work clothes? (Fairbanks, Hope: houses, school, maintenance)

[hawaii718]

i hope this question to you doesnt seem as stupid as the questions i have been getting about moving to alaska (do they live in igloos, do they use US dollars, etc) but....what do i wear to work?? i will be working in a school and im thinking, well am i going to wear my snow boots to work or what i would normally wear (pumps, or something with a heel.) whats your normal professional wardrobe like?

[warptman]

Yes, in the winter we all live in Igloos. Some people have three story mansions made of snow. In the summer though, we move into sod houses underground. As for work wear, we use mukluks year round. My mom makes rainpants out of dried seal intestines, they fend off the water very good. In the winter I use a beaver pelt hat and in the summer I use a hat made from muskoxen fur. Hope this helps. I'm going to go cook some walrus up now, have a great evening!

[hawaii718]

thanks

[stiffnecked]

Not trying to be funny or anything. But many of us wear XtraTufs year round. Now I do have some of the low cuts for dress up and special occasions. I know regular people that carry dress shoes in thier backpacks and change once they get to work. It just seems like a waste of time to me....



Mens XTRATUF 16" Steel Toe Neoprene Safety Boots

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

Not trying to be funny or anything. But many of us wear XtraTufs year round. Now I do have some of the low cuts for dress up and special occasions. I know regular people that carry dress shoes in thier backpacks and change once they get to work. It just seems like a waste of time to me....



Mens XTRATUF 16" Steel Toe Neoprene Safety Boots

lol, sorry I found your post hilarious.

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Just wear whatever you would normally wear, unless you plan on hiking to the school, you don't have to worry what type of shoes you wear or what jacket to wear.

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=79590&rendTypeId=4 (broken link)

[RayinAK]

Wear your snow boots (pack boots?) on your way to work and back, and wear whatever shoes are more comfortable to you at work. For example, a lot of students at UAF who decide to walk instead of riding the bus wear winter boots (Sorel pack boots, etc.) on their way to the classroom, and then retrieve comfortable shoes from their backpacks to wear all day. But some other students wear the same shoes in the classroom and out.

And I will tell you a true story that is hard to believe unless you see it with your own eyes: there is a young man at UAF who always wears shorts and walks barefooted, regardless of how cold it is outside. I have seen him walking barefooted at -20. He told me that he has been doing this for 20 years, since he was a child. The only time the cold gives him a hard time is when his feet get wet, and then he walks on the ice, because the soles of his feet stick to the ice and his soles bleed. Otherwise, the cold doesn't seem to affect him at all.

[hawaii718]

we have a few weeks before moving into our place and i guess my mind is still not grasping the concept of these negative temperatures

[Jonotastic]

I think you will be surprised that it's not as "wild" as you think or most people think for that manner.

[Grannysroost]

Not sure how far you are going to be commuting, but if Fairbanks or anywhere else, would want the boots, warm coat or jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, and keep the extra clothing gear in the vehicle in case of emergency...not sure what they wear, but would think casual/dress pants, sweater..and take reasonable shoes like flats until you get an idea what others wear, I think will be way more relaxed...I bought a new pair of heels a few years ago, and still not broken in....I wear slippers at home or flip-flops in the summer....off to clean my igloo and count my shells

[karibear]

Originally Posted by hawaii718

we have a few weeks before moving into our place and i guess my mind is still not grasping the concept of these negative temperatures

I used to work in a school, and with a few exceptions like maintenance, etc, most of the staff wore whatever suited the outside conditions and kept a pair of inside shoes at work - or at least in the teacher's lounge. In fact, most of the office workers in general did the same thing. If you wear Sorels all day, your feet do stay nice and toasty, but they are also heavy compared to regular shoes and it takes a period of adjustment. I can also say it wasn't all that unusual to see a woman wearing a mink coat and diamonds right along with Xtra Tuffs, Sorels, or almost any kind of khee boots.