Reader Lynsey has been in touch asking for assistance in planning a wardrobe for her upcoming trip to New York that will keep her cosy by day but be hipster cool by night.
We love a sartorial challenge here at RMS and to be honest she had us at ‘wonderful and fashionable Rock-My-Stylers’. Following our now traditional Reader Request format I’ll offer a few suggestions but please do feel free to add your own in the comments section below.
{Lynsey’s Request}
Dear wonderful and fashionable Rock-My-Stylers,
This is an urgent reader request! What do you wear in New York between Christmas and New Year?! My husband and I have just booked some semi-last minute flights to visit a friend who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn just after Christmas for five days, but I’m at a complete loss as to what to take. From my research (if looking online frantically last night after pressing “confirm booking” on Expedia counts as research…), I’ve discovered New York is pretty cold in December. As in snow plough cold. Cr*p! My dilemma is what to take that will work for sightseeing during the day (without resembling the Michelin man), but will also be adaptable enough to go for dinner and drinks with the hipster scene…Hope you can help with my sartorial dilemma 😉
Yours in-a-potential-H&M-changing-room-on-a-busy-Saturday-afternoon-induced-panic,
Lynsey
The key to keeping warm in New York in December (or anywhere that has properly cold winters) is layering. On my recent trip to Iceland where the temperature hovered just above freezing I stayed cosy with a base layer of top-to-toe Uniqlo HEATTECH pieces (this vest, these leggings and these socks to be precise). I bought all-black-everything but there are lots of pretty colours too, plus long sleeved tops, knitwear, knee-high socks and more. Over the vest I added a t-shirt, thin sweatshirt and/or a shirt depending how windy it was outside and this faux-fur-lined parka from Zara. You could also add in a denim jacket and/or a leather jacket layer below the parka. Over the leggings I added a pair of jeans and I kept my feet toasty with these waterproof Sorel boots which come with a felted wool liner for extra warmth. To avoid the Michelin Man look keep your layers quite thin and, as you build up your layers, make sure each one is just a tiny bit bigger than the previous one. My major fail in Iceland was cosy accessories. I didn’t take any and my ears and fingers were not always happy. You might want to invest in a headband to keep your ears warm like this one from Sweaty Betty and some gloves like these fleece ones, also from Sweaty Betty. In terms of making sure that you look appropriate for whichever hipster bar or restaurant you find yourself in after a day sightseeing or shopping, I would make sure one of your layers is a plaid shirt, which is a basically the uniform of hipsters worldwide. And of course in the name of keeping warm you have the perfect excuse to make regular stops for hot drinks of the mulled alcoholic variety.
Over to you, you wonderful and fashionable Rock My Style readers. Any advice or potential purchases you can share with Lynsey to ensure she stays warm but doesn’t look out of place in Brooklyn’s hipster haunts? As always leave a comment below!
Gee cheers Miranda…now I need one of those Uniqlo vests, I didn’t know thermals could be so cool?!
Lynsey my sister goes to NYC next week and she has bought lots of fleece opaque tights from ASDA (!) she says they are amazing – like leggings I guess. She is also layering – I went in March some years back and the department stores can get so hot in comparison to outside x
Uniqlo have completely revolutionised the whole thermal thing, this is the first time I’ve worn a vest in forever! x
Amazing! I shall be getting myself some of this thermal gear! Don’t think I’ve worn a vest since primary school, but that just makes it retro – right?!
Haha, me either, yes we’re embracing retro cool, or something!
I love the coat … think I might need to pay Zara a visit soon!
I’m really pleased with it Suzy, it kept me toasty in Iceland, whatever the weather threw at me and I’ve worn it lots since I got back. And it was much cheaper than the North Face coats I was looking at!
I lived in New York a couple of years back and I can vouch for the uniqlo heatech stuff. I went for the long sleeve tops, which I preferred to vests, and cable knit tights/leggings. I got pretty colours in the long sleeve tops and they were nice enough to wear to work.
My friend who’d lived in NYC through much colder winters swore by a full length down jacket from North Face, but this is probably over kill. I’ve been trekking in the Himalayas and only had a short one.
Do not forget your hat and gloves!!! Make sure you have convertible gloves so you don’t have to take them off. Accessorize do perfectly good ones in lots of great patterns. To be honest I do actually have a balaclava,but it does make me look like I’m up for a spot of bank robbing so I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d recommend not going outside much, but some of the tourist attractions will be eye wateringly cold so if you want to see them you’ll have to wrap up.
Enjoy! It’s lovely at Christmas, if a little crowded… Also, the great thing about NYC is that people dress in all sorts and there aren’t many places where you have to overly dress up, so don’t stress about that 🙂
Wow, Mel, thanks for all your amazing advice and for alerting me to the existence of convertible gloves, they sound amazing and exactly what I need. I’ll be popping into Accessorize for a pair!
I was in NYC in January and it was COLD! I did the layering thing too, I wore leggings under skinny jeans and leather boots with a sheepskin lining (cosy on the inside without looking too outdoorsy). I went for the long-sleeved thermal base layer rather than the vest option. I had a knee-length down-filled coat (Zara do nice ones with fur-lined hoods), but a good parka would do the job as well. I second Miranda’s advice about accessories – you will definitely need a hat/something to keep your ears warm – mine nearly fell off on the Brooklyn Bridge, it was so cold! Glove-wise, I think some sort of wool/sheepskin lined leather is the best option as it’s windproof, but the convertible ones are handy too. I would suggest you need a chambray shirt as well as a plaid one and a few funky tee’s for underneath (when you take your layers off inside bars etc). One more thing – make sure your footwear is waterproof, I ended up having to buy new boots cause my feet were damp and freezing cold!
PS I’m so jealous of your trip – I wish I was going back! Enjoy 🙂
I went to Canada to visit my sister in law and her hubby in February, it was -16oC but felt like -26oC with the wind! Thin layers are the way to go, wool is good as it wicks away any mositure, I would try and stay away from cotton (close to the skin) as it holds any moisture and will make you colder. A hat, scarf and gloves are a must, and waterproof boots with good socks too. A good coat will last you for years, I got a lovely knee length down filled coat with a fur hood, it is like wearing a duvet, it’s great. You will need moisturiser for your face and body, and lip balm as your skin will dry out with all of the changes in temperatures too. Have a great trip. 🙂