NEW YORK — Practicality is often the enemy of fashion. And nothing pushes the fashionable toward pragmatism as well as inclement elements, since a pouring rain or a blizzard can crack even the chicest of wills. But as it turns out, the glamorati of New York have it all figured out. For the inevitable subzero temperatures and snowy sidewalks that lie ahead, many of the city’s chicest women are, for the most part, unbowed. To those who might ask if it’s really possible to stay chic in the dead of winter, the answer is a resounding “Yes.”
A great many of the city’s women know that cold isn’t cute. Shivering isn’t chic. And so they adjust accordingly. “My main concern is warmth,” says girl-about-town and J. Mendel public relations director Lauren Davis. “If it’s wintertime, I’m wearing a turtleneck out to a nightclub, because I don’t want to be cold for those 15 minutes that I might be outside.” Davis layers with ultrathin underclothes from Italian lingerie company Dana Profili and thigh-high cashmere socks bought at a riding store in London, and she recently purchased fur-lined boots from Jimmy Choo.
She isn’t alone in the camp where warmth is king. Plenty of women choose not to suffer an iota, including designer and former ice-skater Vera Wang, who advises leaving the soigné looks for warmer climes and going supremely sportif. “If you apply a ladylike thought pattern to dressing for really bitter, arctic weather, you’re always going to look ridiculous,” she says. Wang channels the ski slopes, streamlining with leggings, then pairing them with sporty accessories, a great sweater and something fur from her vast personal collection, which includes pieces from Fendi, Marni, Prada, her own line and even a few vintage Claude Montanas.
Although Diane von Furstenberg doesn’t have to step outside to get from home to office, when she does venture out of her West Village town house, she takes her dressing cues from her experience as a hiker. “The key to looking chic in the extreme cold is layers,” says von Furstenberg. Another fan of practicality — and leggings — is Scoop’s Stefani Greenfield, whose winter style ideal is the oft-referenced “Love Story”-era Ali MacGraw. “Give me a Fair Isle or an Aran knit sweater, beat-up Levi’s and the Michael Kors Beaverton boot and I’m your girl,” she cracks.
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But in the war between the functional and the fashionable, some women choose to compromise between the warm and the ridiculously inappropriate — open-toed sandals and a fur jacket. “I don’t think women use cold weather as an excuse to change their dressing habits,” explains Bergdorf Goodman women’s fashion director Roopal Patel. “I think they use it more so to enhance their appearance. A lot of luxurious accessories come out of the closet in the winter — cashmere, fur. Fur has been phenomenal for us.”
She is, indeed, on the money. Fur factors heavily into many a wintry style solution in its myriad forms: jackets, hats, vests, scarves and coats. Patel herself opts for a little black sheared mink jacket by Cassin and swears by the fur scarf. Although the Fur Informational Council of America doesn’t break its figures down by region, executive director Keith Kaplan says New York is “by far the number one market” for fur sales.
But the secret of fur seems to be in how it’s worn, and the coat is only one option. Considering how many women have professed a love of the fur hat, there are sure to be many a would-be Anna Karenina around in the months to come. Beyond that, there are innovative pieces such as the sheared mink blazer by Dennis Basso recently purchased by Marjorie Raein, founder of luxurious home and beauty line Vie Luxe. “It looks like a velvet jacket, but it’s really warm,” she effuses. “It’s sort of like fur in disguise.”
And there seem to be few items so versatile as the fur vest, which beefs up the warmth of a thin coat or sweater, and also can be the passport from outside to in, helping a girl glide past the coat check without a care. Catalogue Vivre sold out of Michael Kors’ Chinese raccoon and feather vest — at $2,695 a pop — in less than three weeks. And its eight Alvin Valley fox-trimmed wool hunting vests, a relative bargain at $995, sold out in just a week. Vests in general, whether fur, down or quilted cotton, are extremely popular wardrobe components.
Of course, a major point of discussion is footwear. On the subject of the once-again ubiquitous Ugg boots, strong opinions abound on both sides. It’s no news flash that the trend has lost its cachet, and one only needs to walk outside to realize that the boots have reached critical mass. As for the folks at Ugg Australia, they are unfazed and even amused. “When people say to me that it’s just a trend, I just laugh,” says company president Connie Rishwain “It’s not just about fashion, it’s about function. And the boots are just a small part of our business.”
And it helps that the boot’s high visibility in recent years has brought a little holiday joy to their California offices. “We’re ecstatic about it!” says Rishwain.
As is the case with the cyclical nature of fashion, there are, of course, other contenders to the crown — the first being the Native American beaded suede and fur boot called the mukluk. The look recently got a big boost after being photographed on style icon Kate Moss. “It was insanity with the mukluks,” says Kirna Zabête co-owner Sarah Easley, who owns a pair herself. “They arrived at the store on a Wednesday, and we sold out over the weekend with no advertising or editorial.”
Both Scoop and Intermix have been doing brisk business with Michael Kors’ shearling boots, and Scoop’s Greenfield reported being sold out of the Marc by Marc Jacobs $180 “moonboots” in September. Though less visible, Malo also did lunar-inspired boots lined in shearling, which are the personal choice of Eva Lorenzotti, founder of the Vivre catalogue, and what Lori Hirshleifer, buyer for Hirshleifer’s at the Americana Manhasset, will be wearing as well. Earnest Sewn’s Eleanor Lembo went completely authentic, picking up a pair of Sorel ski boots. Along with her mukluks, Kirna Zabête’s Easley will be wearing her favorite Frye boots. Helen Schifter has discovered the stacked crepe-soled boot from Hogan and Tod’s. And West Village boutique Elizabeth Charles nearly sold out of the long-haired Regina après-ski boots.
However, some maintain that Aspen is a long way from the A train, and ne’er the twain shall meet. “I think it’s ridiculous if it’s not on the slopes or somewhere near,” says ultrachic handbag designer Devi Kroell of the hirsute boots. “I wear them in Gstaad, but never in New York.” She opts for a pair of bespoke leather riding-style boots.
But big, bohemian and functional is not for everyone. “I will literally wear the nice shoes, knowing they’re going to get ruined,” says Zani Gugelmann. “I’m not the person who wears the tennis shoes and switches when they get to a party.” Ditto Marjorie Raein, who sniffs, “I don’t care for winter footwear. I’m always wearing no pantyhose and sort of delicate shoes that are never appropriate.” But, she adds with a laugh, “I’m probably the person who is wiped out in the ice patch.”
However, Bergdorf’s Patel, who is also of that school, staunchly defends her winter sandal-wearing. “I really like my sandals. I’m just not a boot girl,” she says. “But I think it looks chic, and I’m comfortable.”
Still, there are cases when function, design and luxury converge to beautiful effect. In Wang’s last fall collection, she lined a slim Russian broadtail coat with woven six-ply cashmere. Designer Rachel Roy, who is responsible for an eponymous collection and the Rocawear line, swears by her cashmere-lined Louis Vuitton raincoat. And Barneys New York vice president and fashion director Julie Gilhart found winter coat perfection in Prada’s black down jacket, brightened up with beaded elbow patches and a touch of fur trim. The jacket sold out at Barneys on Madison Avenue.
Meanwhile, Hirshleifer reports that Chanel’s ski line and shearling-lined leather boots are flying off the shelves there. Fashion-lover Lisa Airan, who wears Manolo Blahnik sheepskin boots as well as Uggs, is a fan of pieces that marry technology and design, citing Dior’s Ski line, manufactured by ski company Dynastar.
Though every woman has her own way of solving the winter style puzzle, what they share is the optimistic view that deep winter is as much a time for being stylish as any other season. “The whole function thing — the ‘Let’s get everything in black’ mentality — is just a cop-out,” says Debi Greenberg, owner of Louis Boston, where they certainly know something about cold New England winters. “We sold a multitude of multicolored tweed coats from Tuleh and Dries Van Noten. People have gotten away from that mentality of wanting one coat to do everything.”
Gap designer Pina Ferlisi prefers a utilitarian, military-inspired winter look. “Style is the first thing I think of,” she says. “I don’t think about stocking up because it’s going to get cold. I’ll buy great scarves and hats because I love the color or the texture.”
Much the same as other seasons, accessories have the potential to ratchet up the fun quotient. Rachel Roy relies on a vintage gold mesh bag to dress up jeans and chunky sweaters, as well as substantive jewelry from Alexis Bittar and Erickson Beamon. And it seems other women think similarly. At Barneys, Balenciaga’s holiday bag, in metallic neon pink and red, sold out. Kirna Zabête also carries the bag, which co-owner Beth Buccini owns in both colors, while Vivre is selling well with Michael Kors’ fur bag and Oscar de la Renta’s decadent mink bag with chain straps.
Also, there’s no need for gloves and hats to be basic. Schifter still waxes eloquent about a beautiful pair of pale gray and cream Fair Isle mittens that she has had since boarding school. And then there is the fun knit hat, of which most women have amassed collections. “I love old-school yummy cashmere hats. Missoni makes really cute ones,” says hat collector Emilia Fanjul. Wang, who owns more than 20 hats, likes to go elfin in a knit cap topped with two tufts of fake fur. But despite all the wonderfully cozy, upbeat chill-chasers out there, sometimes the bad weather can get the better of a girl. Hirshleifer notes that Jennifer Lopez dropped by recently and picked up one of DSquared’s mince-no-words “F—ing Freezing” hats.
Joy to the world!