Winter clothes for office (Madison, Burlington: buy, shops, bus)

[Changeistuff]

I moved from South Florida to Wisconsin and this is my first winter here. I was wondering how do young professional women dress for work in winters?
I am in my late 20s. My winter wardrobe consists of couple of sweaters and a jacket.
I am completely clueless as to how to dress for work. Do people wear winter clothes even inside the work place (jackets, gloves, boots)? Or will regular office clothes with sweater work? Can I wear the same coat and boots everyday or do I need more than a pair? Can someone suggest some stores/brands where I can buy some long lasting, trendy office clothes for winter? Pictures would help too. Thanks.

[RemiJP]

You do not wear an outdoor coat (though a blazer is fine) or gloves inside, but it gave me a chuckle that you asked! No one will care if you only have one coat, as long as it's warm enough. Though it's common to have a lighter coat (like a wool pea coat) for 30 degrees+ and a heavier warm coat for super cold weather. The type of boots you wear depends on the workplace. Nice leather, high-heeled boots that go with a skirt and tights are not practical if you have to do a lot of walking outside, but fine if you are just going from your car into work. Most girls have a few different types of boots depending on the weather and their outfits: brown or black leather, rain boots, lined waterproof boots for snow/slush. It's also fine to wear heavy waterproof boots to work and change into heels or flats once you get there. Common stores for office wear are Express, Banana Republic/Old Navy, J.Crew, H&M. Take a look at what others are wearing and go with that! Madison is little less focused on clothing trends than other cities, but people WILL notice if you aren't prepared for the weather.

[30rock]

You don't have to go overboard with the winter clothing at all (unless you have to spend considerable time outdoors). No, you probably don't want to wear a sundress, but if you're just hopping into your car and heading to work, you can even wear short sleeves (with a coat on when you're outside, of course) if you want. You'll be spending your day in a comfortable, heated environment. I know in my Midwest workplace, I never wear sweaters to work because our office is *always* overheated.

A heavy coat and gloves is just fine for outside--most people just have one or two winter coats that they wear during the course of the season. You don't need boots unless you have to walk quite a ways. If you're just walking into your workplace from their parking lot, you can certainly just come in with heels on (watch for possible ice, though!) You can always change into heels or flats once inside--you will get weird looks if you walk around indoors all day with heavy boots on!

[Angela Tess]

I agree...you don't need to go overboard at all. You'll be spending your time in a heated environment so you don't have to overdress for the indoors.

[ranger17]

a couple pointers, based on my wife's 20+ yrs in an office setting up there.
First off, layers.... until you get a feel for what the office is set at, best to have layers that can go on/off as needed. My wife dealt with some co-workers who, during hot flashes, would turn the heat way down. Then others would turn it back up, and so on.
Also, plan on having a decent pair of boots for going to and from work. You will learn that just because it's sunny in the am, doesn't mean you won't have a good snowfall by the time you go to leave. Sure the lots are plowed, but not between each car ( remember you'll have to walk around in the precious white stuff to clean off your windows all the way around ). So watch the morning news, and any chance of snow, be prepared. As noted earlier, you can carry in your work shoes ( or leave some at the office ). Oh, and for dealing with snow: those cute all-fabric little gloves that are cheap and easy to carry around?? Not so great at keeping hands warm once they get soaked from the snow. But, those little gloves can come in handy ( no pun intended ) if you are in a colder office or work near north facing windows ( no direct sun for warmth ): cut the fingers off and you're all set for typing.
Finally, as this is to be your first winter up there, you are probably already feeling colder then the locals. It will take some time to get accustomed to the temps so you may find yourself bundling up more then really needed.
Good luck, and enjoy it!

[silverjet]

LOL. It would be kind of hard to type on the keyboard if you've got gloves/mittens on! Although depending on your workplace, you may certainly feel like you want to put them on (especially at a place like mine where it's always cool b/c some people are apparently always hot and complain).

Basically, layering is always a good idea, like everyone else has suggested. I take the bus and walk, so I will wear boots to and from work and keep a change of shoes in my bag to put on at work. I personally like to keep a sweater at my desk at all times just in case. It may not be a bad idea to visit some shops and/or browse different stores online just to see what the different winter styles are and to get ideas of how to wear things. I personally like places like Banana Republic, J Crew and Macys.

[erinuncool]

Layers! I like to layer a cami, then a blouse or 3/4 sleeve shirt and then a cardigan.

And look for a warm winter coat. Something with down fill would be ideal, but it's not entirely necessary. Burlington Coat Factory might have something if you want to see all of your options at once without wasting any time.

I sometimes bring an extra pair of socks with me to work just in case I have an issue with slush.

OH and also- a lightweight, gauzy-style scarf goes a long way when it comes to drafts! And they can be worn indoors.

Get some catalogs from j.crew, etc if you are looking for ideas as far as fashion goes.

[Changeistuff]

Thank you so much for your response. I bought a nice coat and a pair of gloves last week. I am still confused about the boots. There are so many of them out there. What material & length should I go for?

Thanks once again.