Now, please let me start by laying out some facts.
Firstly, even if the temperature outside is -21 degrees, it would be between 21 to 25 degrees in an indoor environment. We're not talking about some farmhouse in rural Mongolia, we're talking about Norway and Germany, two extremely modern and rich countries in Europe where all modern buildings come with proper heating. That means that when you are in Norway in January, most indoor environments will have the same temperature of an air-conditioned environment in Singapore. So if you are going to sit down for a 2 hour meeting in a client, you must be dressed appropriately so you don't find yourself sweating profusely within 15 minutes because you're so overdressed.
 |
| London at Christmas time - but it is always +24 degrees in my flat! |
Secondly, a lot of this really depends on how you are going to make your way to and from the business meeting. If you are going to be picked up from your hotel in a taxi and driven directly to the office where you're having your meetings, then you won't even need any kind of winter clothing given that it is going to be very warm (21 to 25 degrees) in the taxi. If you intend to make your way by public transport and that involves a ten minute walk to the nearest bus stop and possibly ten to twenty minute wait at the bus stop, followed by maybe scenic walk through the park or by the river before getting to the office, then you will need appropriate clothing to keep you warm when you are outdoors.
Thirdly, there isn't a "winter" business wardrobe and a "summer" business wardrobe - people dress more or less the same way in the office whether it is December or June in most corporate environments and I stress that it is really not necessary to wear jumpers or sweaters indoors because it simply isn't cold in most offices (well, not unless the heating is not working properly). Depending on your industry, sometimes you can get away with looking a bit more casual, but sometimes you cannot especially if you have to put the corporate image of your employers before your comfort.
 |
| That's me in Poland earlier this month - it was very cold indeed! |
So with that in mind, what are the solutions? I have the following suggestions to offer if you are going to a very cold country for business and want to look good for your meetings.
1. Don't bother with too much winter clothing - go with the minimum.
Allow me to share a true story. I have a friend who had to go to Almaty in Kazakhstan in winter for a business trip - now it can drop to -30 in Almaty in winter and the temperature is well below zero for most of winter. So he packed enough winter clothing for -30 and guess what? He was driven from the very well heated airport to his very well heated hotel in a very well heated taxi. For the next few days, he was taken from his very well heated hotel to the clients' very well heated offices in a very heated car. He barely experienced any cold at all despite it being bitterly cold outside because he didn't have the time to go sightseeing and walking in the park - he was there on business, not holiday. As he was working so hard, all he wanted to do was sleep when he had any time to spare. And of course, needless to say, he didn't use any of the winter clothing that he had packed (and his bags were so heavy).
So if you're going to end up having that kind of business trip, then don't worry too much about winter clothing - just go with the minimum. After all, you're going to be spending most of your time in offices - you're not about to climb Mt Everest. Remember, if you have to walk 2 minutes to get from say the hotel to the train station out in the cold, you wouldn't need to wrap up as if you're about to go camping on top of a glacier in Greenland.
 |
| London in winter - not that cold actually. |
2. Bring a change of clothes in a bag.
If you are really keen to look your best in the office for the meeting, then bring your office outfit with you in a bag (or wear part of it under your many layers of winter clothing). Simply arrive at your meeting 10 minutes early and ask if there is somewhere you could change - usually you would be able to go into somewhere like a disabled toilet or a storeroom so you can get yourself ready. You can then dress up or your long day of meetings in the office without worrying about being cold. When you're done, simply change back into your many layers of winter clothing before venturing out into the cold. So if you decide that you will be warmer wearing jeans in the cold, that's fine - wear that when you are out and about in the cold, but not during the business meeting in the board room. This way you can get to wear your skirt and heels without having to worry about walking through the snow in them!
3. Use ski wear - it is a good investment.
Even if you have absolutely no intention to go skiing, ski wear is brilliant for the cold weather. It is usually fairly loose fitting, so it can easily slip on over your office wear. And ski wear is specifically designed to keep your dry and warm in the snow, so you know you can go rolling in the snow no matter how cold it is. Women would have to wear trousers though, skirts are simply not practical in cold winter weather. You may get a few comments like, "ooh, what are you wearing? Are you going skiing or are you going to the office today?" But who cares? It is great for the cold weather and it is a good investment because you'll be able to go skiing in your ski wear for years to come!
 |
| That's me skiing in Austria earlier this year. |
Finally, the fashion police would like me to warn you against the following items in the boardroom.
1. Inappropriate shoes. Hiking boots are simply not appropriate for the boardroom - please wear suitable shoes for business meetings. Hiking or snow boots just look plain wrong in the office.
2. Thick woolly jumpers/sweaters - they just look plain ugly and besides, you just don't need them indoor. If you must wear them to stay warm whilst outside in the snow, fine - but hide that awful looking jumper in your bag before your client thinks, "that's a bloody ugly sweater". Is that the first impression you want to give your client?
3. Any kind of hats, coats, gloves and scarves indoors. No, those are for the outdoors only.
4. Jeans or any kind of casual clothing you may choose to wear to keep warm. Wear what you want to stay warm outdoors but please change to appropriate office attire for the business meeting.
 |
| I love winter! |
So there you go. I hope that answers your questions Yong - if you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I hope you have a lovely trip to Norway and Germany! Thank you very much for reading.
Hi Limpeh, what about overcoats? Do people still wear them, and is it appropriate for the office? Does it keep you warmer than a normal suit jacket?
ReplyDeleteOvercoats are stylish and beautiful but really for not very cold weather - I wear them in London as it doesn't get cold in London during our winter. It's 29 Dec and it is 6 degrees at lunchtime - that is not cold. Cold = below zero, snow and ice everywhere. So If you're coming to London, then yeah overcoats can look great with a suit. For the office, you will wear a full suit AND an overcoat, the overcoat is not a substitute for a suit jacket.
DeleteHowever, I was in Brussels earlier this year when it plunged to -7 degrees and my overcoat was woefully inadequate for the weather and I kicked myself, wishing I had worn my ski jacket instead as it was so cold.
Limpeh, I'm going to comment from the perspective of a professional *woman*. I find that my female coworkers and I face extremely different issues from the men in our office! They tend to naturally get overheated, whereas my female coworkers and I are usually quite chilly, so here is another perspective that might help Yong. FYI I live in NYC where the current temperature is -8 deg C and snowy, so not very different from Holland and Germany weather-wise. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteHow formally will you be dressed for this trip? Will you have to wear a full suit for client meetings? If so, that will actually help you stay warm. You should be fine weatherwise with the following:
1) Suit – you can wear either a pantsuit or a skirt suit. If you wear a skirt suit, do invest in very warm tights. Sometimes my coworker will wear two pairs of tights at the same time. This is not a joke. If you wear a pantsuit, you might want knee-high socks or tights or stockings under your pants.
2) Base layer – in SG you can just wear a cami or knit top under your jacket, but in the winter you will likely want a thermal underlayer. You can get good + cheap ones from Uniqlo in Singapore. I wear the Uniqlo heattech camis all the time under my sweaters and the long-sleeved heattech top under my buttondown shirts.
3) Top for your suit. I would vote for sleeves here – a long-sleeved buttondown shirt is the most formal option if you really have to be well-dressed and will also keep your forearms warmer than a short-sleeved top.
4) A good scarf – this is a great place to invest or to borrow a really really really nice one from a friend. You want a big, light “pashmina” type scarf that has a lot of volume and traps air when bundled up, rather than a narrow 10-inch-wide traditional scarf (those tend to look better on men). Major bonus points if it is in a natural fiber like silk or wool or cashmere, as those will keep you warmer and breathe better than polyester or viscose. You will bundle it up to wear around your neck when you wear your winter coat, and, most importantly, you can also take it out to use as a layer around your arms or over your lap if you are cold in the office or conference room. (Women tend to be as the offices are kept cold for men.) This is why you should bring a very nice one, rather than a ratty one.
5) A winter coat. Funnily enough, this is one area where you don’t need to get an AMAZING coat. You live in Singapore and the expense won’t be worth it. If you don't have a wool coat,, it’s totally okay to wear a more casual-type coat (e.g. the down parka type) as you will likely take it off once you are in the office proper, and you will more likely wear it out around town when you go for dinner and jalan-jalan with your colleagues after work. Borrow something from someone, or just wear whatever you have. If your coat is not super duper warm, at least your good scarf will keep your chest warm. :)
6) Hat and gloves are optional. You can always put your hands in your pockets. Hats do help keep you warm but they will mess up your hair. So if you are hiao like me you could opt to go without and probably be fine. ;-)
Alternatively, are you visiting your home office and not seeing clients but rather your own coworkers from a different location? If so, you can probably dress more casually as most offices are business casual. (If yours is business formal, see above.)
ReplyDelete- Top: If you happen to own any nice sweaters, these are a fantastic option for business casual while still looking classy! Limpeh said not to wear “woolly jumpers”, and he’s right about very bulky fuzzy thick casual ones with funny patterns on them, but if you have solid-coloured fine-gauge knits in e.g. silk/cotton/cashmere/wool blends, these are great for wearing on their own or under jackets. Usually turtlenecks, crewnecks, or v-necks look good, not too casual, and are easy to accessorize / “dress up”.
- Bottom: You can wear lined pants, they don’t need to be part of a suit. Wool pants are the best. Lining is key to trapping heat and keeping you warm; if your pants are not lined, consider wearing stockings or tights underneath again. (If you find that it’s too hot once you’re inside the office, you can just go to the bathroom and take off your tights. No big deal.) You can also wear a pencil skirt and tights if that is more your style.
- Once again, your big scarf will be essential for helping you keep warm if the offices are chilly. There is a good chance they will be. I think the big scarf is even more important if you aren’t wearing a suit jacket.
- Coat, hat, and gloves are same as above.
In both cases, I know shoes will be a challenge. You will likely have to wear heels with your workwear. Here’s the thing: If you are going to be in a city area, the sidewalks should be plowed and/or salted to remove the snow. So you can probably wear your normal work shoes. They should definitely be closed-toed, and bonus points if they have straps on them (like Mary Janes) so they don’t fall off your feet while you pick your way through the potentially-slippery streets. You’ll have to go a bit slower, but you should be fine.
Good dress boots are a huge help for the winter, but a) they pack bulky, and b) you might not own any if you live in SG as it wouldn’t make sense. If you have them, bring them and wear them under your dress pants. (You can also wear them with your skirts and tights but that will be a more casual look and verging on office-inappropriate in some places, so you’ll have to figure out if that’s okay for where you’re going.) If you bring them, consider wearing them on the plane rather than packing them.
Snow boots are the bulkiest of all and you will likely not need them very much if you are going to be in an urban area (where most offices are) for reasons mentioned above. Nice to have if you live there, but you’ll be fine visiting without.
Stay warm Yong! Hope you have a great trip!
Thanks foreign talent and Michelle. You two are incrediblely kind spending time for useful tips.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year!
Aiyoh, nobody actually calls me "foreign talent" - it's usually Alex to my friends and family and LIFT or Limpeh to my readers on my blog. But hey, I am glad we could help you stay warm and look stylish at the same time. It's pretty mild in Europe now, just be grateful you're not headed to North America where they're having this polar vortex at the moment. :)
Delete