Winter Coats and Boots 2010

Hello my cold readers! In the past week I've received requests for tips on coats and boots for this (seemingly endless) winter. Request #1 came in the form of a letter:

Dear Caroline,

I have the requisite down black puffy long coat, purchased 5 years ago. It is hideous, though still warm and functional. I want to replace it with something a little hipper, a little more flattering. I don't want it to read too Upper East Side and I don't want to spend a lot of money. I have narrowed it down to a few options and would welcome your readership's opinions as well as other suggestions.

Thank you,
Puffer-challenged

Here are her selections:

SPIEWAK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM


THE GAP


NORTH FACE AVAILABLE ON BACKCOUNTRY.COM


Puffer-challenged,

I believe the option from The Gap is your best bet. Though I am not a fan of hoods, when it's frigid outside it's absolutely necessary to have a hood. Plus, that one is the best middle ground between ultra-stylish (the Spiewak option) and ultra functional (the North Face option). Any other thoughts from the peanut gallery? Comments welcome.

Request #2 was about good winter boots. Boots are absolutely impossible! If they are cute or fashionable, they're useless in the cold/snow. If they're ugly, you're guaranteed to be protected from the elements. What the ladies up North tend to do is to wear ugly boots to tromp through the snow, and then to change into sassy shoes once they've arrived at their destination. I found that process totally annoying, so what I did my last few years in NYC was to rely on leather boots that I didn't mind getting covered in snow and the related salt strewn out on the sidewalks.

The question about boots came from KB who has recently moved from SC to DE. I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn the following collection of boots since we moved down to SC. How nuts is that? These items were absolute staples of my wardrobe in NYC, but now they are virtually useless.



So to answer your question about boots, KB, I advise layering up on socks and choosing the tread of the boot based on the amount of rain, sleet or snow you'll be facing that day. I usually chose the option second from the right.

Good luck, ladies, and stay warm!