I took this photo several years ago when I lived in San Francisco
The photo features a bus passing by the Embarcadero neighborhood. At the time of taking the photo I thought it was incredibly cold. I wore gloves and a hat and couldn’t warm up. I was not quite miserable, but approaching. It was windy.
Now that I live in the Boston area I have a completely different attitude about cold. Do I need to wear the thick puffy long coat, or the thicker and even warmer puffy long coat? Do I need to wear the slush-proof boots, or will regular boots suffice? Will the subway station be flooded? Will the sidewalks be passable? Will I be stuck in a blizzard if I go into the office? Checking weather has more significant implications on my routine.
Since moving to Boston I have developed a winter uniform
When I first moved here I wanted to be fashionable in the winter. I thought puffy coats were silly-looking and made everyone look shapeless. Now, I think they are fantastic. The technology for keeping out the cold is amazing.
My winter uniform:
- Standard long black puffy coat (what everyone wears)
- Blazer and scarf
- Fleece leggings and skirt
- Knee-high boots (or sometimes Uggs)
- Leather gloves
- No hat unless it’s really cold, because my headphones double as earmuffs and I keep the hood up
- A hat and a hood if it’s really cold
It’s a tricky balance to wear something outside that will be suitable for the office. I tried wearing pants because I thought they’d be more suitable for snowy weather, but they required a belt and were generally uncomfortable. I have been a no-pants person for many years now and I can’t go back.
Kristen Ankiewicz 