New2NY: February 2009

If there is one thing I've noticed about New Yorkers in the winter, it's that nobody wears coats. Sure people are covered up; except for the Naked Cowboy prancing around in his briefs, I don't see much bare pale skin from people these days. I'm not talking about those light-weight wool trendy coats or the leather bombers or even the gargantuan furs overwhelming the shoulders of little old ladies everywhere. I'm talking about the Goose down, microfiber, L.L. Bean, made-for-negative-20-degrees coats.

Travel up to Boston or Providence or even Albany, and you will find the Columbias, Northfaces and Lands Ends that New Yorkers see in adds on the street, but never actually buy unless taking a ski trip to the Adirondacks. It's a style thing.

I own what I call my marshmallow coat. It's white and fluffy, made from synthetic down (supposedly warmer than the real thing), has a hood that pulls so tight I can make it so that only my nose peeks out (not 100% practical, but good for the wind or when I want to be in disguise), and the best part is that while it covers everything from my keppi to my kishkas, I can wear a tank top underneath and still be toasty in that coat. I'll be the first to admit it's not very stylish. It wouldn't go well with a pair of Tory Burch skimmers and it would stand-up a D&G hobo. It certainly would clash with a Fredrik Fekkai styled do and a Chanel face. Needless to say, you won't see Isla Fischer wearing my coat in her recently released Confessions of a Shopaholic.

This coat was my constant companion in Boston. But, how many times have I worn that coat this winter? Twice.

I understand that New York's climate is slightly milder than what I left in Boston, however, there have been days (re: this morning) when I wish I would have dragged my 10 lb. monster coat out of hiding and taken up double space on the subway despite how crowded it is. Then there's the hauling. When I already walk around with my gym bag over one shoulder, my purse on the other, my left hand balancing my lunch and my right hand doing the Metrocard swiping, I'd need to be an octopus to handle much more. My pedestrial lifestyle prohibits marshmallow coat wearing.

Even though I'd prefer not to think the style thing affects me, this is the fashion capital of the country and I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't. Not that I can afford the Tory Burch skimmers or the Chanel face, but working and living in this city, you almost work harder to present a better image of yourself.

New Yorkers do find other ways to keep warm - whether drinking/holding five cups of Starbucks a day, standing over subway grates to feel the warm breeze engulf their feet, ducking into walk-through stores as shortcuts between streets, and my personal favorite, making sure to walk by and linger under hotel entrances with heat lamps. Who needs a marshmallow coat when you've got all this?

I'll keep mine though, you know, in case I go back to Boston, Providence, Albany...