Amsterdam Outfit Ideas for Winter

Your tickets are booked, but your bags are far from packed. How do you stay warm and look fashionable at the same time? Here are my Amsterdam Winter Outfit Ideas!

I’m an Alabama girl and moved to Amsterdam with my family, and these are my tips for looking cute and staying warm and comfortable. (Also ideal for moms chasing toddlers all day.)

Rainproof Jacket

You may think you need to prioritize warmth over waterproof in a jacket, and I’m here to tell you that’s flat wrong. You cannot be warm if you are wet. The absolute first item you need to pack is a good raincoat. A good raincoat should be waterproof, windproof, and cover at least your thighs. I advise opting for a neutral color coat, that way you can leave it open when it’s not raining and it won’t clash with your outfit.

I have this one from Maium. It’s actually waterproof (not just water resistant, which is not good enough for the Amsterdam rain) and it’s windproof. This is not a paid advertisement. I’ll tell you one of the cuff buttons pulled off within a couple of weeks, but the jacket came with extra buttons and it hasn’t happened since. I like that I can put my hands in the poncho biking holes to carry packages to the post office (you’ll have to look at their website, it looks absolutely ridiculous and I never bike with the front of my raincoat thrown over my handlebars like they suggest). I can also unzip the side flaps and have enough room to babywear my almost two-year-old and still zip up the front.

This is a great raincoat. I wear it literally almost everyday, and if you follow these next steps, you can be warm in this coat. Like too warm, and maybe even a little sweaty.

Don’t make this mistake!

Seriously, don’t do what I did on my first trip to Amsterdam. I wore a thick, heavy wool coat and would pull out a run-of-the-mill raincoat to wear on top of it when it started raining. It looked absolutely ridiculous and this method did not work. I was miserable and freezing the entire trip. (Also, don’t judge my fashion sense here. We knew we were going to sell everything for the move so I didn’t purchase any outerwear for our visit.)

Another tip: Don’t bring anything furry on your Amsterdam trip. A fur lining on the edge of your jacket hood will get wet and continue to drip on your face even once it’s stopped raining. The fur won’t dry overnight and will have a funny smell when you go to wear it the next day.

Winter Amsterdam Outfits

I never check a bag when I travel (even when I spent four months in South and Central America facing both snowy and tropical climates), and so that means I have to pack smart. Wearing the same pair of boots, the same raincoat, and the same jewelry will not only make more space in your carry on, but will save you the mental work of trying to come up with different combinations when you have ten minutes to run out the door to make it to your museum on time.

Boots

I own three pairs of shoes. When we moved to Amsterdam and started our South and Central America tour, we sold or donated almost everything we owned, including our shoes. In the winter, I wear a pair of Keen boots that I have owned since college, when my mom ordered herself a pair for Christmas and they showed up too small.

I think these boots are the ugliest pair of shoes I’ve ever owned, but I have had them for about seven years now and they are still kicking. I wear them almost every day in the Amsterdam rain, and my feet have stayed dry. Get you a pair of Keens.

On our first trip to Amsterdam, I wore a pair of Timberland Chelsea boots and my feet were freezing the whole trip. It didn’t help that our Airbnb asked us to leave our shoes outside, so I put on cold shoes every morning, but there’s a reason I took the Keens and not the Timberlands.

Base Layers

After you’ve secured your raincoat, the next item of business is your base layers. I recommend fleece leggings and fleece lined solid teeshirts. Old Navy’s maternity fleece leggings were the absolute best things I’ve ever worn, and I’m sure their normal fit is similar. If you are from a warm climate and don’t have time to order anything from Amazon, you can buy them at Action when you get to Amsterdam for less than €5 per pair.

Amsterdam Carry-on Wardrobe

Like a mini-capsule wardrobe, a carry-on wardrobe should be about three sweaters and three bottoms that can be worn over your base layers and will mix and match with each other. Pair any one of these 9 outfits with your basics and you’re ready to run out the door.

To Jean or Not to Jean?

I would not bring very many jeans on your trip to Amsterdam, and I would skip black jeans entirely. (You can recreate the same look with leggings.) Reason being, jeans take a very long time to dry and don’t pack down well. One pair of jeans that you plan on re-wearing at least twice is fine, but check the weather or wear them on a day you won’t be outside much.

Sweater Specifications

If you’re having trouble coming up with a color palette that will coordinate well, I suggest using my scarf trick. Find a multi-colored scarf that you fall head over heels with. This scarf should make your heart sing. Take this scarf with you into your closet and pull out any sweaters that match it. And there you go.

You don’t want your sweaters to be too thin, where you can see your teeshirt underneath it. Also, consider the width of your raincoat sleeves when you purchase sweaters that have overly puffy sleeves.

Bag

Like any major city, Amsterdam has pickpockets. For this reason, I like to wear a waterproof crossbody fanny pack. It’s also great for biking because the weight of your items stays close to your chest and doesn’t throw you off balance. And it’s harder for someone to pull your purse off you while you’re biking.

Winter Accessories

Remember that you’re going to be bundled up with hats and scarves and sweaters before you bring statement jewelry for your Amsterdam trip. If you choose to wear jewelry at all, keep in mind that your winter gear may pull and tangle in your jewelry. In the winter, I wear studs and a simple chain necklace, and I skip rings entirely because I’m always pulling gloves on and off and don’t want to accidentally fling a ring off onto the street.

To book a photoshoot in Amsterdam in your super cute outfit, use the booking tab on my website or email me directly at simsawyersphotography.com.