Cold Weather Dress

John Crowley has given a great outline of dressing for the cold weather in Boston, particularly if you're going to be participating in outdoor sports like skiing or Harvard football games. Read his discussion here.

He pointed out that he might be missing some finer points for women's wear. I thought I'd fill in where I could. I'm no fashion maven but to cope with the cold in Boston some fashion sense has to be abandoned. Hat hair is a fact of life. Sorry. Still, you don't have to dress like a lumberjack on a daily basis. Here's some thoughts, tips and tricks.

The Cold
It isn't usual in Boston to get temperatures cold enough for frostbite (a dangerous freezing of the skin) unless your out in the cold for 45 minutes or longer. Wind chill does add to the danger and in Boston we get a bitter, nasty wind. John is absolutely right, there'll be much carrying on if it gets that cold. Generally you don't need to worry about it.

But the wind cuts through everything in my experience. I find it much more miserable than the cold. The worst days I've seen in Boston have had a wind chill of -10 to -15 F. Buy a coat that will manage at least this.

And do keep your head warm. Your fingers and toes will all be warmer if your head is warm first.

Coats
I prefer a coat that is at least knee length for daily Boston wear. Here at the LL Bean site you can see several good examples. Again, this is a wind issue. Don't go longer than knee length. It just drags in the muck if it's too long. We don't have spring in Boston, we have mud season as all the slush takes forever to melt away. You have many options beyond down filled puffy jackets. Just look for something that is water resistant or water proof, wind proof and rated for at least -10 F. I prefer a cozy hood as well. (though as a side note, peripheral vision and good hearing are important as a pedestrian in the dark so be careful about nestling too deep into your hood) LL Bean has a nice 'comfort range' for every coat so you know if it will be warm enough. Looking through their options is good research for when you go to any store, to know whether what you buy will be warm enough. I personally really like their Insulated H2Off DX Storm Coat. You don't feel like a walking marshmallow. Generally though, the wool topcoats or dress coats John mentioned won't be warm enough on the coldest days. They're good for the 'warmer' days in the mid-thirties F.

Scarves, Hats, Gloves
All of these are required, but you can have a lot of style and flair here. The hat should come down over your ears and the scarf should not be scratchy. I have a set of glove/mittens, fingerless gloves with a mitten cap that folds back. This is simpler than John's recommended two sets of gloves. Unless you're going to be out skiing, you should only need one set of warm gloves or mittens. Ear warmers and head bands are also nice for blocking the wind from your poor, freezing ears. You have a little less hat hair problem with these, though some days you will have to wear a hat too.

Boots
Many, many women carry dress shoes with them, wear boots to commute and then change at work or school. Others spend a lot of money on insulated dress boots like these.
Again, LLBean is a great place to look at your options before you shop. The key attributes are, insulated, waterproof, good soles (tread or traction for ice) and if they're leather they should be treated to resist salt stains. I prefer zip up boots because you'll find you take them off when you go to someone's home, rather than track in all the grit and salt from the street. Lace up and pull on are bigger hassle to me, but it's a personal preference thing.

Long Underwear
If you have a knee length coat and good boots, this isn't as necessary. Jeans and most dress slacks aren't going to get you through a long walk on a cold day though, if you have a shorter coat. The nice thing about long underwear vs. flannel lined jeans is you can take them off when you get to school and not roast in the classroom. I'd spend the money on nice stuff if you go this route. Bunching, chafing and other hassles are not worth the cheap stuff. Again, LLBean has a nice range to look at, but I'd try things on in a store before buying.

Shopping
All that said, Eastern Mountain Coop in Brattle Street is a great start and has a good student discount if you show your ID. The LL Bean Catalog and REI are my next favorite stops. Good luck keeping warm!