Warm Winters
Way back in my first winter in Massachusetts I commuted by car. It sorta went like this:
It was easy to never be dressed for weather. And easy to misplace things like gloves.
Once I moved into the city that changed. Even before I started biking I found myself walking an average of 4 miles a day to get to public transit and everywhere in in between. It was horribly cold. Then I realized the weather wasn’t bad. My clothing was. All my disposable fashion was just that, disposable.
However, it’s not always easy to find good winter wear these days:
I suspect many fashion designers are drivers. And live in Los Angeles. They’re not designing for my lifestyle.
I need functional fashion. And it doesn’t have to look like this:
There are some warmer winter options out there if you really look. I still make sure to pay attention to the details:
Because there is a difference between looking warm and being warm.
So after several winters in the city I have finally built up a quality winter wardrobe of quality winter items and approach that works for me:
Winter is much warmer now. And I no longer lose my gloves.
As someone who has been commuting in the Cambridge/Somerville area for the last 5 years, I’d add my vote for layers. Over time, I’ve converged on a way to decide roughly when I need the extra clothing. This would vary from person to person depending on the length of the commute and tolerance to cold and wind, but my thresholds tend to be:
Above 50F: Normal work clothes.
40-50F: add simple skullcap underneath helmet, put on one extra layer or sweater.
30-40: add gloves, thermals and good windcheating jacket (balaclava when windy).
20-30: add balaclava, and heavier gloves
10-20: consider wimping out and taking the T 🙂
My transition to the cool north was very similar. Now that I figured out the clothing, it rarely feels cold (very windy days being the notable exception).
I also found wool to be the solution for me. Some of my first choices were synthetic, and the moment I began to sweat, they stank something awful. I noticed my wool items did not so I purchased more of them.
Uniqlo has many inexpensive 100% wool options. My favorite is a merino/cashmere blend ($30 midweight). I also wear my thin merino tops a lot ($20-30 lightweight) as middle layer in winter or outer layer in fall/spring.
The odor resistance is nothing short of amazing. Even if I get quite sweaty, I drape it over the clothes rack to air out and the next day you wouldn’t even know it was worn. I wear them multiple times between washings. Then I hand wash in the sink, roll with a towel, and place on the drying rack. I don’t consider it high maintenance.
And I would be really lost without the plush wool blend hiking socks that I wear throughout the cold months. They are the only ones I’ve tried that are comfy both outdoors and indoors.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Definitely lovin’ this. I really have to get myself a better scarf! It’s so short I can only tie it in a knot around my neck and hope it doesn’t come undone. No extra slack hanging down like your giant.
Im feeling good. I just got a brand new neon orange jacket this year.
that picture is so true i get some really funny looks from the police.