Brrr: How to Deal with The Freezing Office Without Mittens or Blankets
Update: We still stand by this advice on how to deal with the freezing office, but you may also want to check out our more recent discussions on the subzero office thanks to summer A/C, as well as the freezing office all winter long.
Reader K has an interesting question about cold offices – how can you look professional in a freezing office?
Now that the weather is changing, my office has a tendency to get pretty cold. I am wondering if you have any ideas on something to keep in the office for when it gets a little chilly. If the answer is a shawl or a wrap, I'd also love some advice on how to pull it off. Also, should I keep two pieces – one for days I am wearing black and another for days I am wearing navy or brown? My dingy cardigan has to go…
Great question, as the cold office seems to be a real problem for so many women I know. (Pictured: So I broke down and pulled out the heated, fingerless gloves that the CA folks gave me, originally uploaded to Flickr by cindiann.)
First, let's make an important distinction: there's the cold office as a whole (cold hallways, cold meeting rooms, etc), and then there's the cold “I'm sitting in my office working by myself and I'm freezing” office.
If your office as a whole is just generally freezing, I think your “outfit” for the day should keep that in mind. In other words — don't keep one cardigan at the office that you're going to have to change into every day; actually dress warmly enough for the office. Cashmere and wool sweaters, tweed and corduroy blazers… you get the picture.
Psst: stay tuned for our upcoming roundup on lesser-known products to keep you warm!
Psst: these are some of our latest favorite sweater blazers…
Some of our favorite sweater jackets for the office as of 2024 include M.M.LaFleur (the OG, the jardigan!), L'Agence, Summersalt, J.Crew, and Jenni Kayne. For budget options check J.Crew Factory and Quince.
It's the “I'm sitting alone in my office and freezing” problem that I tend to have more frequently, though. You have a number of options:
How to Deal with the Freezing Office
a) the wrap — I tend to keep a plain black “office pashmina” in my office, as well as a colorful one in my office that works with most of my outfits. I think I mentioned it in this post, but I frequently use the wrap as a lap blanket if I'm wearing a skirt
Some of our favorite office pashminas as of 2024 include ones from J.Crew, Nordstrom, and this super affordable one from Amazon. If you're looking for more of a ruana jacket, I highly recommend the Brooks Brothers' ones!
b) a cardigan (or two) for the office — in theory, if you're only wearing it in your office it doesn't matter if it matches your outfit or not so you can just keep a black one in your office — beige or cream is another versatile color. (A hint: don't forget to take these cardigans and other items of clothing home every now and again for laundering!)
c) the space heater — you may want to check with your office manager before you bring in one of these, but I love my little Vornado space heater
. You do have to be a smart about using it, though — I turn mine off if I leave my office to go to lunch or a meeting, and I don't let any papers, shoes, boxes, or other stuff anywhere near the space heater. (I have a fantastically messy office.)
d) gloves – yes, seriously! Depending on your job, you may even want to consider keeping a pair of gloves in your office — I remember them particularly coming in handy while doing computerized document review, where you're just staring at the screen and using your mouse to go from doc to doc. (Oh, the glamorous lives we lead!)
In fact, a quick search on Amazon turns up an impressive number of USB-heated accessories, including USB-heated slippers, gloves, lap blankets, wrist warmers, and more.
Psst: stay tuned for our upcoming roundup on lesser-known products to keep you warm!
Readers, what are your tips for staying warm in the office? Anyone with a pair of USB-heated gloves or slippers willing to report in?
Be careful with a space heater, I’ve seen those blow out an office fuse!
I keep a bathrobe-sized grey cardigan at my desk. It looks fine sitting down, I just have to remember to take it off whenever I get up.
Indeed, I once blew out half of the regional DOJ office I worked in with my space heater on (in the summer, boo to a/c-happy buildings)!
I thought I had a cardigan back at the office,but I dont.now the AC is full boar and im left dieing of cold,your freezing 2 death sue’ one of the girls said as she put a cardigan around.I didnt know how to thank her for the thick mohair cardigan ,I was freezing to death and couldnt stop shaking with cold.I buttoned up the cardigan but the AC was too much and I froze all day,thank god I had that mohair cardigan or I would have frozen to death at my desk.
you will freeze to death sue if you sit all day under the AC,keep a warm chunky knit cardigan at the office or wear a couple of mohair cardigans buttoned up with a puffy vest and turtle neck to keep off the cold chill,your lucky your friend gave you a cardigan sue or you would have froze to death.I always keep two thick mohair cardigans at work, and my long down coat in the car so I dont freeze to death’ after having to wear both cardigans and the down coat in the office last winter when it was like a deep freezer,even when I put on a chunky cardigan over my down coat.people at work laughed at me and I did feel silly’but I was freezing to death in an office with no heat and outside is 10 below.
Whiskey?
Coffee and Baileys
Now these are my kind of suggestions!
I would freez to death at work if i didnt wear two cardigans,a turtleneck sweeter with a morhair cardigan on and just to keep off the office chill a chunkyknit winter cardi over my shoulders,or a puffer vest over my cardigan can help keep u warm and stil looking smart
I all so wear a mohair cardigan with a chunky knit cardi over it to keep warm,i all so wear a down jacket over my mohair cardign with a turtle neck sweeter just to keep from freezing to death with my chunky knit cardi over my legs.
my office is like a freezer even when wearing a chunky turtle neck sweeter and button up aran cardigan with a mohair cardigan over that so i dont freez to death or i have to wear my downcoat all day over two mohair cardigans and im still shivering by lunchtime please help im freezing
Hot chocolate with brandy.
Instead of traditional gloves, I have several pairs of fingerless gloves that I keep at home and the various offices. Makes it a bit easier for typing and using the touchscreen phones, but still helps with warmth! You can find lots of cute ones on etsy, including some that are cashmere/blends that are dressier
Fuzzy socks! Sometimes my toes are cold in pumps so I keep a pair of slipper/socks in my drawer. But, isn’t it ridiculous that we have to freeze?
I’ll sheepishly admit to keeping sock/booties in my drawer as well.
I just bought a pair of Ugg slippers to keep under my desk. My feet get so cold in here, so now i can slide my feet in the slippers when i’m sitting at my desk. (I just have to remember to put my shoes back on before I leave my office)
Wow, smart! I got to try that.
I have a pair of the USB-heated gloves. They are effective but itchy, and run small. But the heat plus fingerless status is awesome. I am now in the market for additional fingerless gloves that don’t itch. Also swear by the space heater, but would encourage everyone to be wise about it, check the cord regularly, etc.
I love these suggestions. However, does anyone have a suggestion for how to store all these scarves, cardis, jackets, shoes, etc. that we always talk about? I don’t have a closet in my office, just a single lonely (and annoyingly short) hook on the back of my door that works for one or two hangers.
I just don’t want my office to look like a closet, and I don’t want to waste too much desk space 0n non-w0rk stuff (my filing options are limited, too).
Thanks!
Can you keep a zippered tote in your office?
I’d say zippered bag under the desk or if you have a bookshelf, you can get those closed boxes Ikea and other stores have for knick-nacks (think slightly bigger than photo boxes, though those would work as well) and store them there.
Great question; I’ll be curious to see what people say. I tend to keep stuff in filing cabinets/drawers — failing that you may want to get a banker’s box and keep the cardigans/wraps folded in there. It looks like office supplies… but it’s not.
I suggest Command Adhesive hooks (the kind that stick to the wall with adhesive and pull off cleanly. If you don’t want to use a coat tree you can put one on your door so you have a second hook there. One of my co-workers stuck one on the side underneath her desk for hanging her purse.
I have been using these since college and currently have a line of them down the back of my office door for keeping sweaters and sweatshirts (for weekends :)). They’re great and really do pull off cleanly.
I just ordered a bigger, multi-pronged hook from my office’s supply catalog and our maintenance guy installed it for me.
I had a coat tree in my old office that coordinated with my office furniture. Now, I often keep two sweaters or jackets over the back of my desk chair – a small colorful piece under a big black shawl or sweater. It’s not unusual for both women and men at my office to leave a jacket on the back of their chair, and the bigger item completely covers the smaller sweater, so nobody knows I’ve got multiples.
My cardigan is draped over my chair and my shawl is neatly folded on my filing cabinet. My office ballet flats sit under my desk.
I am in cubicle and use an over the door style hook – with an upper and lower hook. It has a brushed nickel finish and was less than $10 at my local hardware store.
I keep my pashmina neatly folded over the back of my chair. It adds a nice pop of color to the room.
I think a large wool or cashmere shawl solves most problems. I also make tea a lot & if my hands are cold, keeping my hands around a warm mug seems to help.
I also have the maintenance guys come in around this time of year & seal up my window AC (no central) so that I don’t get breezes in the winter. I am not sure how some offices would feel about a space heater, but if I was really called, I would not be above bringing in a electric heat pad to keep under my desk to place my feet on top. But really, I find that dressing warm to begin with & keeping a shawl for extra cold days takes care of most issues.
“I find that dressing warm to begin with…”
This.
Obviously it won’t work if your office is chilly due to overly aggressive a/c in the warmer months, but for cold weather, I find layering tights under my pants, undershirt, jacket etc. is key to staying warm.
See, that doesn’t work so well for me because I have no idea how warm or cold it will be on a given day in my office. All throughout the year, on some days I’m freezing and on some days I’m sweating. I figure it’s generally easier to add a sweater than to take off layers that may be an integral part of my outfit. My space heater works wonders, too!
I keep a very light colored pashmina in my office. It is actually the lightest shade of lilac you can imagine. I find that it is a very versatile color – or at least it is for me – most of my wardrobe goes with it. It never looks sloppy of unkempt – perfect for the office. You can wrap up or use it as a lap blanket as you mentioned.
Our building services people actually will bring you a space heater if you ask one – I guess I’m lucky! My particular office is famously cold for no explicable reason – i.e., everyone walks in and says “wow, your office is really cold” so I don’t think I would survive without my space heater. If I didn’t have that, I think I’d go for the shawl-in-lap route.
My office is so cold I am thinking of getting a snuggie!
I often wear a pashmina I keep in my office but older male partners don’t get it, they think I am wearing a blanket.
Senior partner TOTALLY made a comment about my wearing a blanket last week when it was a lovely eggplant pashmina from Nordstrom. Hilarious!
Let them think you’re wearing a blanket. It’s ridiculous to keep an office that cold.
Second this. I actually brought in a lint-free blanket and used that.
I have a black and brown cardigan in my office, along with a pair of very thin gloves (they’re actually liner gloves which I wear on their own). I agree that a hot drink can really help – holding a mug of hot tea was my saviour last week when we had a viciously cold day and due to renovations, every single window was open. (Brrrrrrr)
Dressing warmly is really the main thing, though – I’m in and out a lot in my job, and I’ve learnt the hard way that there’s no point in looking stylish if you’re freezing. My winter wardrobe may be slightly repetitive (look, v-neck jumper and collared shirt, now in a different colour!), but I’m a lot more comfortable than when I thought a thin cardigan could solve all my problems!
Also, check the vents in your office to see if there is a way to close them or at least block the airflow (e.g., I have stacks of paper sitting on top of my vents along my window sill to block the freezing cold air. Obviously, be careful when doing this so there is no fire hazard).
Or, you can move your office to the waiting room in protest (which I just saw a partner doing this afternoon. So funny!)
Sorry to threadjack, but I could really use some advice from Corporettes more experienced in organizational politics than I am…
Here’s the situation. I am a member of a non-profit org that recently took on a large fundraising project. I was actually brought into the organization because no one in the group had experience with fundraising on this scale and I have several years of experience in soliciting major donations on behalf of organizations (although this is my first time “running the show” on a fundraising project). I was asked to join the group and run the project.
The problem I have been running into is with the (male) president of the organization. Since I came on board, I have had numerous problems with him deciding that he will take certain actions on behalf of this project without consulting me. I am usually informed that he has decided to do these things after the fact and as kind of an afterthought. This has led to several embarrassing situations for the group because he seems to fail to understand that I am in the process of laying groundwork and coordinating things with outside individuals whose support we need. At first I thought that perhaps he was just very excited about the project and trying to be helpful by getting the ball rolling, but after I tried to explain to him that he was jumping ahead to Step 3 while I’m still working on Steps 1 & 2 (if that makes sense) the behavior continued. In addition, he has begun scheduling meetings to “update” several outside contacts on the progress of the project without talking to me first. This has been problematic because he goes into the meeting without first receiving an update from me and as a result is often poorly informed or misinformed. Also, for some reason, whenever he sends out communications regarding this project, I am not included on the list of people he sends the communication to.
His behavior, in the aggregate, is making me begin to suspect that one of the following must be true:
1. I am paranoid, over-reacting, and possibly a bit of a control freak. I should wash a Xanax down with a glass of red wine and chill out.
2. He is such a disorganized, impulsive, and thoughtless individual that he acts on things as they enter his mind without considering the consequences or giving any thought whatsoever to the bases that need to be covered before he can do such a thing. Or….
3. He wishes that he were heading up this project and is trying to grab for control where ever he can and to take credit for my legwork whenever possible.
Hopefully folks will let me know honestly whether any of my concerns seem valid. Also, if you do think that I have a valid reason to be upset/frustrated—what do I do about it? I’m getting very frustrated with having to clean up all of his half-baked messes. I’ve got enough on my plate right now without that. I’ve tried more diplomatic solutions–such as pointing out that something is problematic kindly and as if he didn’t realize that he was creating a major problem but these have all been brushed off with “No. I understand that.” And then there is no change in his behavior. Yeesh.
It sounds like 2 or 3 to me. Is there a way to schedule a meeting with him, and give him discrete tasks to help, so that he won’t be in your way? Also, if you can gently point out that he is actually hurting the project rather than helping…
As a last resort, I’d go to the board of your non-profit, as you will ultimately be held responsible for the success or failure of this project.
How long has the president been involved in the organization? How long have you? Its quite possible that he sees it as ‘his’ organization and doesn’t trust that you are going to get done what you promise to get done — that if he lets things drop, nothing will get done. If that could be the situation (look around and see if his support have really been support in the past) the best thing to do is probably to keep him very informed and to update him frequently with progress made until he trusts you.
FWIW, this is really good advice. I’m a lawyer who frequently works with representatives of nonprofits on big fundraising projects, and they are often used to being “resourceful” – getting things done independently, without a lot of help or resources. But they also tend to be very receptive to others adding structure to their actions, so don’t write him off until you’ve tried really hard to bring him into your plan! Make sure to cc: him on all e-mails you send, include him on conference calls, and try to set up regular status meetings. You literally might need to have daily status meetings to provide him the level of comfort he needs to know that things are happening.
It might eventually be time to get blunter.
I’m sorry, I don’t understand, why are you doing that?
Can you please stop doing x and y?
What can I do so that you don’t contact x y without first talking to me?
I’m having a really hard time because of you doing z, can you explain to me why that’s necessary? If he responds with sorry follow up with, I’ve noticed this happens an awful lot, what can I do so that it doesn’t happen again?
Can we talk about what you see as my role with this project?
I’m finding this job impossible because of your actions.
Obviously a lot of that is rude and should not be said without adjustments! But sometimes you really have to press someone to figure out what is going on. Repetitive questions and silence are your friends in this.
If possible talking to someone who knows him and works well with him might enlighten you.
Sounds like #3 to me. Go to the Board directly, as it’s obvious that talking to him does nothing. Does he have a bad reputation for doing this with other people? If not, then it’s likely a dose of good old fashioned sexism, in which case, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can do to make him treat you with respect short of bringing the wrath of the Board down on his head. Good luck.
Yikes. Be VERY VERY VERY careful before you go over the president’s head to the board. That could backfire horribly and end up with you being whisked right off the fundraising project. Presidents/Boards are often very close in the nonprofit world – I wouldn’t play that card unless he is truly actively undermining you out of nefarious motivations, and you have the evidence to back it up.
It doesn’t sound like you are overreacting – he sounds like a horrible, terrible, no-good boss. But he is your boss – and in many ways that means you have to figure out how to work with him, not the other way around.
Have you had a real sit-down with him? It sounds like you have tried the subtle hint route, but he may not be good at picking up those clues. Schedule a meeting, lay out everything calmly, and explain what you need from him in order to do the job they hired you to do. Be blunt, but polite, and try not to make it sound like you are the outside know-it-all coming in to mess up “his” organization. Then be consistent with your reminders.
THIS!
Great advice. I would think long and hard before going over the president’s head. A frank, mature conversation is in order.
Oh my God, do NOT go to the Board unless you want to lose your job. I’ve worked for NGOs in the past and they flip out when people go to the Board. Especially with minor stuff like this (sorry, it’s relatively minor–I’d consider major to be fraud).
My questions for you are more basic, and unless we know (or unless you understand) the germination of this situation, the answer(s) may be unclear.
Did the Board hire you? Did the president have any part in the hiring process? Did the Board have his buy-in? Did he interview you or were you a “surprise?” If the Board thought no-one (including the president) had the skills, they may have ruffled his feathers or made him feel out of control. Do you report to him or to the Board? If not the Board, who do you report to and what is his/her relationship to the president? Relationship meaning who has the power and what is the status of the relationship?
If that is true that the president opposed your hiring or feels threatened by it, my advice would be to: 1) Start making weekly or twice weekly check-ins with him (email or meeting…meeting preferred, at least in the beginning). Open the lines of communication. Couch it that you want to make sure he’s in the loop with your project and learn of your success(es); 2) Document these meetings to your superior(s) and make sure that the folks that need to know know that you’re driving the process and don’t owe your sucess to the president; 3) Enlist the support of an insider, either the person(s) who hired you or a (near) peer of the president, or a long-time staffer who has power/connections; 4) Do not go to the Board unless you directly report to the Board. I would do this informally if you have a “check-in” session with a Board member or sub-committee.
I may be totally off-base, but your post indicates that you feel it’s “beneath” you to deal with him messing up “your” efforts. I do feel that you aren’t doing anything wrong but he may feel like “Who is this newcomer/woman? Who is she to tell me how to run “my” company?” Improving communication can’t hurt and if it doesn’t help, you can at least point out that you tried to meet him more than half-way.
Wishing you success. I hope you come back and let us know what worked.
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses. And don’t worry, I had never considered going to the Board with something like this. (A great piece of office politics advice I once read: Don’t attack the King unless you’re going to kill him. You’ll just make him mad!) My goal is really just to find a way for us to work together that best serves the project. To answer some of the questions that have been posed (without giving too much away)—I have asked a trusted colleague about her experience with him. She said that she basically thinks he’s not so much committed to the organization’s mission as he is excited by the prestige of being President of Said Organization. Up until this conversation, I had assumed that he was just taking ill-considered actions. After this conversation, I began to question whether it was possible that he saw this project as a potential shiny bullet point on his resume. I think someone asked if I was hired by the Board–I was. And although he did approve my hiring, I’m not sure if it was with enthusiasm or if there was some arm twisting involved. I don’t think I feel like it’s beneath me to fix the problems he creates–fixing the problems that crop up is part of my job. It’s just that some days it feels like it’s one step forward, two steps back. And the “mistakes” have not been minor. So far he’s suggested that we engage in fraud (not intentionally though–I think this was just another example of a poorly thought out plan), nearly violated numerous regulations, and almost cost us a major donor.
My plan: I’m going to follow the advice of the many many posters who suggested I make sure that I’m updating him super frequently. Also, I’m going to try asking him to do smaller, but reasonably high profile tasks so that he can feel like he’s contributing and hopefully satisfy any vanities that might be in play here. Wish me luck!
My office actually has an adjustable thermostat now (!!! – the wonders of small buildings!!!), thank goodness, but in Biglaw (big building), I found a space heater to be the best solution. I would be wearing wool pants, thick socks, tshirt with sweater over, and still be freezing. Space heaters were illegal as per the firm, but I think about every other woman attorney (the men don’t get as cold for whatever reason) had one.
I have the opposite problem. I am sweltering in my office today. I wore a really cute sweater, too, that no one has gotten a chance to see because it’s on the back of my chair. Grass is always greener…
I have a heating pad that I keep at my desk, and I sit on it or put it behind my back to keep me toasty warm.
Yes! The heating pad is great. It works on the same priciple as heated car seat… if your bottom is warm, then so are you!
Such a good idea!!!! Thanks! I am going to do this! A hot water bottle might be a way to not blow the office fuses when I’ve also got the space heater running though…
This is a great idea! I know someone who has been having back issues attributed to hunching so much from a cold work environment. I’m going to suggest a heating pad- good for the back pain and the chills! Two birds, one stone!
What I think is the worst is my office, which can be both very cold or very warm, randomly depending on the day. Horrible. You have to make sure to dress in layers .
My perenially very cold friend has a USB-heated jacket — I think it’s this one — http://www.amazon.com/Brookstone-Womens-Softshell-Heated-Jackets/dp/B002GE68NQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1288040607&sr=8-7 . She’s been ecstatic with it. It’s more than I’d spend (I love dingy cardians :-)
Oh please don’t bring space heaters to work if your desk is anywhere near co-workers! I’m one of those people who LOOOVE the cold, hates being hot, and doesn’t mind a chilly office so much. I used to work next to a woman that had a space heater and it was so obnoxious!
I think it’s safer to bring a sweater because there’s no risk of it bothering anyone else.
This. I’d report anyone who had a space heater in my vicinity to management so it’d get confiscated. So rude.
Luckily, at my office, “management” passed out the space heaters to everyone!
I’d submit it’s equally rude to keep the temperature at a ridiculously low setting.
I have a pretty casual office, so take my suggestions for what they are, merely suggestions. My office building prohibits the use of space heaters and my receptionist likes it bloody cold (the reception area is close to my office and the ventilation system has got to be connected somehow). I have an “el cheapo” Ikea fleece blanket I keep in my office. Yes, I wear a blanket and I don’t care. A couple of the partners will make cracks at me on occasion, to which I merely respond that if they don’t like it, I’ll expense a “Snuggie.” Like I said, I’m in a relatively small office and I have a good working relationship/friendship with my bosses.
I also definitely layer. As a friend from San Fransisco once said to me “dress like an onion, not a banana” and come cold weather, that’s what I do. So, if it’s a sunny day and the warmth of the sun streaming into my windows warms my space up adequately, I can take off a layer.
I also keep a pair of slippers at my desk. They are black and look a lot like a pair of ballet slippers, so with slacks, it’s no big deal to walk to the copy room/kitchen/secretary with them on. Much better than being barefoot, which during the summer would be my preference.
But, seriously, my blanket is by best friend in the office. And it serves double duty to have a carpet picnic with my son if I need to watch him for a little while, was awesome when I was on maternity leave but ran into the office occasionally to catch up on things to let my daughter do tummy time.
I’ve tried looking for other alternatives, but honestly, my trusty blanket that I can leave at the office and occasionally swap out with a freshly laundered one, is the best bet for me. No coordinating outfits, so worry about fuzz transfer, nada. But, I’m fortunate to work in an environment that doesn’t care one way or the other.
my problem is being stuck in day long meetings in a frigidly cold conference room — it tends to be a male heavy environment, with maybe one or two other woman, and they seem to be less sensitive to the cold than i am. last winter i stooped to wearing silk long johns underneath my suits, but really, who needs the extra bulk? this year, i’ve laid in a couple of lafayette wool turtlenecks, but i really need help. any advice for me (and don’t suggest i ask them to turn the heat up, btdt).
as for fingerless mitts, go to etsy.com or hyenacart.com and search for fingerless mitts in yarns like cashmere, alpaca, and blue faced leicester.
Apparently keeping your wrists warm helps warm the rest of your body – when I was living in Australia the girls would slip on “wrist-warmers” which were basically just the cuffs of mittens. It doesn’t look as bad as wearing gloves or mittens, and it does keep you a lot warmer (surprisingly)
Also, I would be careful about the space heater, I find in my office when I use a space heater it just makes the air conditioning kick in for my office, making the cold problem even worse.
This. I learned this from running outside in whatever the weather is, mostly hot now in Mississippi, but previously Indiana and Massachusetts. Tennis wrist bands do wonders.
Whenever I hear about unreasonably cold offices my 10 years in the HVAC industry kicks in. “Cold spots” in sealed buildings means that your HVAC system isn’t working right. In my former life in HVAC sales, space heaters and cold spots were an opportunity for us–either the equipment or the maintenance were way off. Space heaters, especially, were one of our qualifiers for a sale. . .
If you are freezing to the point of suffering, please let your facilities management/building management people know. At the very least, they should take a look at the way the building system is operating–and if they have any kind of green conscience, they’ll work especially hard to find a better solution.
This makes me doubly nuts, as a former HVAC industry employee and someone concerned with sustainability now. I know it’s not top of mind for most office dwellers, but please give it a thought.
Agreed – make friends with your facilities/maintenance people, and see if they can help. In my office they’ve been super helpful.
agreed. While I totally understand it, I hate seeing people using space heaters while the AC is running in the summer.
I don’t have one (a bit out of my budget for a cardigan), but my mother sent me a link to a martha stewart clip where they were showing all the different ways to wear a dkny “cozy” (long cardigan, basically) and my first thought was it would be nice for cold offices if you want something a little nicer than my usual solution ($5 “pashmina” from the guy on the street):
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=484734&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-n-_-n-_-n
I have a very light pink pashmina that I bought in Ecuador. It looks like a blanket, but is a little easier to keep on my shoulders. I use the light pink because unless I’m wearing red, it pretty much matches (or at least doesn’t clash) with most of what I own.
I also invested in some silk long underwear, including silk tanks that I can wear under tops without the added bulk.
I don’t think there is any excuse for an office to be cooler than say 65 degrees. You can keep a thermometer in the desk to check. If the temperature is less than that, the landlord should be informed and should correct the situation. If the temperature is going to be in the high sixties and there is nothing to be done to correct that, I think it is pretty easy to wear a suit or a jacket outfit with a sweater underneath. Under your boots, you can wear socks. If the office temperature is not right, I have always sent employees home. By right I mean betwen 66 and 74. I once had an employee who had that disease where your hands always feel cold – can’t remember what it is called – that is a different situation calling for reasonable accomodation, I should think.
Sometimes who ever runs the building makes conscious decisions- my building only has heating/cooling from 7-4 unless someone has put in a specific request for about 5+ people who need to stay outside of traditional business hours. If you have to stay late or come in early/on weekends and it’s just you, it’s not going to be comfortable.
A lot of the people who whine about being cold whine when it’s anything below 75. My coworker, who’s on the same thermostat as me, wraps up in a shawl when the thermostat is set to 73 and goes ballistic if it’s below that. Meanwhile I’m sweating like a pig wondering who the hell turned the thermostat up.
She’d keep it at 80 if she could, but I told her politely that we had to keep it at a temperature where I could comfortably keep my shoulders covered in our fairly conservative office, and she understood. Also, she (and a lot of other people who are cold) dresses totally inappropriately for the weather – open-toed shoes and short-sleeved shirts even in October and November.
I laugh, because I’m like your co-worker. When I’m in a shared environment, I dress to accommodate my “chilly” tendencies. However, I keep my office thermostat set at 80, and half the time it doesn’t make it up that warm, I’m freezing if it’s reading 73 and people comment when they come into my office. If I’m REALLY cold, then I’ll close my office door and keep in all the natural heat I get from my south facing windows. I just don’t like to look like a shut-in when a closed door in my office is unusual.
Yeah, I’d have less of a problem if she dressed appropriately and was still cold. Today she’s wearing capri pants and a short-sleeved top. She was cold so she put on a very thin jersey cardigan. Apart from the fact that capri pants don’t really meet our dress code, this is not a logical outfit for October in the northeast. I’m wearing boots, slacks, a blouse and a cardigan and wish it was 5 degrees cooler than the current 73 degrees.
Along the lines of homebrew HVAC adjustments:
Figure out where the temperature sensors are and make sure there’s nothing warm near them. I was once in a really cold cubicle; turns out one guy’s monitor was right next to the thermostat, causing it to think that it’s perpetually too hot.
A lot of the times the vents have directionality; if you can direct the blast of cold air away from yourself you might find the temperature more tolerable.
If all else fails (and building refuses to make adjustments), tape over the vents closest to you. It will make everyone else colder but you’ll feel better ;)
I may pick up a heating pad for my office, and definitely a pashmina as well. Thanks!
My office building isn’t cold, but my particular office is on the executive wing’s thermostat, which is set to a different temperature. What’s comfortable for the execs is freezing for me, and I’ve been told there’s no likelihood of it being adjusted. I’m the only non-exec to be on the second thermostat because of the building design. I was so cold last week that a senior but non-exec co-worker gave me his big thick fleece to wear for the day until I could bring in my own. I look a little ridiculous, but only wear it inside my office, and it does keep me warm.
Another tip if you’re cold is to get up and move. Do a set of jumping jacks or push-ups, or some stretching. Keep the blood flowing.
The mini heater is my go-to. It works every time and since it’s under my desk it even keeps my feet warm!
Our law library in law school was cold all the time, no matter the season. I had a friend in school who had a pair of USB-charged gloves to keep her hands toasty warm while she worked in the library (during the winter, she would also wear them outside as well). She bought hers from Perpetual Kid, but it doesn’t look like they carry them anymore. There are others if you do a Google search.
Personally I keep my father’s little snifter of bourbon in my purse all year long. It provides temporary warmth, tho I know it is not a real solution for being cold. I also fantacize about the 2 guys in Legends of the Fall. That movie always makes me HOT!
I like this idea, though personally I’d go for a nicely aged single-malt scotch. ;-). Haven’t seen legends of the fall though.
I have this problem too, except that it’s more that my boss loves to subject us all to an Antarctic climate.
My solutions: 1) space heater, 2) wool socks for when I don’t have anywhere to go for long stretches of time, 3) wool shawl, 4) commiserating with coworkers.
Reyaud’s Disease – fairly common – people with this syndrome feel cold a lot of the time, especially hands.
My office temperature is fine. I have a thermostat IN my office that controls my office, a neighboring office and the surrounding space.
Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!
My hot flashes are doing a great job of keeping me warm when the office gets chilly! But when I need help, I have a lightweight cashmere throw that I keep in my drawer to throw over my shoulders or lay across my lap. A pair of fingerless mitts (I knit them myself) also come in handy when my hands get cold.
I worked for several years in an office so cold that I brought a blanket in to keep over my legs and feet (your upper legs generate heat, so the blanket keeps it in and spreads it around to your feet, if you tuck it in around them).
Fingerless gloves and a scarf or shawl are also good. A scarf around your neck can make a surprisingly big difference to how warm you feel; and even if you have to look presentable or are moving around a lot, a nice scarf can look like part of an outfit rather than just OMG IT IS SO COLD.
My solution was to just give up on looking good while sitting at my desk. My office is an open plan with cube-like structures. It’s FREEZING. I wear jeans, boots, long sleeves, sweaters…..and still cold.
Finally, I just snagged an XXL men’s sweatshirt from our old swag and took a blanket in. Sure, the dev team laughs at me all bundled up but I’m warm. And when I have to go to meetings, I just suck it up and be chilly so I look presentable.
Then again, my office is super casual and this may not work for all. :)
As someone who was raised in the South but ended up in Michigan, I have to say that I spend six months of every year being cold constantly. My office is probably not that cold, but to me it (and my house, my church, the stores, the gym, etc.) is freezing.
So I wear a ridiculous amount of clothes: long underwear on top and bottom, heavy wool everything, thick socks under tall boots, hats, two pairs of gloves.
The long underwear and good warm socks are the most important.
Get a heating pad for your lap. I got one online for 20-30 dollars, and it was a lifesaver over two years of working in a freezing office, flanked in my cubicle by unsympathetic menopausal women who found it warm.
A heating pad is more discreet than a heater (no noise, and no heating up the air that is shared with other people), and more effective, because it warms your bloodflow directly.
Not only that, but it solves the problem of how to dress for a day when you’ll be sitting absolutely still for eight hours in a freezing room. With a heating pad you can dress normally (blouse and suit) without awkward options like leggings or gloves.
Try it; you’ll never go back.
I have an extra set of socks and clothings now in my car.. it’s 80 degree’s out side and feels like 20 in side.
The inside of my nose gets the worse. makes my eyes water up and makes me lose focus. I swear if i was to blow my nose ice would come out!
I think it’s horrible. and am bring in my temp gage and a blanket franky I dont mind being the crazy one in the office that brings winter clothing to work changes prior to leaving the building back to summer clothing..
i sit indian style and that helps keep my feet a bit warmer!