Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
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Reader N writes in with a question about warm pants…
I am based in Northern California, and have recently started having to travel for business. I am finding that the wool pants I buy around me are no match for winter in Philadelphia, Cincinnati and New York. I’m told that I should find lined wool pants for warmth, but can’t seem to find any. Are there other fabrics that would be warm enough? To add an additional wrinkle I am a size 18 , so I need to find someplace that carries extended sizes as well.
Welcome to the land of seasons! Out here, if the low temperatures don’t get you, the windchill factor will. We’re weirdly excited to share with you one of the best secrets we picked up from our undergrad years, which we spent in a city known for sub-zero temperatures: silk long johns. Wear these babies under regular pants or jeans and you’ll be comfortable (with a proper jacket) below 35 degrees or so — if it’s very cold (and windchill takes it subzero), we’d suggest wearing them with wool pants.
The amazing thing about silk long johns is a) they’re super thin, so they don’t add bulk to your pants; b) they’re silk, so they block the wind like nobody’s business, and c) when you’re inside, in a normal temperature, you don’t really notice they’re there — it isn’t like a cashmere or wool sweater that can feel suffocating. As a bonus, d), if you’re wearing unlined wool pants, they stop the pants from being itchy. Ok, and fine, e) the other great thing is that you can usually find the long johns, on sale for around $15, at your local Filene’s. (They also come in fun patterns, such as the one pictured above (available at WinterSilks for $24) but we recommend your basic black for a working wardrobe.)
We’re fans of the Winter Silks line (and we notice that they do carry a full range of sizes, including women’s, talls, and petites); silk long johns are also available through Land’s End.
Off topic note: Alas, because they’re silk, they can be a bit see-through — so they won’t be appropriate for your next Jammy Party.
(L-0)
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Today’s reader question has to do with boots for suits:
Spending a lot of time in cold, wet Washington the last few weeks has convinced me I have got to find boots that I can wear with a suit. I don’t want to be Sarah Palinesque, and as much as I love my Frye Harness Boots, that is clearly not the look. What advice do you have for boots with a basic conservative suit (think Lafayette)?
This is a great question, as — you’re right — the Harness
boots probably aren’t the look. We would argue that, on casual days, you can probably wear things like Hunter
rain boots beneath your suit pants while traveling to/from the office, provided you switch into pumps once arriving at the office — but then, Hunter boots aren’t the best when it’s freezing. (And, lest you make the same mistake we’ve made: The classic Uggs are not waterproof. Yes, they are both ugly and nonfunctional.) We’ve always heard great things about the LaCanadienne brand: supposedly ridiculously comfortable, fashionable(ish), and waterproof. (Pictured at top: La Canadienne – Doreta (Black Leather) – Footwear
, on sale at Zappos for $199 (formerly $250).) We would probably stick with this kind of boot to wear with suits — mid-calf, so it won’t look too odd beneath your pant leg, with a reasonably low heel that you can walk in if it’s icy and cold. (You might want to think about what kind of socks you’ll wear with it when you buy it — e.g., the thicker the sock, the larger the size.) If even that one looks too high, you may want to try a wedge boot (particularly if your suit pants are hemmed for heels) or something lower, such as these “Flora” boots by Santana (pictured at right.) (Santana – Flora (Black Suede) – Footwear
, available at Zappos for $124.)
If you don’t care about fashion at all (or heel height), we’ve had good luck with the inexpensive waterproof shoes and boots from Land’s End. For example, try the “Weatherly Shoes,” now on sale for $19.99.
Readers, how do you survive the cold, rain, sleet, and snow?
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