What Kept Me, an Angeleno, Warm in NYC
I visited the ice planet of NYC in Jan. and returned with some tips for toastiness
When I got a chance to tag along with Eddie on his trip to record his next album in NYC, I jumped at it. Then I saw the forecast and had second thoughts. I’d been there before in similar temperatures, which I still refer to as “the measure of all cold” - a kind of cold for which I feared my LA wardrobe wouldn’t be equipped. Those numbers I saw on the weather app were a mystery to me. I really didn’t know what 50 degrees feels like versus 15.
So I headed to the best place I could think of for real time, open source advice - the chat section of Magasin where I queried seasoned (and surely chic) cold weather dressers about what to wear to keep myself warm in below freezing temps. Several kind women in that gatekeeping-free zone replied with valuable and practical advice that I was able to incorporate and put to the test. I made a few discoveries the old fashioned way, too. I’ll pass along some tips here.
BASE LAYERS. I’ve been singing the praises of Heattech forever but was warned they would not be enough for 15-30 degree weather. Correct. I was advised to wear a wool base layer and I’m so glad. I stopped by my storage and grabbed my Merlette wool blend leggings from a few seasons ago and they were a life saver. I’m linking a pair being sold on a resale site for $55 (the retail was $460). If you’re down to spend some dough, you can try Nili Lotan Wool Leggings, $400. These Hanro wool & silk blend leggings and top $170 each, are sounding pretty luxe. My personal favorite and non-bank breaking go-tos are COS’s 100% merino wool tops with various necklines (I love the turtleneck) and leggings $69 each. If you aren’t a fan of wool, have a look at these Falke jersey leggings $60 and thermal top $67. On some days I wore fleece lined tights by Noosh which are similar to sold out Sheertex tights. I like the sheer illusion of those but if you just want warmth and don’t want to wait for a restock, these Plush tights are a best seller and a third of the price. I also like that they offer a stirrup version because I prefer for my toes to be free to wiggle inside my cashmere socks.
SOCKS
I was advised to wear wool socks but only had cashmere. No problemo - I read cashmere is 8 x warmer than wool. I had recently caved to all the Gobi cashmere ads targeting me on Instagram and ordered a pair. Glad I did. They are very nice socks. Calzadonia’s socks are a tenth the price but also a tenth the cashmere.
CROSSBODY BAG
Since having my (gloved) hands free was crucial and my jackets were quite voluminous with huge shoulders no strap could cling to, a crossbody under the jacket worked best. My hi-low go-tos are my $$$ Lemaire croissant bag or my $19 Uniqlo nylon bag. COS has some mercifully priced leather or nylon cross-body bags. Any splurgers reading this might like very popular Bottega cassette bag. Bargain hunters would like to know there’s one for half the price on The Real Real. This Cordera bag, $305, has a cool shape and handy flap. Personally, I’m very tempted to nab this Are Studio piece of adjustable perfection, $435 in a pale grey.
GLOVES
I am glad I couldn’t find my vintage leather loves anywhere - only the $6 running gloves my stepmom gave me back when I was having an issue with my hands going ice cold on morning walks. Definitely nowhere close to chic but I was happy they were functional. They had that gummy tech stuff on them so I didn’t have to risk frostbite by raw dogging my phone’s touch screen. I might order some more polished leather gloves that are tech compatible. These Theory gloves are 60% off. But honestly I’m obsessed with Clyde’s luscious winter accessories like classic leather gloves in taupe, $210, cashmere lined gloves in fun colors, $198, and black gloves with little hearts, $210.
COATS
Last year in Florence, Italy I found the most amazing vintage shearling for 24 euros. It reminded me of this one hundred times more expensive Toteme shearling. I found a couple similar vintage cuties on Etsy for you to check out, like this reversible vintage bad boy, this black and tan baby, this 80’s mob-wife-esque stunner and this hooded one which looks to be in great condition. I also was assured that bringing a classic long wool coat would be a good idea. So I packed an old Lemaire A-line coat with a crossover front (which meant a double layer of thick wool for extra warmth), wide rounded shoulders for added swagger, and a single large horn button for easy undoing, even with gloved hands. It’s an oldie I’m glad I invested in all those years ago. If you want a low risk investment - there are a lot of Lemaire coats to swoop up on sale right now at SSENSE and several being resold on Vestiaire. If I had needed to shop a sure bet quickly at a decent price, this Frankie Shop coat could have been perfect. I will say, I was grateful that both of my coats had giant patch pockets in front where I could cram my gloves, beanie and scarf when I stepped indoors and shed layers. That way, I could keep the size of my bag small enough to carry only my essentials. I despise frantically digging in a gargantuan bag for stuff. It seemed like everyone else wore cool 3/4 length down puffers - an investment I would definitely make if I traveled to such climates more often.
SCARVES, HOODS, BEANIES
I went through a phase of DMing jewelers a few years ago suggesting they make a scarf ring. No one listened, but the universe eventually provided something even better. I just happened to be wearing this Agmes necklace with a heart shaped pendant which turned out to be Scarf Ring 2.0 - the upgrade being it’s on a cord worn around my neck and won’t be one more accessory to loose track of (would also be a perfect Valentine’s Day gift). I ended up finding a quilted hood at Cos with tails that fit perfectly into the pendant. This tail-tuck looked smarter and more tidy than tying the ends under my chin. And it made it possible to easily bring the hood up and down. Even though I look like a dweeb in beanies, I layered a cashmere beanie under my hood for extra warmth. Have a gander at these non-dweeby, actually very attractive head and neck wear: Clyde’s Faux fur hood, Lisa Yang balaclavas, and Baserange beanies in a range of neutrals, and merino wool, alpaca and cotton blend scarf by Lauren Manoogian.
EARRINGS
I thought I could forego my signature hoop earrings and didn’t pack a single pair. I imagined them turning ice cold and jolting me with pangs of discomfort when they touched the side of my face. Not true. (The things that go through me head. I swear.) I felt naked and went to hunt some down within the first 24 hours. I was drawn to hoops with hinge clasp closures because I felt they would be less likely to be pulled off and lost when lots of layers were going off and on. Check out Mejuri hoops $198, COS crystal embellished hoops $49, Annika Inez rolling stone earrings $235. I also appreciated the part of Leandra Medine Cohen’s ‘Cereal Aisle’ post How to Make the Most of your Winter Accessories where she talked about earring and beanie pairings and called them “the pop of feminine life you give to the outfit.”
BOOTS
Of course I wore The Row Zip Boots, not only because they are my favorite shoe for travel when a lot of walking will be required, they also look good with just about every pair of pants I own and the very thick sole would keep my feet further from the cold, cold ground. Since it was snowing, a treaded sole would have been a wiser choice, but I fortunately managed to avoid slippery patches of ice and stay upright. I was also told that the salt the city puts on sidewalks to melt snow causes rubber soles to crack. Not sure if that would happen after only a handful of treks, after an entire season, or after a couple years, but eek! Someone DM’d recently and asked me to list my best investment pieces and these boots would be at the top of my list. I want them to last. I also (over)packed riding boots which were not necessary and also lacked tread, but I did love how they kept my calves cozy. If you have specific recommendations for better footwear for snowy streets, please tell us all in the comments. I’m no good here. Should I add a chat section to The Sort?
Honestly this trip turned out to be the retreat I’ve been dreaming of. I mostly locked myself in my hotel room or the lobby of the hotel where I read, wrote and made a Reel. But the few times I busted out of hermit-mode, I felt perfectly and pragmatically dressed, effortlessly stylish, and weather-appropriate. And most importantly, I was able to enjoy my time there.
Here’s how it all came together:
I love how in depth this is. If you ever want to wear boots that don’t have good treads, you can always add ice cleats to them. It’s also good to have a pair on hand for when there’s freezing rain.
Thank you for this excellent post Sissy!
I live in Ottawa, Canada and have also lived in Winnipeg and Montreal and can offer some recommendations for boots and coats!
Maguire and La Canadienne make gorgeous and very practical winter boots! I wear the Bellagio Winter Boots from Maguire in black and adore them. Eliza Faulkner wears their boots too!
For coats, I just got the Aritzia Super Puff in the long style in black this week. It’s stylish, lightweight and very warm! Brands that make other deep winter coats include Mackage and Quartz Co. Leave it to Montreal to make stylish options for the winter!
I’m still on the hunt for a perfect wool coat and will be on the lookout for one from Lemaire, Studio Nicholson on Poshmark.