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You don’t know true winter until you’ve lived in Chicago. Windy City natives (like this Vogue writer) develop a special talent for protecting every square inch of their body, until the resulting layers reach sasquatch-like proportions. (It’s either that or wind up looking like a White Walker, after the icy winds come whipping across the lake and hit your unprotected skin.) Yes, wintertime Chi is brutal; the flip side, however, is that in the right hands, those weather conditions can inspire some very creative, self-styled layers. No one has perfected the art quite like designer Sheila Rashid. The largely self-taught Chicago native now lives on the city’s southwest side and helms an eponymous unisex label, which features custom-made pieces like neon cargo pants, moto jackets, and tartan wax jeans worn by Lena Waithe, Bella Hadid, and Zendaya. Memorably, she created the overalls that Chance the Rapper wore to the 2016 MTV VMAs and have since become his signature.
As a fashion obsessive whose career revolves around clothes, Rashid has had years of practice when it comes to the delicate balance of maintaining her personality while still dressing for practicality during the cold months. “My personal style is pretty versatile,” she explains. “It’s a mixture of androgyny and femininity and typically I like to wear an oversize top with my own denim.” Rashid’s love for bigger cuts and silhouettes is both a blessing and a curse when it comes time for her to start layering. “I always try to figure out the right amount of thickness, so I can still put my coat on over everything,” she explains. “I also want to make sure each layer falls correctly on my body so I can still be comfortable.” Rashid loves giant wool scarves to wrap around her face and head, as well as Cole Haan leather gloves and Pendleton coats; with them, she favors her Yeezy boots and her Clear Weather Wampas.
“Hoodie season is a real thing,” Rashid says of her go-to winter item. “Growing up in Chicago, that was always an essential piece to wear under your coat.” Rashid keeps things pretty simple when it comes to color and patterns, but she will throw on a printed knit or sweatshirt now and then. Above all, she lets her own down-to-earth style drive the self-protective instincts that kick in when Chicago freezes over, which is something all locals must learn as they go. As Rashid puts it, “layering just comes naturally to you when it’s below zero and you have no choice but to go outside.”
Here, get inspired by Rashid’s wrapped up, bundled up, but always cool wintertime style.
