Amsterdam winter is not a season; it’s a psychological state. The type that tests your wardrobe, your social stamina, and your relationship to weather apps. One minute you’re romanticising misty canal walks, the next you’re negotiating with yourself about whether leaving the house is really necessary. Survival here is less about brute force and more about strategy, aesthetics, and knowing exactly who you are when the temperature drops below double digits.

Consider this a field guide for making it through the colder months without losing your mind, your style, or your sense of self. We mapped out the archetypes that emerge every winter in this city, from the hyper-prepared to the fully disappeared, and the objects, habits, and rituals that keep them functioning. Call it hyper-specific, mildly unhinged, and painfully accurate. If you live here, you’ll recognise yourself. If you don’t, take notes.

P.S. If winter really gets the better of you, pair this with our anti-seasonal depression watchlist and consider yourself emotionally insulated.

Gorpcore is the art of dressing for the outdoors while rarely leaving the city, borrowing its name from trail mix and its logic from survival instinct. These are serious people who have fully accepted the realities of life in a wet, flat country. Soaked feet from penny loafers are not an option. Forgetting to check the weather forecast is unthinkable. This person is always dry, always prepared, and will let you know they are better than you because of it.

• Flat white at Toki – they don’t defy the elements for nothing 

• Topologie bottle sacoche – for hands-free efficiency

• Dr Martens 1460 rain boot – function comes first

• And Wander skirt – so gorpette (gorp-coquette)!

• Lack of Guidance giorgio trousers –  built for movement and  aesthetics

• Arcteryx Beta Sl Jacket – tested against sideways rain

• Speedo goggles – just in case

Some people despise puffer jackets with a passion. Looking like the Michelin Man is their ultimate nightmare. If people did not wear puffers a hundred years ago, why should they now? This person likely grew up obsessed with Blair Waldorf and or Peaky Blinders. And while they are absolutely freezing on the terrace, they do look undeniably chic doing it.

• Samsøe Samsøe wool coat – “warm” 
• Uniqlo heattech – secret weapon
• Édith Piaf on repeat – Je Ne Regrette Rien specifically
• A bottle of Chianti – for internal heating purposes only
• Dries Van Noten silk scarf – tied with unnecessary confidence

This person has the fundamentals mastered. Warmth, self preservation, good food, and not a single trace of FOMO. After all, what is there to miss when the real battle is a perfectly curated bed versus the very real possibility of frostbite on a bike ride to yet another social obligation. Take notes from bears. Power down. Go to sleep.

• Baloo weighted blanket – non negotiable 
• Magniberg Flannel pyjama – winter uniform  
• Cosmic Dealer herbal tea blend – brewed on a loop 
• James Sinclair Sudoku book – to feel productive without leaving bed 
• NYT chicken lentil soup! – A pot of something warm that lasts 3 days

Whether it rains or shines. Typhoons, snowstorms, or anything of the sort. You will still find them at the vernissage, lingering in an independent bookstore, tucked into a cinema seat, or listening to poetry at the nearest reading. They do not get cold. Their minds and hearts are insulated by prose, imagery, and whatever the art world is offering that week. And if they do slip into a winter slump, it is Kafkaesque, which somehow only makes it more romantic.

• Museumkaart – always activated 
• Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina – endlessly dog-eared 
• Silver cigarette case – opened for emphasis rather than function
• Overly active letterboxd account – makes the criterion challenge his life-mission
• Tate modern Tote bag – heavy with good intentions 
• Barbour shearling aviator hat – worn indoors without explanation

The moment the temperature drops below five degrees, this person disappears. No sightings, no explanations. Did they ever exist or were they a collective hallucination? This is the kit for those who do winter properly by opting out entirely and fleeing to the nearest faraway place. The next confirmed appearance is projected somewhere around Q2 2026.

• A cross-continental plane ticket – Brazil or Thailand, no return date discussed
• Havaianas – the funkier the colour the better 
• Konica big mini mermaid Point and shoot camera – for proof of life
• Aromatica aloe vera gel – to tan maxx and repair the damage
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – or any other bestseller self-help book
• Louise Carmen journal – to debut the journal ecosystem established abroad

It is cold, the streets are deserted, but the DMs are very much alive. This is the essentials kit for the ones who like to cocoon, send unsaintly late night check ins, secure a cuddle companion until the birds and bees return, or simply prefer saving on heating by choosing human proximity as their energy source.

• Mubi subscription – arthouse and chill
• Nippon Kodo incense – ​​they might ruin your life but the room will smell incredible
• Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 record player – for intimacy without eye contact
• Acca Kappa toothbrush – does not belong to you, (yet)
• When nature calls ceremonial cacao – they don’t believe in coffee