The 30 below weather is here! Hopefully not for long, but for the time being our wardrobe choices will consist of scarves, hats and wool sweaters. Although I am a New Yorker, I have been living in Florida for the past few years so I have forgotten what it was like to dress in this type of weather. And failing to dress properly will result in loss of feeling in your toes and ears. So as I set out this past weekend for my weekly shopping trip, my focus was coverage and warmth. This weather calls for a complete outfit, or two, to be purchased including shoes, jackets, scarves and of course accessories!
Shoes
If I could wear high heels with my pajamas I would! I love them and the higher the better in my opinion. But when it’s 20 degrees out the last thing you wanna add to the numbness of the cold to your toes is being elevated. Flat boots are the ideal choice of footwear for the cold climates and can be fun when fur is involved. In order to truly get the warmth needed choose a boot lined with fur or fleece, and with a rubber bottom to help from slipping on the snow or ice.
Outerwear
This is where the price gets pricy, but think of it as an investment. Most jackets will last you a few winter seasons. So what to look for in a jacket? Down-filled! Just because it’s a puffy jacket doesn’t mean it will keep you warm. Most of the lower price-point jackets are actually poly-filled and will not keep you warm on the level a down-filled jacket would. So check the label! The best down-filled jacket on the market to my opinion is a Moncler jacket. However they start at $695.00. You may ask why the high ticket price? Well some say its because of the name, the way Chanel and Louie handbags hold such a significant place in the fashion world, Moncler is the Mercedes Benz of outerwear. Truth be told, there actually is a worth to the pricing of a Moncler jacket. Each jacket is filled with goose feathers primarily from aquatic birds raised in the south of Brittany and Perigord. The proper techniques that are put into the process of removing the down is the secret to the Moncler jacket, how the birds are raised and the part of the body the feathers come from (the stomach and below the wings) is why the price is so high. So you really do get what you pay for! Some great affordable brands that have down-filled jackets are North Face and Ralph Lauren RLX.
Accessories
Hats, gloves, scarves oh my! Worried about messing up your hair? You probably won’t care when its so cold out. Cashmere is a great choice of fabric for an outwear accessories. It is warm and soft. Now when it comes to gloves, as my father would call us the “texting generation” it can be difficult to text while wearing gloves. But thanks to someone cleaver, there are gloves on the market that are designed with technology in the finger tips so that you can text while wearing the gloves.
So aside from a warm down filled jacket, boots with the fur and iPhone gloves, be sure to layer up and stay warm this winter season!
