Dress Like an Onion

It is January, after all, and it’s time to pay for the warm fall and early winter we enjoyed. And, boy, are we paying!

I’m glad you don’t work where I do; those of us who sit at a desk all day, with very little opportunity to move around, get positively chilled. A cinder block building with cement floors just doesn’t warm up like your den with a nice warm rug on a wood floor. In fact, they keep the thermostat so low there’s no chance for a real warm up. So here’s what I do:

Starting at the bottom, we’re not allowed to have individual electric heaters in our offices (something about tripping breakers), so I have a little scatter rug under my chair that extends under the desk. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it feels warmer than without it. Maybe it’s blocking the cold down there from creeping into my feet.

Now, we’ll start building the onion, one layer at a time. Those chilly piggies can be covered in more than one layer, just like everything else. I say, ditch the hose, Ladies, and put on your weekend socks. Actually, if you’re really prissy, put on a pair of trouser socks and then the thick wool or fleece socks over them. Knee-high boots are the thing this year; perfect. No time to be a fashionista; it’s cold in here!

Tights under lined wool slacks for the ladies; long johns under lined jeans for the guys…the point here is to build multiple light layers. That method works best to hold in body heat if you’re going to be outside, or if you’re sitting still in a cold building. And why would you put three layers on your body and only one on your legs anyway?

To hold in core body heat, remember that the skin under your arms is thinner than some other places, so wear layers on your body as well. More body heat is lost through thin skin than anywhere else.

Which brings us to that old wives’ tale your grandma always recited to you in the winter: “Don’t go out without a hat! You lose more body heat through your head than anywhere else!” That almost makes sense if you think about heat rising (which happens to be its natural tendency) through your body and going out through the top of your skull like smoke from a chimney. ‘Course, that’s not how it works in this case. The skin that covers your head is another of those places where the skin is very thin, so naturally you will lose heat easier there. On the other hand, if you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, it only makes sense that the more places you can cover up, the better.

Additionally, it seems to me that when my hands and feet are warm, the rest of me is warmer. Gloves or mittens…it’s an individual preference; just grab a pair of one or the other on the way out the door. When you’re running from the car to the office, or the other way around, the thicker your coat is, the better. Worn over multiple layers, however, it doesn’t much matter what fabric you choose for your coat, whether it’s a synthetic ski jacket, a wool pea coat or a down jacket. Waterproof is nice when it’s snowing. What I’ve learned to love is a long wool coat that hits between my knees and ankles and, when buttoned, keeps the wind at bay very well. I call it my dog walking coat, but guess what…that dog can take his own walks when it’s 14 degrees outside.

My daughter told me a couple of weeks ago that she was one glove short of a pair…but then I’ve always known that.

It is January, after all, and it’s time to pay for the warm fall and early winter we enjoyed. And, boy, are we paying!

I’m glad you don’t work where I do; those of us who sit at a desk all day, with very little opportunity to move around, get positively chilled. A cinder block building with cement floors just doesn’t warm up like your den with a nice warm rug on a wood floor. In fact, they keep the thermostat so low there’s no chance for a real warm up. So here’s what I do:

Starting at the bottom, we’re not allowed to have individual electric heaters in our offices (something about tripping breakers), so I have a little scatter rug under my chair that extends under the desk. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it feels warmer than without it. Maybe it’s blocking the cold down there from creeping into my feet.

Now, we’ll start building the onion, one layer at a time. Those chilly piggies can be covered in more than one layer, just like everything else. I say, ditch the hose, Ladies, and put on your weekend socks. Actually, if you’re really prissy, put on a pair of trouser socks and then the thick wool or fleece socks over them. Knee-high boots are the thing this year; perfect. No time to be a fashionista; it’s cold in here!

Tights under lined wool slacks for the ladies; long johns under lined jeans for the guys…the point here is to build multiple light layers. That method works best to hold in body heat if you’re going to be outside, or if you’re sitting still in a cold building. And why would you put three layers on your body and only one on your legs anyway?

To hold in core body heat, remember that the skin under your arms is thinner than some other places, so wear layers on your body as well. More body heat is lost through thin skin than anywhere else.

Which brings us to that old wives’ tale your grandma always recited to you in the winter: “Don’t go out without a hat! You lose more body heat through your head than anywhere else!” That almost makes sense if you think about heat rising (which happens to be its natural tendency) through your body and going out through the top of your skull like smoke from a chimney. ‘Course, that’s not how it works in this case. The skin that covers your head is another of those places where the skin is very thin, so naturally you will lose heat easier there. On the other hand, if you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, it only makes sense that the more places you can cover up, the better.

Additionally, it seems to me that when my hands and feet are warm, the rest of me is warmer. Gloves or mittens…it’s an individual preference; just grab a pair of one or the other on the way out the door. When you’re running from the car to the office, or the other way around, the thicker your coat is, the better. Worn over multiple layers, however, it doesn’t much matter what fabric you choose for your coat, whether it’s a synthetic ski jacket, a wool pea coat or a down jacket. Waterproof is nice when it’s snowing. What I’ve learned to love is a long wool coat that hits between my knees and ankles and, when buttoned, keeps the wind at bay very well. I call it my dog walking coat, but guess what…that dog can take his own walks when it’s 14 degrees outside.

My daughter told me a couple of weeks ago that she was one glove short of a pair…but then I’ve always known that.