Winter Fashion Sense

City life brings out impractical behaviors in people. Today, I'm talking about women's winter fashion. Boots that have no traction and / or are not water resistant. Tights. Are you kidding?

Let me start with Ugg boots. I'm sure they are as warm as warm gets. But really, you're spending about $120 for boots that stay warm until they step in water. You know, snow, slush, that kind of thing.

Then there are the high-fashion boots. These are the thigh-high boots with a heel, sometimes a serious heel. Put on some tights and a leather or fur full-length coat on and you're looking hot. Seriously, it does look awesome. But it also looks stupid unless you're going to an evening affair. In the loop in a Tuesday is probably not the time you need to look like a rock star or a model. Especially when you're on your ass after stepping on a patch of ice. You'll get several strong hands offering to help you up, but that won't make the bruise on your hip heal any faster.

I've been walking around for the last few days and, let me tell you, there is plenty of snow and ice available. Not just little patches, but deep patches in inconvenient places like parking lots, street corners, and some neglected sidewalks. And with our type of weather that gets cold, then warm, then cold, repeat, while snowing on-and-off and salt going down regularly, there is plenty of slush everywhere.

So ladies, when you're looking for winter fashions, and you need to look good everyday, look to outdoor specialists. I saw a very handsome long coat by the North Face. There are certainly plenty of options at places like Erehwon. Ugg even offers intelligent choices like the Langley ($299 at Nordstrom). If that's a touch much for your budget, Target has boots from $25. Yes, much of the cold-weather options are earthy, but you won't end up with cold wet feet and are far less likely to end up on your ass. And, seriously, who's looking at your foot fashion in the middle of a blizzard?