It’s Siberia Outside & the Sahara Inside: How to Deal with That

The Weather Channel now has a program called the Frozen States of America, or something like that.  Here in Chicago the temperatures haven’t risen above 20°F in at least 2 weeks.  Needless to say, it’s f*cking cold outside and the temperatures inside our office are akin to Las Vegas in July.  Not only does this create issues with how to dress but the air is so dry that it can wreak havoc on our skin and hair.  So… what’s the best way to deal?  We’re not 100% sure but here are some things that work for us. 

Let’s discuss the temperature differences first shall we? Let’s be obvious here: layers are your friend. This is earth shattering advice we know, kind of like florals for spring (Hello, Miranda Priestly). What’s important to note here is how to layer appropriately so that you’re comfortable both on your commute and in the office. 

What layers are essential? 

Outerwear: 

• Heavy duty winter coat (Which we discussed here. Note regarding heavy duty winter coats - now is the time to buy given all of the winter sales going on.)
• Functional winter hat (we love this cashmere beanie for both style and warmth) 
• Scarf (like we discussed here)
• Gloves (Cashmere lined leather gloves are a warm and luxurious option. Prone to glove loss and prefer something washable? We’ve been pleased with these fleece gloves from Lands’ End.) 
• Warm winter boots (which we discussed here)

Innerwear: We recognize this is a very personal choice as we all tend to run at different temperatures.  For example, Katie 1 tends to run hot so adding additional layers underneath clothing would make for a miserable work day or an awkward work bathroom clothing change.  We have colleagues who swear by long underwear and wear it all day comfortably.  It’s really what works for you and your heat or cold sensitivity.  That being said, here are a few things that work for us (and our colder colleagues):

• Long underwear underneath your work clothes. We’re fans of silk because it keeps you warm but won’t over heat. Katie 1’s Mom swears by the silk long underwear from Land’s End (pants available here and shirt available here)
• Fleece lined tights. Even though she tends to run hot, if there are subzero temperatures, Katie 1 is a huge fan of fleece lined tights. Her favorites are the Heattech tights from Uniqlo and are available in a variety of colors, patterns and weights. 
• It’s not cute but if you run hot and it’s cold enough that you need additional layers beyond your typical work wear to prevent frostbite, you can always layer over your work clothing. Katie 1 has definitely layered fleece lined track pants over her tights for the commute and then immediately taken them off upon arriving at work. Katie 1 has been very happy with an older version of these from Under Armour. Don’t have fleece lined track pants? Sweat pants will do (seriously, Katie 1 has walked her dog wearing sweat pants over a pair of leggings for 2 weeks now, so no judgment here). Need something more substantial? You can always substitute fleece pants for straight up snow pants. If it’s Polar Vortex cold no one will judge you. 
• Optional for blizzard conditions and/or the Polar Vortex: Ski Goggles #sorrynotsorry

In general we prefer the layering over your work clothing method of keeping warm simply because it makes removing layers to adjust to the Las Vegas level heat inside our office much easier. When temperatures drop into the negatives you will see us wearing a lot of the following combination: Short Sleeve Dress + Tights + Sweater because it makes it easy to add or remove layers depending on the indoor or outdoor temperatures.

In addition to the clothing challenges associated with the temperature extremes this time of year, these temperature extremes are also typically associated with extremely dry air, especially inside. This extremely dry environment can wreak havoc on our skin and hair. So… how do we combat? Let’s start with the obvious. 

• First of all, we try to drastically increase our water intake.  
• Second of all, we buy hand cream in bulk. 
• Third, we make deep conditioner our friend. 

Beyond the these obvious steps, what are some other more unique ways we’ve found to combat our office desert? 

• Katie 1 bought a desktop humidifier and it’s awesome. It’s small, quiet, easy to clean and refill and actually makes a difference. She can’t find the one she has, but this mini humidifier from Amazon is adorable and has great reviews. 
• We’ve also found that washing our hair less often has helped keep our hair from drying out (thank god for dry shampoo). 
• Glasses instead of contacts. So this one is something Katie 2 recommends but doesn’t live by. In the office hell, her contacts are constantly dry in the winter months with the warm air blowing, and it makes eye drops a necessity. Katie 1’s humidifier helps, but Katie 2 is considering wearing her glasses a day or two a week to help with dryness.
• Aquafor (link to best drugstore finds post) for lips and hands and any skin needs. 
• Supplements- because as much lotion as you put on, dry hands mean yucky nails. Focus on calcium and biotin.

There you have it - how we deal with the temperature extremes that go along with being a real working girl in winter.  Stay warm friends.