Stay warm and shop local: Winter style from Czech designers

At a point in time when watch-party weekends and daily casual Fridays dominate one’s wardrobe choices, cozy knits, stretchy fits, and facemasks are the frontrunners for winter fashion 2020.

All of the pieces featured on this list of cold-weather essentials are from Czech designers, many of which have had a rough year, meaning these clothes and accessories will feel as good to buy as they do to wear:

The Czech-Slovak Buffet label’s alpaca cardigans, fluid raglan dresses, oversized jumpers, and puffy quilted bags, all in autumn-leaf palettes and mohair wrap coats offer high style for a fairly low price tag.

The Czech designers behind the La Lute label will knit you a custom sweater made from pure merino wool or wool with silk. Those who are blessed with knitting skills can buy a sweater or beanie kit from Czech maker of DIY kits Klub Co and go it on their own.

Lan Nguyen’s latest collection for La Femme Mimi represents a new frontier in loungewear. The designer says her wide silk or organza pants, sophisticated Channel-style costume pajamas, and long plaid dresses, all produced locally are meant to take you from theater to bed and back again (even if our theater-going may be entirely virtual at this point!)

Another Czech label that does comfy clothes is Wild Moon which features loose and roomy knit sweaters as well as soft tracksuits, lounge dresses, and cozy tees that come in matching sizes for men, women, and kids.

Zlín, a Czech city known for its association with the Bata shoemaking dynasty is also home to another notable shoe company in the making. Vasky leans into its roots with hand-sewn leather shoes inspired by thirties looks and named for notable Czech historical figures. From brogues to sneakers and sturdy boots, Vasky’s can be customized to fit. The brand recently launched a shop in Prague but is also be accepting orders via eshop.

If the barefoot feel is more your thing, Skinners portable sneakers were made in the Czech Republic but are taking the world by storm! Available in more than 90 countries worldwide, the Moravian-based creators of these flexible footies which toe the line between shoes and socks recently launched a second Kickstarter campaign that lets fans support the next generation of its wildly popular footwear.

"Indians gave our bags life, but the Czechs breathed a soul into them" is the concept behind Bagind bags, wallets, and backpacks. The functional leather vessels are designed by Czech designers but handsewn by a family in the Indian city of Jaisalmer where the leather is cut and treated by hand and assembled using a traditional sewing machine.

The maker of Czech net bags Česká síťovka is still in the grocery-toting game but has added a limited-edition line of handbags to its colorful mesh "net" works. The hand-knitted retro macrame bags come in a variety of colors and handle lengths and are 100 percent Czech made.

Fashion designer Jana Mikešová is known for oversized yet surprisingly light knitwear, her signature piece being the “Thallo” scarf made of a mixture of alpaca and silk or wool and mohair. It is available in creamy, light gray-beige, reddish, green, mustard, and powder. The MIK brand also offers knitted hats in the same colors.

Wooliere oversized chunky knit scarves and wool accessories are made by Brno-based designer Kateřina Zajícová who also makes sweaters and roomy leather handbags. See wooliere.com to order.

Let’s face it, facemasks are the accessory du jour and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Some cool ones we’ve spotted that will keep you pretty and protected include the Karel Gott and Prague-themed designs from Natalie Grey Design Prague. Sockmaker Fusakle has prints and patterns galore including classic Czech cartoon characters and blueprint patterns with socks to match.