious knitwear, like this sweater from Cos.
When Gigi Hadid's brand Guest in Residence teams up with Moon Boots, of course the fashion girls come flocking. I really love the beaded laces as easy pops of personality.
