12 tips on dressing for harmattan

It’s that season again, characterised by cold, dust, dryness, extremely hot and harsh weather.

It can get hard dressing appropriately during harmattan because it’s cold in the morning and can get extremely hot during the day. Apart from this, harmattan poses a risk to our skin if it is not well protected from the harsh weather. To prevent your skin from cracking and drying, you have to dress strategically and appropriately to accommodate the harsh and fluctuating weather.

1. Long Sleeves clothes: These are suitable for this season as they cover your arms as they prevent direct contact with the dry air. Because of the fluctuating nature of the weather (as explained earlier), invest in Jackets, blazers, and cardigan so even if the weather does get hot, you can take them off. To pull this off, it is advisable to wear a decent top or shirt underneath the jacket or cardigan

2. Below the knee dresses and skirts: The longer the better for this season. They help protect your legs and prevent them from being exposed to the harsh weather and turning white (I can’t stand that).

3. Thick fabrics: Opt for clothes that have fabrics thick enough to protect you from the cold. These include wool, pure cotton, velvet etc. Go for them instead of nylon materials as these can cause your skin to get irritated due to the dry weather.

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4. Lip balm: Don’t forget to have some lip gloss/lip balm and petroleum jelly in your bag always, you might need to continually apply them to your lips and skin.

5. Headgear: One of the recent trends is the head gear, we have them in various shapes and colours and apart of its sassiness when its worn, it can help prevent dust from getting into your scalp or your hair because with the harmattan wind comes parching dust- for the head-gears we have the Bowler/Derby hat, the Ghutrah scarf whuich many people know as the Arabian scarf worn in Dubai and other areas, then the Bucket hat, the Fedora which looks like the chic version of the cowboy hat, the baseball hat which I think looks better on the ladies, the Boater hat commonly made of straw with a ribbon tied around, the Chilote cap or the Bobble hat covers the whole head which is very similar to the head warmer and a lot more others. This applies to the guys as well.

6. Shades: Shades or sunglasses as others might call it is a must get for everyone if you don’t want to have dust in your eyes and lashes which can get very irritating and give you a red eye.

7. Cover-ups: Now is the time to bring out those blazers, jackets, sweaters, hoodie, denim and what ever thick clothing you have to use but [take note of this] do not just jumble them up, take note of the pieces you are putting together- the colours, the print , the size, the texture – Wear wool, if you can, it is one of the best insulating materials. Who says you cant look classy on a cold day.

8. Balance out big volume: Mega loop scarves are so in right now. Offset their bulkiness with a fitted jacket and skinny pants, you cannot wear loose on loose something has to be fitted.

9. Flaunt your body in a slim vest: On milder days, a long, thin leather vest worn over a matching turtleneck is a trendy alternative to a jacket. And it hugs your curves in the right places.

10. Give your legs a foxy makeover: Break up with shapeless boots or snickers, loafers or any warm footwear — they make your lower half look stumpy. Unless you’re in a blizzard, a tall leather pair that elongates your legs is way more flattering.

11. Accentuate your waist: To show off your hourglass — even in a thick or bluggy coat — cinch your midsection with a fun skinny belt and pair it up with skinny pants or leggings.

12. Let your hair down: This is very fashionable and at the same time it gives your neck some warmth which would be a blessing in such a season.