New York’s now in it’s tenth day of below-freezing temperatures, it’s looking like January is going to be the coldest month in three years, and tomorrow’s going to be the worst day yet.
My day-to-day attire is getting borrrring. Since I’m not going to the office anymore, it consists of
Black or blue Levi’s
Some sort of heavy waffle-knit pullover
Heavy shirt in flannel, brushed cotton, or denim
Wool sweater
Raglan socks
Stomp boots.
The layers go up and down depending on the thermostat. To go out in the howling winds, I pull on a Primaloft-lined field coat, wool scarf and navy watch-cap. (I was wearing a Donegal tweed cap up until a few days ago, when it got so cold I was afraid my ears were going to fall off)
I’m getting awfully sick of this. I suppose I could put on my old office gear…trousers, cotton shirt, vest, tweed jacket, overcoat…but I’d feel inapproproprately “dressy.”
I was curious as to how style-conscious Dopers in areas where this sort of Arctic weather isn’t so freakish dealt with it. How do you spruce up the ol’ wardrobe when you’re dressing to stay alive?
In Chicago, we’re having what I think is the first day this winter where the low temperature will be below zero. One of the DJs on the station I listen to in the morning called these the “Dork Days of Winter” – days it’s so cold you cannot go outside without wearing at least one article of clothing that makes you look like a dork. Fur-lined Russian-style hat with earflaps, moon boots, scarf wrapped around half of your face – some days, my friend, it is impossible to look stylish.
BTW, all that cotton is about the worst thing you could wear in the cold. It doesn’t pull moisture away from your skin, so as soon as you sweat you start to get chilled. Wool and polarfleece are both much warmer per weight/thickness and continue to warm you even when damp. If you had some light wool sweaters or polarfleece shirts you wouldn’t have to wear so many bulky layers. A wicking undershirt made of synthetic like Thermastat, Thermax, Drylete, etc will keep your skin dry.
Drop by Paragon (just north of Union Square) or EMS on Broadway, for the latest in stylin’ cold weather gear.
I walk about two miles to and from my office every day, but still manage to be ready for “W” to snap my photo. My office is always about 85º, so I have to wear a light summer sweater, but I also wear, outdoors:
• a heavy cotton cardigan
• ankle-length wool skirt (in a snazzy Irene Castle style)
• fluff-lined boots, with a sensible 1-inch heel
• camel’s-hair coat, with a slipper-satin lining
• Grandmother’s hat from the 1950s: chic little number that covers head and ears
• black sealskin muff, to keep my dainty little hands warm
Of course, Ike would probably look a proper prat in an Irene Castle skirt and a muff . . .
I hate that - at my last job, the temperatures were always reversed between the outdoors and the office. Freezing cold in summer so you had to put on a long-sleeved sweater or spring jacket, and boiling hot in winter. Can I blame my various sinus troubles on that, or are doctors still insisting that the temperatures have nothing to do with the sniffles?
Was it UncleBeer who wore a kilt to a Dopefest? Perhaps he could manage the skirt at least…
I have to agree with this; cotton is the worst choice for cold weather, and it’s most true when it comes to the layer against your skin. Avoid cotton socks at the very least; friends who were into hiking and outdoor sports recited their winter “cotton kills” advice often enough that it’s stuck in my brain.
For winter, much of the time I wear a down parka, but when I want to look stylish, I stick with my long black wool coat, wool scarf, cute but warm (Thinsulate-layered) headband over the ears and forehead, Thinsulate-layered gloves, and my calf-length Nine West black leather boots - not winter boots, but I wear nice socks under them to keep my toes warm.
In matters of style, I would always defer to Eve. I’m one of those people that has incredible difficulty looking polished or put-together. So maybe YOU don’t have to look like a dork – but I do.
stylish (yet warm) jackets save me.
Usually, i stick with two thin wool-blend sweaters (always with an undershirt), dark jeans, boots with sensible to ridiculous heels, and a wool or fleece snug hat. If the jacket for the day doesn’t have an approprate collar to bury my face in, I always have a scarf.
I’m right across the river from you Ike, and I’m not used to the bitter temperatures (not to mention the wind!)
Oh I love muffs! They’re so refined and elegant, but it’s never cold enough to justify wearing them down here. What I do have is a winter white baby-soft shearling jacket and a fluffy white rabbit fur scarf that’s in a pom-pom formation like this:
O-O-O-O-O-O-O
They look pretty snazzy but they’re probably not the most practical choice since I’d probably cry if a speck of dirt got on either one.
Today in my part of Minnesota, the temp is still -10º at 11:30 am. I’m not mentioning that because I think you’re all a buncha sissies or something, I’m mentioning it for the sympathy. I hesitate to think what I would willingly do in exchange for just one hour under a tropical sun. The temperature today absolutely sucks.
Anyway, back on topic. The pain (from possible fibromyalgia) that the cold is causing me has sent me on a search for warm stuff to wear. I have found that, no matter what else I’m wearing, a layer of silk or microfiber right next to my skin really helps. I have two different thermal underwear sets, one each of the silk and microfiber, and so far it’s a toss up as to which one I like better. The microfiber is so far in the lead, since it’s machine washable. Both are snug fitting (but not so snug as to restrict movement) and thin, and since I’m usually in long sleeves and pants there’s no way anyone else even knows I have them on.
My granfather always swore that if you keep your lower back warm, your whole body will be warm. The reasoning behind it is that all the blood in your body flows through your kidneys, so if your kidneys are warm, your blood will be warm. Never have been and hopefully never will be cold enough to test it.
I live in a warmer part of MN than Deej. It’s -2 at noon. I just went for a walk and saw several people with uncovered heads. Not a great idea. Style be damned, cover your ears!
Well, that’s all very well for you, way the hell up there in Big Foot Country, but this is New York City. Sissy Central. If I cover my ears, it might muss my coif.
You have GOT to be joking. For at least six months a year, the layabouts on the streets here are reduced to shouting “Hey, nice parka!” Warmth over style, it’s a matter of survival with all your bits intact. Took me three cases of frostbite to my ears to fully internalize that. (Attacks of invulnerability as a teenager, what can I say. I learned better.)
Although, if I were to be completely honest, I do have two sets of winter outerwear. The stylin’ stuff (long wool overcoat, russian-style hat with matching muff, bunny boots) are only good in town, and only to about -25°C. After that, it’s break out the ugly ol’ down parka that goes down to past my knees, the long underwear, lumberjack boots, and huge monster skidoo gloves.
The innerwear? You listed most of the contents of my wardrobe. Jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts, and flannel shirts.
Mind you, I can jazz up the sweaters by adding beads and whatnot. You might get looked at askance if you wore a sweater with big beaded flowers on it.
Cotton kills eh? Geez, I wonder why my longjohns are waffleweave cotton. Seems to work just fine. And I managed cotton socks inside wool ones at -50°C without losing any toes. Repeatedly, I might add.
:eek:
I can’t believe it was colder here than in the Yukon! Looked at the old thermostat today and read with horror the lovely number -33. So cold it burns. So cold you wonder why you get up to go to work in the mornings.
If you are like me and like to show off your figure, a little there is no way to be stylish in this weather. Cold air seeps in through every crack in my workspace, and by the end of the day, every bit of exposed skin i can reach is covered. I’ve decided that sexy has been thrown out the window until at least April.
I try to spice things up with funky toques and mitts and the occasional coloured scarf. Other than that, keeping my ass warm is top priority!
bee
The wool or outer layer probably manages to soak up most of the moisture then. Cotton socks are how I (as a foolish teen) managed to get frostbite over just about the entire surface of both of my feet, twice. Now even short trips into the cold necessitate very warm footgear and socks or I develop numb spots on my toes and have to thaw them out. Winter sports are pretty much out for me.
What I do have is a winter white baby-soft shearling jacket and a fluffy white rabbit fur scarf that’s in a pom-pom formation like this:
