Are winter skirts ever warm?

[Laura Corin]

I need to buy winter clothes for work. I'll be driving to work, but will need to walk to and from the car, as well as stopping off for errands and dropping into school. I have a long down Lands' End coat that I bought on sale last year.

 

I usually wear trousers, but I don't like skinny trousers tucked into boots as a work style. I'm planning on buying flat knee-length Gore-Tex boots (which will then come up above the level of the hem of my coat). The boots look a lot more refined IRL than in that picture.

 

If I wear trousers over them, then the hems will get soaked in heavy rain/slush. Are skirts worn with boots ever warm? I would wear tights with cotton or (if not itchy) wool.

 

The weather here is cool in winter - daytime temperatures a few degrees above freezing, with a pretty ferocious wind.

 

FWIW, I don't care what this year's styles are. I need classic, classy and practical.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

Edited September 13, 2012 by Laura Corin

[Little Nyssa]

Are you really in Scotland? I'm sure they have a lot of woollen fabric there that they use for warm skirts or..... kilts.

[regentrude]

Absolutely. In fact, I find winter skirts with boots and woolen tights much warmer than pants (mainly because I can not stand wearing pantyhose underneath my pants). When I still lived in Europe and had to be about and about a lot all year round, waiting at bus stops etc (not driving from garage to work) I wore a lot of skirts during the winter.

[VeganCupcake]

Skirts are pretty warm if you wear "sweater pants" under them. :)

 

ETA: sweater pants can be any kind of tights, leggings, or long underwear that you like.

[CupOCoffee]

Skirts are pretty warm if you wear "sweater pants" under them. :)

 

ETA: sweater pants can be any kind of tights, leggings, or long underwear that you like.

 

:iagree: and agree with another post that says that sometimes, this set up is warmer than pants. Go for it!

[Flowing Brook]

I think skirts can be warm. I do not like tights or leggings. So instead I wear a thick flannel slip under my skirt.

[Laura Corin]

Are you really in Scotland? I'm sure they have a lot of woollen fabric there that they use for warm skirts or..... kilts.

 

Skirts just sound draughty.....

 

Laura

[xixstar]

I love my long skirts in winter, especially if I have my fleece leggins on too. :) I do like adding in a longer satin slip though, otherwise, sometimes my leggings grab at my skirt and that drives me nuts. :)

[Laura Corin]

Skirts are pretty warm if you wear "sweater pants" under them. :)

 

ETA: sweater pants can be any kind of tights, leggings, or long underwear that you like.

 

I won't be able to over-dress for the office, because I think the guys crank the heating up. So I'll be wearing a woollen skirt with tights underneath and boots in the office. Then I'll put on a below-the-knee coat when I leave. I'm just afraid of chilliness/breezes at the margin between boots and skirt/coat.

 

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Absolutely. In fact, I find winter skirts with boots and woolen tights much warmer than pants (mainly because I can not stand wearing pantyhose underneath my pants). When I still lived in Europe and had to be about and about a lot all year round, waiting at bus stops etc (not driving from garage to work) I wore a lot of skirts during the winter.

 

My memory of skirts in winter is probably from school uniform days, when we were not allowed to wear boots.

 

Laura

[mumto2]

I used to keep a couple of pairs of ballet flats in my desk drawer. That way I didn't have to wear boots all day.

[WTMCassandra]

Make the skirt longish, like mid-calf length, of a sturdy fabric. Wear silk long underwear bottoms. Then put 100% wool tights over that, and extra socks, if you'd like. If it's not quite as cold, I wear leggings and knee socks. These measures keep me very toasty. The skirt seems to trap warmer air in a kind of insulating cone, especially if it's a nice sturdy one.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Not really, but last year I discovered fleece lined tights, they are wonderful.

Got them at Sears, perhaps someone could send them to you?

[Audrey]

I need to buy winter clothes for work. I'll be driving to work, but will need to walk to and from the car, as well as stopping off for errands and dropping into school. I have a long down Lands' End coat that I bought on sale last year.

 

I usually wear trousers, but I don't like skinny trousers tucked into boots as a work style. I'm planning on buying flat knee-length Gore-Tex boots (which will then come up above the level of the hem of my coat). The boots look a lot more refined IRL than in that picture.

 

If I wear trousers over them, then the hems will get soaked in heavy rain/slush. Are skirts worn with boots ever warm? I would wear tights with cotton or (if not itchy) wool.

 

The weather here is cool in winter - daytime temperatures a few degrees above freezing, with a pretty ferocious wind.

 

FWIW, I don't care what this year's styles are. I need classic, classy and practical.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

I wear skirts and boots all the time in winter. Nice thing is that if your skirts are knee length and your boots come just below the knee, you can wear anything underneath. I have even worn leggings underneath and they look the same as opaque tights, but are warmer.

 

I prefer cotton tights or a cotton/wool blend. Synthetics do not breathe and you need that for both warmth and comfort.

 

Most of my best winter work skirts come from Boden. They have nice wool blend, classic looking skirts in fall/winter. They also incorporate colour a bit, which is nice when all winter long all you see is miles and miles of snow frozen tundra (okay not tundra, but we're close) and everyone in black parkas and wool coats.

 

For good winter boots that are nice for work, I like Martino. They are a Canadian brand. Good traction and warmth, practical, but still stylish without looking trendy.

 

ETA: Sweater dresses are nice, too.

Edited September 13, 2012 by Audrey

[Nan in Mass]

I would get wool snuggies (short long underwear bottoms) and put them over tights. Then when I got to work, I would doff the snuggies in the bathroom. On particularly cold days, I'd do silk long underwear as well. That layers well under leggings. I wear boots with leggings (with silk under for very cold days) and wool socks under longish skirts all the time in winter and don't think of them as any colder than pants. It certainly makes a more adjustable outfit (in case of overheated buildings). You will need a slip to match the length of the skirt unless the skirt is a nice lined one, to keep it from riding up when you walk.

 

Nan

[regentrude]

I won't be able to over-dress for the office, because I think the guys crank the heating up. So I'll be wearing a woollen skirt with tights underneath and boots in the office. Then I'll put on a below-the-knee coat when I leave. I'm just afraid of chilliness/breezes at the margin between boots and skirt/coat.

 

Switch shoes at the office. Save the boots for outside, wear a pair of flats of pumps inside. I can't imagine spending my day inside wearing boots.

 

And if you are worried about the margin boot/skirt: wear a longer skirt.

[Laura Corin]

I would get wool snuggies (short long underwear bottoms) and put them over tights. Then when I got to work, I would doff the snuggies in the bathroom.

 

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Switch shoes at the office. Save the boots for outside, wear a pair of flats of pumps inside. I can't imagine spending my day inside wearing boots.

 

 

I could easily leave them at the office.

 

Laura

[Excelsior! Academy]

Cuddlduds

 

http://shop.cuddlduds.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=99

 

These are really warm!

[gardenmom5]

My daughter had to wear skirts in the winter - yes, you can find warm skirts. long hem, fabrics such as: wool, heavy-poly knit, cord. wear a silk-weight long underwear underneath. if it's breathable, you won't be hot while inside. she also wore wool-tights.

[stripe]

For a couple years my winter uniform was thick stockings or leggings (or both!) plus a wool knit skirt (fairly snug, simple rectangle shape) plus boots. I was plenty warm.

[Guest chtistine j]

OH yes they are very warm. I am much warmer in a long wool skirt than pants anytime. I prefer A line and just below the knee. My boots are about even with the hem on my skirt or just a few inches below. I weare a prairy type petticoat under my lined wool skirt and am toasty warm all the time. If I get to hot at work, I can take off the petticoat and hide it in a bag or something till I have to brave the elements again. The single layer slip is not bulky enoughh to show, but very warm.

 

Christine in San Francisco

[redsquirrel]

I am planning to get some of those fleece lined tights for this winter!

[Laura Corin]

OH yes they are very warm. I am much warmer in a long wool skirt than pants anytime. I prefer A line and just below the knee. My boots are about even with the hem on my skirt or just a few inches below. I weare a prairy type petticoat under my lined wool skirt and am toasty warm all the time. If I get to hot at work, I can take off the petticoat and hide it in a bag or something till I have to brave the elements again. The single layer slip is not bulky enoughh to show, but very warm.

 

Christine in San Francisco

 

Thanks, Christine. I've lived in the Bay Area, and Scotland is a different climate altogether.

 

This is an old thread. I ended up going with lined wool trousers and just folding up the bottoms when it was really rainy. It worked fine.

 

Thanks again

 

Laura

[Lizzie in Ma]

Not so much but life changed for the better when I discovered that there are now fleece lined tights!!

[Starr]

It's all about the layering. I wore skirts in colder climates than Scotland. You wear the boots and scarves and long warm coat when you go out and put on lighter boots or shoes when you get to the office. I used to leave shoes at work. Buy one skirt and see how it goes.

[Miss Marple]

I purchased an insulated skirt from a snow-apparel company. Here's an article detailing several manufacturers of "insulated" skirts:

http://www.theadventurepost.com/all-posts/gift-ideas-winter-skirts-with-insulation/

 

I have found that long winter weight woolen skirts worn over sweater tights with boots can be warmer than trousers.

[justamouse]

I've wanted to switch to skirts in winter for so long because I am perpetually cold in pants, but I was afraid I would be colder in skirts. Now I'm going to try it.

[Tarreymere]

Pants aren't typically very thick and I don't wear them so loose that it is possible to fit fleece tights or long johns beneath them. With pants the only layer on my legs is the material of the pants themselves.

 

With skirts I can layer as much as I like beneath them, especially with skirts with an elastic waist. This is great for me because we heat with a wood stove in Pennsylvania and it does get cold the further you get from the stove. I would think that you could layer as much as you like for the outside and then use the suggestion of a previous poster to remove the unneeded layers once you get to work. I've been known to put on footless tights and fleece pants under my longer skirts in the winter in the early morning and then remove the fleece pants as the day gets warmer.