With the frosty climes nipping at your heels, hands and heads, how, pray tell, can you remain glam in the face of frostbite? Want to roam seamlessly from the icy street to your toasty cubicle?
Looking sleek in the city during winter is a lifelong quest for Chicagoans. Take heart: There is a precise art to staying snug while not waddling about like the Michelin Man. Layering, my friends, is the key to keeping warm and looking hot.
What lies beneath
Starting with the premise that your workplace is kept at a comfy 70 degrees and the “L” stop registers at about 10 degrees or lower on particularly brutal winter days, that 60-degree disparity poses quite the challenge for fashionistas. The trick? A great collection of paper thin T-shirts, lingerie and tank tops to strip down to once you head indoors.
– Cosabella “Siena” camisole (left), $48, department stores
– Jockey classic ribbed tank top, $10, www.jockey.com
– C&C California T-shirts, $47, and tanks, $40, www.shopbop.com
– Splendid tank tops, $35, www.shopbop.com
It’s a wrap
Instead of wearing your icky age-old muffler this winter, get yourself a long striped scarf or faux fur number that will block the chill and serve as a dramatic accessory when you strip down to the black tank top for after-work cocktails. Plan B? For bitter-cold days, wrap yourself in the fleece neck warmers used by professional skiers.
– North Face fleece neck warmers, $25
– Fury by Dana “Kylee” faux fur scarf, $200, le fetiche, 1939 W. Division St.
– Club Monaco skinny neon scarves, $49
Boot-ism
Keeping the feet warm and stylish is a religion for Chicagoans. Perfect for inhabiting the tundra, flat, fuzzy apres ski boots are the look du jour. Wear these boots with skinny jeans or J.Lo-style with tights and a miniskirt. Should you wish to transform your tootsies from gorilla chic to stiletto stylish, stash some heels in your file cabinet.
– Report Collection “Lush” furry boot (right), $79, www.reportshoes.com
– Uggs women’s Sundance, $164.99, www.shopbop.com
– Camper mid-calf Furry boot, $195, Camper, 61 E. Oak St.
Crazy in glove
We in Chicago think the old maxim “cold hands, warm heart” should actually read “cold hands, ticked off.” Luckily, the array of fantabulous cashmere, leather and fur gloves will keep our digits feeling warm but looking cool.
– J. Crew green toboggan mittens (left), $38
– Club Monaco cashmere gloves, $39 to $59
– Chanel leather pyramid gloves, $590
A leg up
For skirt-loving ladies, funky legwear in the form of tights, knee-high socks and legwarmers are fashionable and functional ways to combat cold. Across the board this season, designers have been layering tights with colorful boot liners and upscale Flashdance-esque legwarmers.
– Juicy Couture knee socks, $11, www.shopbop.com
– Y3 legwarmers, $110, Barneys
– Wolford tights, $39, Wolford
Bundle of joy
In this town, owning a variety of coats to cater to tempestuous weather fluctuations and fashion choices is par for the course. Must-have outerwear ranges from a fabulous fitted puffer coat for pants to a great wool coat for skirts to something funky and fuzzy for evenings out on the town.
– Norma Kamali “sleeping bag” coat (above), $450, www.normakamalicollection.com
– Adrienne Landau knitted fox jacket, $995, Saks Fifth Avenue
– Merino wool paddock coat, $525, www.polo.com
– American Eagle Outfitters bomber, $98, www.ae.com
Head case
Why are hats essential? Like your mama told you, most of your body heat is lost from your head on freezing days. With hats enjoying unprecedented popularity, pile on the fedoras, fur hats, shearling caps and earmuffs.
– Escada, fox fur hat, $920
– J. Crew shearling flap cap, $98
– J. Crew check wool crusher (above), $48
– Lacoste knit cap, $45, Lacoste
– Banana Republic ear muffs (right), $48
Tinted lip balm
Chicagoans know a thing or two about the effects of wind chill. Rule No. 1: Bundle up. Rule No. 2: Avoid lip gloss lest the wind scatter goo all over your hair, face and spectacles.
To look great, test drive some tinted lip balms that provide both moisture and a healthy dose of color.
– Kiehls lip balm, $8
– Clinique, Superbalm tinted lip treatment, $11
– Almay Pure Tints, $5
