Fashion, in many ways, is like cooking. Both dressing up and cooking are activities most people do every day at varying skill levels. Different occasions call for different dishes and different outfits. There are people who do both professionally and people who hire professionals rather than doing them themselves.

Most importantly for our own lives, better ingredients are the best way to improve the quality of one’s product. One does not need to be a professional chef to assemble a fine salad using fresh ingredients, nor does one need to be a fashion model to put together a great outfit using the right clothing items. In the same vein of, “better ingredients, better pizza,” one can also say, “better clothes, better fits.”

What makes wintertime special is that it unlocks the full potential of each of our wardrobes to gain access to the fashion equivalent of condiments: hats, scarfs, gloves and every other winter time accessory.

Scarves are the easiest winter accessory to add some spice to a fit. It’s hard to go wrong with the trusty scarf, as it can go with almost any jacket or sweater one can think of. Scarves can be tied in an extensive number of ways, so there is bound to be at least one way that suits one’s individual style.

If scarves are too scratchy, then the beanie is also an excellent winter fashion staple. They’re generally affordable and can come in clutch on bad hair days. The tradeoff is that beanies are slightly more treacherous than scarves when it comes to possibly tainting an otherwise legendary outfit, particularly for men. The beanie has been known to, on occasion, temporarily barista-fy a man who has called upon its power in a negligent manner. That being said, most of the time, adding a beanie to an otherwise okay outfit gives it the spice it needs to push into greatness.

If one is looking for an element of flavor that balances form and function then a nice pair of gloves may be exactly what is needed. Gloves come in many varieties, but whether one is wearing a cute pair of mittens or rocking some fingerless gloves, they still must acknowledge the prowess of this season-exclusive. Many miss out on this by only wearing gloves when it snows and never taking the time to shop for a nice pair that actually fits them. In spite of these Robert Kardashian-esque moments, many continue to neglect the importance of a nice pair of well fitting gloves and it is truly quite a shame.

As the winter begins to blow in and accessories become the norm, being stocked up on accessories is essential to living out the season to its fullest. All too often, people (usually men) skate through winter using the same couple of jackets and sweaters. While this is totally fine, it doesn’t quite take advantage of the opportunities presented at this time of year.