I’m going to dress for winter right this year, dang it.  For the past 7 years, since moving from LA to NYC, I’ve been freezing my ass off every winter.  It took some traumatic experiences and nearly being frost bitten to convince myself to finally invest in the dreaded “poofy” coat.  I also went years without any proper winter boots.  I can’t really explain why it took me so long to learn how to dress well for winter.  Maybe it’s denial?

But let’s face it, it just isn’t as fun to dress for winter. When I see other bloggers writing posts about “how to dress for cold weather” and “how to layer”, and then show cute pictures of themselves with sheer stockings in leather boots with two layers of cardigans and a scarf, I can’t help but to roll my eyes.  (And some of these “fashionistas” are living in really cold areas like Scandinavia!  They should know better!)  Anyway, I’m not going to be shy about dressing somewhat frumpy this winter in order to show my readers real outfits that work for the real world.  The weather isn’t quite freezing yet, but I decided to write this post now so that I can document my preparation.  In the winter, I manage to re-wear my clothes down to oblivion.   For example, I always manage to tear holes into my knit gloves (or lose them) and I practically live in black leggings in the cold, either as a base layer under pants, or doubled up under a tunic or dress.  I took a close look at my leggings recently, and noticed that when held up to the light, most had worn down in certain places and became transparent, while others were coming apart at the seams.  My flat ankle boots also took a beating and needs replacing.

The harshness of winter has certainly put a lot of my things into retirement.  One thing that lasted though is my old cocoon shaped poofy coat from Zara, that I’ve worn daily from December thru March, and had repaired and dry cleaned every year since I purchased it 4 years ago.  For the most part, I can keep all my summer items on rotation through the winter, and simply need to augment them with cold weather necessities.  I’ve compiled a list of what I consider real necessities for freezing cold winters like the ones we have in New York City.  This list is especially suited for people that need to commute or spend time outside daily, and need to withstand the bitter cold, snow, ice, and wind.  But still need to dress nice enough for work and be prepared to adjust to warm indoor settings.

11 Winter Wardrobe Necessities:

1. waterproof hooded winter coat for freezing temps.
2. thick wool or wool-like winter coat
3. waterproof insulated boots
4. thick below the knee socks x 5
5. leather ankle boots with rubber soles
6. opaque (thick) black high waisted leggings x 5
7. thick knitted gloves
8. knitted beanie (long enough to cover ears)
9. thick scarf
10. umbrella
11. slim black trousers (uncropped)

[image: Ariat paddock insulated boots]