Winterizing Your Wardrobe

A couple of weekends ago, as I was shivering outside of a bar in the Lower East Side, being pelted by freezing rain and standing in a puddle of dirty snow . . . it hit me: I was not at all prepared for a NY winter. It turns out that moving 200 miles north actually makes a huge difference in terms of climate. Honestly, my first clue should have been that the entire city doesn't shut down over a snowflake. The next day, I decided to check the weather for Minnesota, where Mr. C and I were spending Christmas, and saw that the high on our first day was 1°F. WTF?!?!?! That's how I ended up awake at 2 AM shopping online for tickets to Hawaii a puffer coat and boots. It seems I ordered these just in time, since New York is supposed to be hit with a winter storm over the weekend . . . 

Growing up in California, I really had no concept of how people stay warm in cold climates (my first question was why they lived there in the first place). I knew I wanted to be warm, but I also wanted to maintain some fashion dignity and semblance of professionalism. In case you're in the same situation, here's what I learned:

1) When in doubt, enlist some outside help. 

A few months ago, a friend of mine had recommended the site Rank & Style. The concept is that they take some of the work out of shopping by finding you the top ten items for any clothing category. Thankfully, for me, they'd created a list of the top ten puffer jackets that promised to "Do away with the winter blues and forget the days of feeling like you are walking about town in a sleeping bag." Sold. 

My two favorite items from the list were No. 7 the J.Crew Winteress Puffer, which
was unfortunately sold out, and No. 2, the Burberry 'Metcalf' Down Coat, which was unfortunately a little out of my price range. Even though I didn't end up buying a coat from their list, it did help me figure out what I was looking for both in terms of coats and winter boots.

2) Figure out what silhouette/details you're looking for before you start shopping

This is they style I got, but in navy

This can help ensure that you buy an item that fits with your personal style AND is flattering rather than just something that's warm. (ok, maybe I scoff too much at being warm, but no one wants to look like the abominable snow man) After looking at Rank & Style's list, I realized that, given my frame, I should probably go for a belted style. This would add some definition at my waist and make sure that the coat didn't overwhelm me. Note: If you're stuck, it helps to take a look at the other styles in your closet that look good on you and use them as a guide. My wool coat is also a belted trench style and I love it.   

3) Don't be afraid of color. 

For a long time, I only bought coats in black or tan because I thought color would somehow make them less versatile. But then I realized that the coat is covering 90% of your body anyway, so it doesn't have to match what you're wearing underneath! Some benefits of colorful coats: 

• It's easier to find your coat in a crowded bar.
• People can spot you in a crowd (a huge advantage when you're under 5'3"),
• Color instantly cheers you up and distracts you from the fact that you're mourning the loss of summer (and your summer tan).  

Note: the only time I've seen this go wrong is in undegrad when one girl had a Pepto bismol pink, ankle length puffer coat. It was unfortunate. 

4) Think outside of the box

Ash Motorcycle Boots

I struggled a bit with finding winter boots. I knew that I didn't want uggs (as warm as they are, they're a little too informal for me and make me feel like I'm wearing house slippers all day). I also didn't want Sorel's (too clunky). And, ideally, I wanted something that could be a little more versatile--if I was going to spend the money on them, I'd like to be able to wear them more than 3 months of the year. You can see why Mr. C accuses me of being an over-picky shopper and why it took me more than a year to find riding boots. I decided to stop looking at traditional winter boots. After all, as long as they were weather proof (or I could weather proof them), had rubber soles, and had a good grip, wouldn't they work? I'm going to find out if this theory really works, but so far the boots I got worked in sub-zero degrees in MN. I ended up settling on a pair of motorcycle boots that fit all of those criteria.

I like these because they're sturdy, they're nice enough that I can wear them out, and I can wear them during the fall and into spring. I can see wearing them with a shorter dress once it warms up. Best of all, they fit with my personal style, definitely channeling some of the  "tough" vibe that I like.

5) Pay attention to the materials

Winter clothes don't have to triple your body size. My coat is not that bulky, but because it's a down/feather fill, it keeps me really warm. Plus, it has an inner lining with knitted cuffs that keeps me really well insulated. Bonus, it also means I don't have to carry around a scarf. #onelessthingtolose

* * *

There you have it! A note on these items. Because I was shopping after thanksgiving instead of when normal people buy winter clothes, I got a pretty good deal on both these items. If you're ok, suffering through a few cold days, it can pay to wait.

Also, here was my cost-per-wear calculation:

Down Coat 

Original Cost: $106
Estimated wears over first 6 months: 60 (assuming will wear on average 5 times a week and that cold weather will last until March)
Cost-per-wear in first 6 months: $1.76
Estimated useful life: 2 yrs (possibly more, but I know for sure I'll wear this for the rest of grad school)

Motorcycle Boots
Original Cost: $150
Estimated Wears over first 6 months): 72 (assuming will wear on avg 3 times a week from now until May)
Cost-per-wear over first 6 months: $2.08
Estimated useful life: 4 yrs. I've never bought this brand before, but the boots seem really well made and if I take care of them, I could see wearing them for a long time.