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Hooded Packable Down Parka: Bernardo (on sale!) (plus option) | Jeans: NYDJ (plus option) | Boots: L.L. Bean (similar) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (similar) | Cashmere Beanie: Halogen (this year's version) | Scarf: c/o Nepali by TDM Designs (RIP) (similar) | Ice Cleats: Yaktrax | Gloves: Emerson's from her Christmas stocking (cheapy “magic” stretch ones from Target) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Last night it snowed, and while there wasn't a lot, it was that kind mixed with the cold temps that made all streets an ice slick. We had my sister, our best friend and her husband over for dinner to celebrate my sister's birthday; I felt like my mom asking everyone to text me when they got home but was glad they both did because they said the roads were horrific. And they still were this morning; I tried to get out, at 15 MPH I skidded through a stop sign near my home and went around the block and came back home. They had a 2-hour delay for Emerson's school and then changed their mind and closed completely. I waited until it was a bit warmer out to make a second go at driving into the city… and either my battery is bad or my starter. So Karl is off getting my car taken care of and I am working from home today. Karl captured these pics on my new Samsung camera (review to come) before we got in the car and realized it wouldn't go into Drive.
This is real-life cold weather fashion. Under my jeans are these leggings (and a review to come tomorrow!), on my waterproof sturdy boots with a nice lug sole are Yaktrax (because if you have to have three surgeries and almost 30 weeks in a cast because of slipping on black ice you do whatever you can to prevent it from happening again), and when you can't find your nice cashmere-lined leather gloves you just grab whatever you can find to protect your fingers in the cold!
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I’m really happy to see the recommend for Yaktrax – I’ve been wanting something like this for my mother and my Chicago self. they look easy to put on and not so bulky that they are a trip hazard.
I’ve never heard of Yaktrax, but I’m definitely going to get some! Last year, my husband slipped on the front porch while wearing his house slippers to get the newspaper after we had had snow, rain, sleet the night before. He tore his rotator cuff in his left arm and had to have surgery and many months of therapy to repair it. The Yaktrax sound like a winner to me. Plus, I walk about eight blocks in NYC to get to work, so these wouldn’t be bad for me either. Thanks, Roberta and Allie!
I only discovered ice cleats in the final year of my 14-year sojourn in snow lands (Chicago for 7, then Portland ME for 7). Bean boots are a must, though I understand hard to score these days. I adore Isotoner gloves, because they fit my long fingers properly–many other gloves are sort of drop-crotch…the ones with touchscreen ability are amazing! I also got a nifty Isotoner pleaty fleece cloche last year–no pinhead, no hat head.
I have the opposite issue, I have short sausage fingers and eTouch gloves never work because my finger isn’t at that place to apply pressure! I do have a pair of gloves in my glove compartment but I couldn’t find any in my house when in a rush so these had to do (they have little bear faces on them, I wear them with the bear on the palm because it’s painted with a grippy rubbery paint and helped me grip the steering wheel!).
Those one-size stretchy knit gloves stretch soooo thinly on my hands. The advantage of Isotoners is the stretchy scuba material means they fit everybody, –they are so small coming out of the box, that I bet they’d fit Emerson (although I buy the separate XL size)…
How do grownups even wear knit gloves without some sticky stuff on them? They sell them, but jeebers, it means you have to take them off the open most any door, use keys, and drive anywhere….and they aren’t wind resistant!
THOSE BOOTS. Those boots are on my ‘when the budget permits’ list.
Also, shout-out to LL Bean customer service: I got a flannel nightgown as a Christmas gift; a seam came undone a bit (note: I’ve had a bunch of their clothes and this is the first time I’ve had an issue). I called customer service. They were super apologetic, found the order based on the name of the person who bought it for me, and offered to ship a new one… until they found out that they didn’t have any left in stock in my size. No problem, they say: they can either ship a different one, refund it entirely, or (and this is fantastic) I can get it fixed and send them the bill for refund. Multiple options, all of them good, given by a thoroughly pleasant customer service agent on a call that took less than 10 minutes. Fantastic.
I fully agree! I remember I was in an LL Bean store and chatting with an employee about how when I was up in Freeport over a decade ago, I bought a coat, tore off the tags and never ever wore it but keep it because it’s so nice, maybe one day my tastes would change. She told me to bring it in and get a refund. But it was seriously over 10 years (more like 15), they didn’t even carry the brand, but she pushed me to, I brought it in, found the receipt in the pocket and they gave me cash back for the full amount. She said they’d rather do a return than have me open the closet and feel buyer’s remorse and it affect my outlook on the brand. You better believe I spent all that money and more that day in LL Bean! And these boots… this is my second winter with them. I haven’t treated them or polished them but they are insanely awesome. They’ve become my concert shoes because they’re so comfortable and people can jump on me and it doesn’t hurt my toes. After this winter I do plan on taking them to the cobbler to get them resoled as they’re losing a bit of the traction at the ball of the foot but they’re otherwise perfect. Gotta love LL Bean!