Los Angeles may not be penguin territory during the winter, but you can still have happy feet in the boot of the season. Laced up, mid-calf, flat, military and motorcycle-inspired, these boots were made for walkin’, not only through snowy terrain with the chunky knits the rest of the world is currently indulging in, but also on 90 degree November days in L.A., paired with flouncy, feminine skirts or leggings for days when that 70 degree cold front settles in. Steve Madden and Aldo currently tout these boots on their website homepages, and you won’t be hard-pressed to stumble upon a lovingly worn pair of them in thrift and vintage stores. Let the air in by loosening the laces, and have the sides hang over for a casual romantic look worthy of a date over eggnog lattes — even if they’re iced.

2. Lace

You certainly won’t find yourself working up a sweat in this season’s lace trend. While designers like Jill Stuart, Oscar de la Renta and Roberto Cavalli sent models down the runway showcasing wintery layered lace ensembles in their Autumn/Winter 2010 collections, stick to just one layer of the lady-like material in the form of tanks and blouses over bandeaus to keep from being too lady-like and toasty and to stay on trend in what H&M’s online Style Guide calls “the fabric of the season.” Keep your look wintery and holiday-ready by sticking to the “naughty noir” look of black lace, as WhoWhatWear.com put it. Let the world see right through to your fashionista core in Delia's Racerback lace top, you’ll be sheer perfection.

3. Faux Fur

Furry fabrics may be the epitome of cozy, but before you toss aside this trend as an Eskimo-chic look reserved for those roughing it through snowy sludge-laden streets back east, look to accessories this season to bring this trend alive in your warm-weather winter wardrobe. Karl Lagerfeld decked the runway looks with faux fur in Chanel’s Fall 2010 line, and fur clutches by Michael Kors and even fur link necklaces by Louis Vuitton. Get your own faux-fur addition with ASOS's necklace, the only thing you need to look quite literally fierce this winter.

4. Gold

Don’t hesitate this holiday season to emulate the gold ribbons on your presents under the tree. Balmain sent glittering models down the catwalk in its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection sporting gold suits, jackets and floor-length gowns. Keep the layers light and reflect the Los Angeles holiday sunshine with gold foil printed pieces, as Jason Wu and Peter Som did with their collections. Perfect for holiday cocktail parties, all that glitters this season is a golden trend choice and you can knock the competition dead with these sexy gold brocade hotpants from ModCloth. 

5. Chunky Knits

What happens when this summer’s explosive crop top trend and this winter’s chunky knit craze have a love affair? The cropped chunky knit sweater is born. D&G and Rag & Bone may have embraced the knit-on-steroids trend for this winter, but take a page from Missoni, which sent a model down the runway this season in full-body chunky knit sweater and skirt ensemble with a midriff exposed. Get the look for less at Mango, or easier still, pull on some lush cable knit socks like this gorgeous pair from Zara, to embrace the trend minimally — they’re perfect under your lace-up mid-calf boots.

Reach reporter Lydia O'Connor here.