What did you not get to wear (much) due to the polar vortex? - YouLookFab Forum

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What did you not get to wear (much) due to the polar vortex?

unfrumped

Veteran

I'm referring to "normal" cool/cold-seasonal items that you expected to wear in a usual fall and winter, or wear more, but found the weather too cold, so that the season seemed to pass you by.

I did not wear my oxblood leather jacket much at all, since it is mostly for to-and-fro in chilly but not polar weather, and not part of my daytime indoor work wear. The weather got very cold not long after I bought it (or cut the tags) and so I missed early fall, and then we had more very cold snaps than usual. Usually I didn't bother to use it just as a transient layer for insulation under another coat.. And though the color is versatile for my wardrobe, it does "read" more fall/winter than spring.

I have squeezed in a bit of spring wear by pairing with either lighter-colored tops, scarves or bag with white or cream or pastels--something that would be a nod to the sunnier season.

There are still a few chilly days coming up. And it was not supposed to be a one-season wonder, so I expect to wear next fall. But, it feels odd to have missed out, and also I did not get in the "practice" wearing so as to really fit it into my outfits. I think I'll need to be really alert to not "saving" it but start right in for early fall, wear it more on weekends and evenings out, more outfit creation, that sort of thing.

Did you have any item(s) that stayed on the shelf? Do you worry that that will affect how you feel about them or use them when the weather comes back around to the right season?

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from Gaylene

Kim

Veteran

Most of my wool coats. I have 3 down puffers and they got me (and my two daughters) through this extremely cold and long winter. I have more than that in wool coats, that I *usually* wear for all but the 2 coldest weeks of winter (when I use the puffers) , but this year it's been flipped around!

On the upside they'll feel like brand new next winter, won't they? LOL

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I have several colors of pea coats that never saw the light as I relied soley on my two puffers. I am sensitive the cold so I bundled up! I also wore fewer dresses and skirts and wore knee high boots when I did,so neglected booties and dresses......

Glory

Veteran

Likewise Kim and Tracey. My wool peacoats and other non down did not get much love this winter. It was puffy all the way - and still is.

unfrumped

Veteran

Ha, I almost considered buying a puffer so that I would be totally toasty even for a relatively small amount of days that were very cold, relatively. Instead I resurrected a warmer wool coat and feel good about giving it a lot of wear.

rabbit

Veteran

I think if I was in your position I'd maybe wear my peacoats on cold spring days. After all nature around you is probably just as slow to catch up and stuck behind the calender date -- spring colors reflect spring blossoms, and if they aren't there.... Wear a lighter colored scarf or something like unfrumped mentions and go for it

JAileen

Veteran

Related to the vortex was our equal but opposite drought. So I have not worn snow boots since before Christmas. I know a lot of you are thinking no great loss, but I think a little snow is fun.

unfrumped

Veteran

It sure did get me thinking even more about how to use accessories or small changes to switch from spring to fall and vice versa. I'm not at all against having a great spring-only or fall-only coat, but the more expensive or space-occupying the item, more I want it to do double-duty, even if it has some multi-year longevity. Partly because we do have a lot of weather temperature swings, and so I hate "weather tyranny" or clothing anxiety where you have to pounce to wear a certain item just at the right time or feel you did not use it properly.

rachylou

Veteran

My so-called cotton "winter" socks. This winter, this Californian learned there comes a point when cotton doesn't cut it.

Emily

Veteran

My J.Crew Tipped Peacoat, because of its shorter length. When it's frigidly cold I want to wear my knee length wool coat!

Lisa

Veteran

Bootcut jeans. I wore skinny jeans tucked into boots everyday. Between the cold and all the snow and salt on the grounds, my bootcuts have sat mostly unworn all season. I'm sporting them as often as I can now that the snow is finally gone.

I also did not wear my blazers and scarves that much. I kept reaching for chunky turtlenecks instead. I don't plan on passing on my current blazers and scarves, but since they were not worn much I'm not adding any new one's either right now.

unfrumped

Veteran

Lisa, that is something I noticed--it made me reluctant to duplicate or expand on the items I didn't wear this winter even though the winter was unusual, and also I had to resist over-buying chunky warm sweaters and such.
Kind of like a tree adding a thicker or thinner layer of trunk in different years!

celia

Veteran

Due to the ice storm and consequent power outage I didn't get to wear some holiday outfits that I had bought.
Since I fractured my wrist in January and had to wear a cast and a brace after that for 6 weeks I basically used 5 tops during those weeks.

Do you sense a trend here?....

hissylizard

Haha. I would have liked to have work more skirts and leggings...or leggings with my boots.

I also bought this cute, hand-knit sweater jacket. Perfect for a cold December sunny day...but would be little protection against the icy cold of the vortex.

I think most of my winter wardrobe was well used...mostly since I had to layer so much, so for me it was more of a question of...what did I wear MORE of this year?

Well...long johns. I live in the mid-Atlantic and it normally only gets "long johns" cold only a few days in the winter. So I only own 3 pairs...let's just say I had to do a lot of laundry every 3 days because I had to wear them for days at a time.

Also, a ski vest. And I bought a pair of snow boots, and they kept my feet very warm.

Carla

Veteran

It may seem counterintuitive, but I wore the heck out of my skirts and dresses. It was easier to get about with my high boots (one pair under the knee, one pair over the knee) and skirts than it was to shlep through the snow in trousers of any variety straight or flowey. I did wear jeans on the weekend, but usually tucked into Sorel's.

My few button down's didn't get much love either, but the turtleneck sweaters got a work out. Come to think of it, all my sweaters saw lots of wear. Worm and cozy over cool and crisp.

daisy5

I didn't wear any of my wool coats this winter either. It was down puffers every day!

dustt

Veteran

no button downs here either - it was silk long johns under cashmere turtlenecks most days - and the skirts were few and far between as well - all covered up by the giant white puffer - the wool coats sat lonely in the closet almost all winter

missvee

Veteran

My booties. The heavy snow, ice, and relentless cold meant that I needed warm, lined boots with grippy soles. We can finally see the sidewalks and I'm delighted to change out my footwear.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, let me count the ways....please prepare for a vent of major proportions, my apologies, and thanks, because clearly I need to do this:

My wool winter coats. Normally wear them frequently throughout the winter, but this year it was all puffer, all the time. I am STILL wearing the puffer.

My booties. See above. Most winters, I'd have some snow free days to wear them. Not this year.

Boot leg or wide leg trousers. See above.

Button up shirts. I did wear some layered under boxy sweaters, but mostly I wanted double or triple layer knits and/ or thermals.

My skirts and dresses.

My dressier tall boots, bought explicitly for winter. It was too slushy, icy, cold, miserable. Now, I did wear these occasionally. But they were not the workhorses I expected them to be. Thank goodness the styles are classic and I can try them again next year.

Leather jackets or ANY jackets. See the knits comment, above. Nothing felt warm enough and cozy enough except knits!

What I did wear, and wear the heck out of:

Puffer coat.
Snow boots rated for - 40.
Skinnies, skinnies, skinnies, tucked into said snow boots.
Cashmere sweaters. Bought more mid-season and was very glad I did.
Thermal underwear.
Smart wool socks.
Some scarves.
Hats, mitts.
Belts.

I feel saddest about the jackets and boots. Two of my favourite wardrobe staples, almost unused!!! Argh.

dustt

Veteran

I hear you Suz - it's the second day of Spring and I wore - ivory cords, (no boots finally) - cashmere turtleneck (no silk long johns finally) - still a scarf and the dreaded puffer!! - I used to love that coat.....

Isabel

Veteran

I did not wear skirts/dresses with boots. I also didn't wear my winter shoes much and button down shirts.

Diana

Veteran

Skirts. I did wear some of my dresses over pants, but it was just too cold most of the time for the skirts, which have to be worn over tights or leggings.

I expect to wear things like snow boots and my wool coats, but what I did not expect to wear so often was my handknit sweater vests. I wore them as a THIRD layer between a top and a blazer. Plus a wool coat over all of that.

trying...

Sweater dresses. Even with thicker tights it was too cold.

Gaylene

Veteran

Pretty much everything in my closet except jeans, turtlenecks, cashmere sweaters, wool socks, down parka, gloves, scarf, and lined boots. Five months and counting of wearing the same outfit over and over is making me cranky. Swapping navy turtleneck for a dark burgundy is about as creative as it got this winter.