Dressing Up in the Cold

I had to do something obnoxious recently: dress up when it was below zero. Hubsey's office holds a belated holiday party in January every year and significant others are invited. I love going because his co-worker friends are a fun bunch, but I was irritated that the polar vortex couldn't leave us alone for THAT ONE DAY.

Normally this is a dress-wearing situation that leans toward the glittery side of things, but I had a feeling that nobody would bother. At least, I wasn't going to:

Gasp! A lady in pantaloons?! (I know, how scandalous.) Most of the other women went this route, too. We still looked really nice and since I know a lot of folks are getting all gussied up for Valentine's Day this week, I wanted to talk about some common threads I saw at the party. Here's the easy way to dress up in the cold:

>> Suit up! And by that I mean: just wear pants. I wore them to the party and had way more fun because I was comfortable. You won't be AS dressed up, it's true, but sometimes when the polar vortex is crapping all over everything, exceptions have to be made.

>> Layers are your friend. I never know exactly HOW cold I'm going to be at a place until I get there, so I like to do a blouse, then a cardigan, then a blazer. This also means I have options in case the venue has the heat cranked up. Nothing is worse than being trapped in a thick sweater when you can't do anything about it.

>> Wear your hair down. This might not be the time for an updo. I'm always significantly warmer in the winter on the days my hair is down. It's like a built-in scarf.

>> Platforms = warmth. Shoes with a bit of a platform will keep your feet off of the stupid cold ground. It's hard to see in the picture, but my shoes were that way and I'm so glad I wore them. It really does make a difference.

>> Dresses can be warm, too. Sometimes it's unavoidable. Maybe you're going to a winter wedding and you just can't do pants. Look for a dress that's made of wool or thicker cotton (Banana usually has some nice options) to cut the wind. Add a sleek blazer or cropped cardigan for added warmth, and don't forget to wear it with tights instead of regular stockings.

Just for fun, I made another dressy-pants outfit:

blazer  //  blouse  //  pants  //  clutch  //  shoes  //  similar earrings

Helloooooo, clutch! And blouse. And shoes (which are not platforms, but if you're just darting into the building from your car, you'll be fine). I'll have to pull myself together again for a nice dinner out this weekend, and you can bet I'll be wearing some variation of this.

Are you dressing up this week? What's your plan to battle the weather? Any braver souls than I planning to wear a dress anyway?