Winter wear part 3 - Accessory city

December 9, 10:04 PMChicago Style ExaminerJennifer Rifkin

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It is miserable outside. A winter monsoon. Snow that slushes and dribbles and slobbers all over your face, blowing from a thousand directions with the force of a magnet on your helpless body.  Your functional down jacket is doing its best, your durable boots pound pavement as safely as they can through the ice, but what about your hands your head your neck? What will protect them from the endless onslaught of natures abominable snowman?  

My mom used to say that heat escapes your body through the head and feet. Wandering around the house and chilly? Put on some socks.  Extra cold outdoors? Slap a hat on your head.  Strangely enough she never mentioned the possibility of heat seeping out through your neck, but I find that perhaps this is one of the most sensitive places to a blustery wind. Regardless, keeping all these random body parts covered is a super smart choice when hitting the Chicago streets in winter.  Luckily, winter accessories offer a variety of styles, promising that your head will look darling, even if your hair is atrocious underneath.
 

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How to wear it:

Gloves
Keep your poor little pinkies covered with the necessary pair of gloves.  Knit selections are one size fits all and come in a menagerie of colors. Just be cautioned to stay away from snowball packing in these easily saturated styles or you will end up one soggy sally.

Leather is beautiful and elegant. It always reminds me of throwback movies with women in long grey leather gloves, smoking cigarettes and wearing fur trimmed capes.  Since only one of those three things is still in style, we’ll just find some supple grey leather gloves and be on our way.

Nylon is made for shoveling snow.  They may look and feel like hockey gloves, but they serve a specific purpose. That being said, don’t wear these unless you are shoveling snow.

Hats
Don’t let all that heat escape! A silly stocking cap with bouncing balls on top? A fancy French beret? So many options, all set to make your hair flat and full of static.  I love the new style that pairs thick crocheted stocking cap with a short brim. It keeps your head warm and simultaneously shades your eyes from sun and snow. Whatever your hat of choice, make sure it covers your ears. The massive ice headache pounding through your brain for hours after escaping the cold will teach you the harsh lesson of what a winter wind on your ears can do.
 

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Scarves

The most fun winter accessory! Fun and fashionable, scarves are the perfect accent with or without a coat.  Lightweight cotton with metallic threads spread holiday cheer. Thick woolen striped scarves channel the Harry Potter in all of us, and I’m not one to pass on magic adornments! Cashmere scarves that can also double as wraps will be perfect for all your upcoming holiday parties when keeping your shoulders covered lasts up until the third cocktail before your Elaine dancing really gets started.

Where to find it:

Target – perfect for inexpensive accessories so that you can stock up for the many cold months to come.

Gap – those addicting ads make us want a matching hat glove scarf set so we look just as cute as the cast from SNL.

LL Bean – probably not going to find me in this store for any other reason, but their winter gear is pretty excellent.

At the end of the day, no matter what coat we buy what boots we wear or what scarf we choke around our neck, we just bow our heads to the weather gods and wait for winter to be over. One big red X over every day until the Cubs home opener brings the joy of Summer back into our hearts.  Good luck, and god speed.