apparently i am behind the times, re the cashmere beanie trend.

costco house brand merino wool leggings--super thin and surprisingly warm.
uniqlo heattech under everything.
winter boots (even the ones with heels) 1/2 size up and worn with thick ski or padded hiking socks or costco white tube socks 6 pair / $12

must check out cuddleduds and fleece tights.

A layer of silk long johns under the cuddle duds under your clothes. Rub in lots of lotion or oil on your feet before putting on the Smart Wool socks.

Stay inside out of the cold.

Funny, Angie. How about "Move to Hawai'i"?

down skirts?

Ha, you've all reminded me that I have had a half-finished cashmere slouchy beanie on my needles for MONTHS. Should probably finish it soon. There is a chance of snow here on Sunday!

My winter solution is giant wool scarves.

ETA: Oh, and sweater vests are surprisingly warm. Especially under a blazer.

Lisa, Una HAS a down skirt, and wears it.

Una, moving to Hawaii is a great way to dress for Winter. I'd do soooo badly in Alaska. I don't like snow for more than a day. Neither do I like temperatures below freezing. I was made to live in a Mediterranean climate.

I have been in a bitter East Coast Winter about 5 times. I am SO LAYERED UP. Mega thermals, wool socks, weatherproof footwear, hat, scarf, weatherproof gloves, doubled up cashmere, jackets under puffers - and tights under thermals sometimes. I don't do well in the cold.

Northern CA is still seeing '70s... But we go to our cabin in the Oregon cascades & I have to do some of that Alaska style stuff. I like your over the knee sock idea! Also, I hear you on the hair/skin dryness. Our woodstove heat @ the cabin utterly dessicates us. A friendly pharmacist taught me to break open vit E capsules & add to all our normal lotions & potions.

Down skirt = environmental normcore! A bunch of these models are friends of mine. ::)

http://www.skhoop.us/

okay, now I want a down skirt. How cute are these?? Angie, you are so funny with your cold issues I am oblivious to it most of the time, and I don't necessarily "run warm" or anything, I just don't notice. I FEEL the cold, sure, but it doesn't bother me enough to wear insulating layers etc unless I'm actually skiing or walking outside. You guys are hilarious. Bring me another beer eh?

I will say the down skirts are remarkably cute. I brought a bunch of them to Sundance (my friend who sells them wanted me to give them to any celebs I met) and was mobbed by New Yorkers wanting them.

Una & Angie you could always move to Australia

In all seriousness, how do you wear them? Over what? Just wool tights?

Lisa, upon Caro's astute invitation, I would do soooo much better in Oz than Alaska. I have excellent resistant to the heat, but zero tolerance for the cold. Have been like that for 44 years. I would welcome hot flushes. Bring on menopause.

So I use different lengths for different purposes. The short one is for keeping my butt warm cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The midlength one is good for errands and running to and from car to store to school to gym. And the long one is for standing outside at the playground or winter events when it acts like a blanket around my lower half.

I will take some pics and post them! Even the shortest ones are cute and useful, like for ski tights if you don't want your derriere exposed.

Athleta and Title 9 have come up with knockoffs but these are my favorite.

I I like the idea of a mid-length one . It would make a cute weekend look with a big sweater and the new nice Sorels.

I abhor winter. I would happily do without the wonders of fall fashion if I could have some barefoot time in the sun every day. But even so I'm looking forward to seeing the bum warmer down skirts in some future WIWs.

Like Angie I would suggest turning the heat up, lighting a fire in the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa (or whatever) and not leaving the house! Unfortunately, while I don't live in Alaska, it does get below zero quite often where I live. Some of these suggestions are brilliant and I'm taking notes. What helps the most for me is keeping my hands and feet warm. I buy multiple pairs of those $2 stretchy gloves and have them in every coat pocket, car, bag, etc. That way I always have a pair available for myself or some other miserable soul who is freezing.

Start with thin under-layers: tops, bottoms and sox.
Add down, polarfleece or icelandic wool.
Wool legwarmers over pants.
Fleece-lined water-proof snow-pants.
(A down skirt sounds like a great addition).
Wool mittens with leather or nylon shells.
Insulated snowboots.

Then get out there and embrace it!

Angie, be careful what you wish for
Hot soup, tea, sweater sets, faux fur, grow out your leg hair

Chap stick, wool socks, thinsulate gloves and a down coat are how I deal with the cold in Pennsylvania. My thighs get super cold but I don't know if I can fit anything on under my jeans ! I do need to find a hat and will checking out the Garnet Hill Beanie, so hoping that this winter will not be as bad as the last one:)

Not sure why I read this thread as I live in a very temperate climate. Upthread, Una mentioned having had a scarf thingy filled with corn that she would heat in the MW and put on before getting in the car. A super cheap functional version of this is to take a tube sock and fill it with popcorn or rice, then sew or tie a knot at the end. Experiment with time in microwave as you don't want the corn to pop or the rice to scorch, much less have the thing too hot to hold. This works well on sore muscles or what have you.

Jackie/Viva, in our family everyone has either a tiny head (me and mom) or a ginormous head (my siblings and father). My mom and I can fit children's glasses and most hats slide down over our ears. We refer to it as being either a pin head or a pail head. My fiance has a pail head.

As to winter, fleece lined tights are a good option. I bought some at amazon last year and they were very cozy.

I have four or five down filled jackets that range from hip length to knee length.

Kiehls ultimate hand cream is a dream. My hands look prehistoric and today is the first day that is was below 0C. As it gets colder, they will crack and bleed from the cold dry air. This hand cream is a life-saver.

Coconut oil - I add a glob into the tub in the evening or my legs are like a snake shedding its skin.

Heated seats are a given and an attached garage helps too. If you are truly cold averse, heated indoor parking at the office. And last but not least, a month in a tropical climate preferably all of January. My widget tells me I leave for Mexico in 66 days. I will be there for 5.5 weeks. Ahhhh

ETA: I thought of one more. Gehwol foot cream. There is a regular one for daily use to keep heels in shape and a special one for cracked heels if you forget the regular one. Life savers!!

heated seats with a remote car starter! yessssss!

Due to high energy bills, our house is on the hot side in the summer and on the cold side in the winter. Thus my recommendation of a heated mattress pad. We also have flannel sheets, insulated tab-top curtains over the blinds of our windows, and a fairly large space heater in the bathroom.

A couple of other things:
L'occitane shea butter hand cream (see below)
and mittens. Much warmer than gloves. I like flip top ones, like fingerless gloves with a mitten top, so you can still use your hands when you have to.

Use fleece blankets for sheets. The bed is not cold to slide I to.

silk long underwear
real wool socks--a thin pair under a thicker pair
cashmere pullovers under bulky coarser woolen pullovers
lined wool pants
shearling mocs indoors
thick-soled tall boots outdoors
scarves around the neck at all times (silk, cashmere, or both)
a down coat past my knees
cashmere- or shearling-lined gloves
Fair-Isle-type wool knit hats (gives an extra layer of yarn)
trooper-style shearling hats with ear flaps for below-10-degrees days
Heel Crack ointment on feet & hands
Burt's Bees or Vaseline lip ointment on lips
Kiehl's Avocado Eye treatment around eyes & on eyelids
a mug of hot cider spiced with a cinnamon stick & spiked with rum
--and then I will be warm and happy.

tulle, I would suggest subbing earl grey tea for the cider, grand marnier for the rum and keep the cinnamon stick. Blueberry tea.

Thanks, Dianthus, I'll keep that recipe in mind!