Ladies! Need recs on winter office wardrobe, please!

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Annie

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What would you recommend as a basic winter office wardrobe: how many pairs of slacks, how many skirts, etc.

Imagine I am moving from Key West or Phoenix to New York so need to get the absolute minimum, even at thrift shops.

Thanks very much šŸ™‚
 
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If youā€™re from the Key West and moving to NY, quite frankly Iā€™d say avoid skirts for a while. Your body will simply not have it in you to handle the cold you will be facing.

I would say get 3-4 pairs of regular dress pants and 3-4 pairs of lined dress pants. As well as a good pair of long underwear. You should also probably get 5-6 good long-sleeve undershirts and 4-5 nice business sweaters. Wool is best, but it canā€™t be washed regularly so you should stick to synthetics.
 
Oh, this is good. 6 to 8 pairs of slacks; by undershirts, do you mean a knit top, something I could take a sweater off and expose?, Or more like long underwear?
And 4 or 5 sweaters, great.

It sounds like they wonā€™t really expect more than a weekā€™s worth of variety in clothes, thatā€™s a relief!

Thank you šŸ™‚
 
You should have a dressy, long sleeve shirt that is office worthy under your sweater. Heating and cooling even in new buildings in the Northeast is hit or miss at best. One can sit in a window that is poorly insulated and be freezing or be roasting when the sun hits.

You should plan to layer.

It is very common for women to wear the same sweaters over and over during the winter. Most will accessorize with different thingsā€“scarves, jewelry, hairstyle etc to change up the look. I would caution you to avoid wearing the same sweater twice in a row or on the same day of the week (ie blue sweater on Mondays)ā€¦not for any real reason but just what is considered normative in business dress.
 
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Why not wait till you get there?

The local Thrift shop selection will be much more appropriate to the weather.
 
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Thanks so much, Xantippe. Letā€™s see now, one blouse to go over the undershirts, and never wear blue sweaters on Mondays, right?

(Just kidding around šŸ˜‰ You have been very clear and helpful!)
 
I said imagine, to indicate that was not the real situation, which is ridiculously complicatedā€¦
 
Annie said:
Thanks so much, Xantippe. Letā€™s see now, one blouse to go over the undershirts, and never wear blue sweaters on Mondays, right?

(Just kidding around šŸ˜‰ You have been very clear and helpful!)
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You sound like a lot of fun. I will pray for you.

Are you going to drive or rely on mass transit? If youā€™ve never driven in snow (and Iā€™m guessing wonā€™t have time/money for a lesson) I have some important tips to share.
 
Am pea green with envy you get to shop for a new wardrobe!
And best of luck with your new job.
Have you seen the way the other ladies at the office dress? Thatā€™s a good barometer for your choices.
Scarves, boots, leggings seem rather perennial .
Iā€™m seeing a lot of flowing, drapey tops over leggings among the 20 somethings.
And you already know about thriftingā€¦
 
Thanks, I have my moments of fun šŸ™‚

I am moving north, I have a car, and I used to live up north so I have driven in snow before, but I think it would be awesome if you posted your tips as a refresher and for others to read šŸ˜ƒ
 
I would start with:

2 or 3 black slacks or skirts - basic, comfortable, nice - put money into them
5-10 Oxford classic shirts or blouses
1-3 Jackie O. cashmere cardigans (itā€™s cold in NYC to follow your suggestion) or other nice cashmere or merino wool sweaters
1-2 Classic jacket? tweed/wool
Flats/boots, etc.

I heard that you should have like 10 shirts/sweaters for each pant/skirt. Mix and match - that is the secret. Stay with black/grey/blue/green until you have more income to splurge. You can create endless outfits. I think you should have one good new suit - again classic - blue/black maybe grey.
 
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Thank you so much. I must move, but do not yet have a job šŸ˜¦ I wish you were here because you sound like you could make it be fun! (Can you tell I donā€™t like clothes shopping?)
 
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Excellent! Everything goes with black and blue! šŸ™‚ Everybody looks good in them too. Solid colors, solid colors. Good luck!
 
Annie said:
Thanks, I have my moments of fun šŸ™‚

I am moving north, I have a car, and I used to live up north so I have driven in snow before, but I think it would be awesome if you posted your tips as a refresher and for others to read šŸ˜ƒ
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Car Tips
  1. Keep a safety box in your car. Blanket, extra sweater, hand warmers, flashlight, snack bars, gel ā€œflaresā€ (safer than fire flares)
  2. NEVER leave the house underdressed. If itā€™s nice but the weather might turn toss boots into the car.
  3. Keep a shovel in the car. Plows donā€™t work in your favor, and if it snows during the day you may not be able to get out easily.
  4. Keep NON-absorbent kitty litter in your trunk or Rock salt so you can get traction if you are in a slippery spot. A 10pound bag is good because it can help weigh your trunk.
  5. Get an alcohol pen and keep it on your key ring. That way if your locks freeze you have it handy.
  6. Get proper snow/ice removal equipment. A long-handled brush for loads of snow, a scraper/brush for light snow and a small hand scraper for tough ice. Donā€™t use keysā€¦youā€™ll scratch you window and could crack it.
Driving Tips
  1. Increase distance between you and the other vehicle
  2. Accelerate and decelerate SLOWLY
  3. Donā€™t stop on hills unless necessary
  4. CLEAR OFF YOUR CAR. In many states, you are legally liable if any snow or ice flies off your car and causes an accident.
  5. Be extra careful on bridges and on/off ramps
  6. Avoid oversteering. If you feel yourself loosing control donā€™t jerk the wheel. Look ahead for the safest place you can get to (ie: side of the road sans trees rather than into the rear end of someoneā€™s car)
 
Alcohol pens, who knew! These are terrific tips, Xantippe! Thanks so much for posting them šŸ˜ƒ
 
Thrift shops are your friend.

Layers also are your friend. In particular I suggest you get 2-5 dusters (a type of knee-length sweater or wrap). They look good and can be removed when you get too warm.

In the meantime, invest in 2 or more pairs of footwear. Get sturdy, warm things for commuting (your feet will get slushy otherwise), and keep nice work shoes in your locker at work. Also, keep a pair of walk-for-miles boots/shoes in your car at all times, in case you get stuck and have to trudge.
 
Thank you, Old Maid šŸ˜ƒ These are great hints and a good reminder: the boots I currently have in my car have holes in them :o
 
NY can get pretty cold, windy and snowy at times. Keep a few plastic bags and duct tape in your car in case you need to get out and walk. You can cut holes for your neck and hands a seal them with tape to retain heat or ward off wind. If you donā€™t like the ā€˜fashionā€™ wear your baggies under your cloths. As I was born in NJ and raised in NY I know just how cold it can get. Cell ph? by all means. Saftey trumps fashion. Peace.
 
MaryEstelle2 said:
NY can get pretty cold, windy and snowy at times. Keep a few plastic bags and duct tape in your car in case you need to get out and walk. You can cut holes for your neck and hands a seal them with tape to retain heat or ward off wind. If you donā€™t like the ā€˜fashionā€™ wear your baggies under your cloths. As I was born in NJ and raised in NY I know just how cold it can get. Cell ph? by all means. Saftey trumps fashion. Peace.
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Careful with non-breathable materials. Plastic can be VERY bad because it will trap sweat and leave you in wet clothingā€”extremely dangerous. Leaving a large, cheap old wool overcoat that goes past the knees in the car is a far better idea. (plus aforementioned boots) Usually, thrift stores/army stores have them for under $10.

smaller plastic bags arenā€™t a bad idea for inserting in boots if you have wool socks to help control bodily moisture and the boots are leaky.
 
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