My husband is going to attend a meeting in Washington, D.C. in December, and I will be tagging along to see the sights. It is REALLY going to be cold there and possibly windy and/or wet. I am going to take a 3/4 length down-filled coat and I am also taking a wool/cashmere coat for the evening. (I might feel like wearing both at the same time if it gets as blisteringly cold as some of the posts I have read.) Wool scarves and gloves, etc. My concern is my head. I have short hair and no ear covering. My husband purchased the wrap around earmuffs which I might also do, but I still think I need a hat or something. I don't want to look like I just got off the ski slope, and am also concerned about evening time when we will be going out to nice restaurants.

Alright, I am vain and I know that folks really dress-up in D.C. No matter what the temp., I am going to be cold as I live in Calif. and am not accustomed to the extreme cold. PLEEEEEEZE, help!!

Thank you -

I live in DC and never wear a hat. I also have very short hair and would not be caught dead in a hat unless I was shoveling snow. I walk a half mile each way to the bus stop for work.

"folks really dress-up in D.C. No matter what the temp"

This has not been my impression.

I have short curly hair that a hat would ruin. I use one of those tubelike hoods--don't know it's proper name. It looks like a turtle neck without the rest of the sweater. I put it over my head and scrunch it around my neck right over my coat. I can pull it up to my ears to keep them warm without smashing my curly hair on top. If the temperatures get really desperate, I can pull it around my head like a hood.

vjpb, although you don't need a hat, the OP probably will. My daughter attended college in DC, and she said that you could tell where kids were from by the way they dressed when it was 40 or 50 degrees out: The kids from FL were wearing parkas and fleece, and the kids from Minnesota were wearing shorts.

Pam, although I can defend your choice, I'm not vain and so can't come up with a solution for you. I don't see what's wrong with looking like you're on the ski slopes, if you need to be warm. It's not as if you had to keep the hat on while you're IN the restaurant.

Anon - you are so right! When the OP said it's going to be "REALLY cold", I was thinking "it is?"

We usually don't get "blustery" until January, IMO. And I don't even a hat. I do have those ear protector things, but only wear them if I'm going to be outside for a long time...

Sorry I can't be more help, PamNC.

I wouldn't worry about this. It's not my experience that people really dress up in DC either.

It might not even be cold enough for a hat. You may need one if you're going to be outside a lot walking around to the sites but there's probably no need to wear one at night when you're heading to dinner.

No offense, but it's not rocket science. You can also buy any gear you need when you get to D.C.

Just take your long wool coat and leave the parka at home.

Get a scarf, gloves, and ear muffs if you don't want to wear a hat.

I used to go to Washington DC the begining of every December and I only remember one year it was blustery and cold. In fact, most of the time I didn't have to wear my scarf or gloves.

The average daily high will be in the low 50s. Probably not much different than where you are now as Washington DC isn't that much further north than North Carolina.

BTW, where did you get the idea that you were headed to the tundra?

You seem to be most concerned about evenings and you'll probably be in a car or taxi, so no serious problem. In NYC when it's very cold, you wear whatever you need to wear and take it off when you get to the restaurant and leave it at the coat check.

Well, I prefer to dress for the weather so as to be comfortable while out and about.

Does the down coat have a hood? That's usually sufficient for me. Otherwise, you may want to consider a hat. It is possible to find one that doesn't crush your hair too badly - especially a loose knit one, with a stretchy band, large enough to tuck all your hair up inside. Or, get a cashmere scarf and wrap that around when necessary.

Or, find a pair of ear muffs. (Do you find the wrap around comfortable?) Sometimes, if your ears are warm and it's not too awfully cold or windy out, those are sufficient. But, for me, ear muffs are annoying after a while for a variety of reasons.

If you're flying and want to limit yourself to one coat or the other, my vote is for the down, as the fabric is usually a much better windbreaker than wool/cashmere.

I love cashmere sweaters/twin sets in winter. Warmth without the weight and always dressy.

I agree that you don't really need a dressy coat, as you will check it everywhere you go.

If you're going to be out and about, try to do without a handbag (just carry your essentials in your pockets).

Wow! Thanks for all of the info. Okay, I will just get the wraparound earmuffs and call it a day. I have several scarves as well. If things get desparate, I can always purchase something, I'm sure.

As for my impression of D.C. being the "tundra", my husband was there last year at the same time and said that it was very cold due to the wind. Plus, several posts on this site mentioned the chilliness. As I indicated, I live in California and I am not acclimated to east coast temps. My hands and feet are pretty much cold all of the time and it is much warmer here. I'm looking forward to the weather change though. It really gets you in the mood for the holidays.

Thanks everyone!!!

Only thing you forgot for your Arctic trip (sorry - couldn't resist - I live in Boston and never thought of Washington as really cold) is your feet.

Forget the pretty shoes. You need something waterproof or at least sturdy - don't try to trip around sloppy streets in cute heels.

Another Californian here - and I completely understand where you are coming from. We are just not used to cold temperatures - and snow? Not unless you are in the mountains - LOL.

That said, I never take a hat when I have to go to frozen places in winter. My head gets a little cold, but I find if I've got warm hands and feet, I really don't care.

Also, DC isn't known for being particularly fashionable, so I wouldn't really worry about what you wear from that standpoint.

I don;t know what you've been reading but DC is NOT the arctic. In December it will be chilly to cold (probably 40's during the day - not minus 20s) - but not blistering or a blizzard - but you won;t know which until a few days before you go.

Snow and really cold temps are very rare before Christmas - but rain and chilly is likely. There is no need to drag 2 coats around - if you'll be doing some nice places simply bring the good coat. You'll also need a hat, scarf and gloves (depending on how cold it is) and practical boots (low heeled with ridged soles) in case of sleet/ice.

But - everyone in the northeast lives with winter colder than this every year - often spending lots of time outdoors - except on the few REALLY cold days - which are rare, and usually in Jan and Feb).

Don;t worry about hat or muffs to go to a nice restaurant - assume you will go by cab and your ears won;t freeze in the few steps from the cab to the restaurant.

I think you are WAY too worried about a little cold weather. (It's not like being out on windy ski slopes all day - you're in a city going in and out of buildings - and, frankly most days won't even be below zero.

Tip: Wear shoes with at least one inch rubber soles. The rubber will keep your feet off the concrete which will keep them warmer.

Leather soles will absorb the cold from the concrete and freeze your feet.

My bad, I thought the PamNC stood for PamNorthCarolina.

No way on gods green earth would i wear wrap-around earmuffs!

I'm no fashion maven but I think a little hat of some sort if far preferable if it's really that cold (a soft fleece in black or brown that would keep your head/ears warm).

Hi PamNC..I can relate as I live in N CA too, the southern end of the Sacramento Valley. I just got inside and I am freezing, lol. Cold hands, cold ears, shivering. And I had on a Vneck sweater and a jacket. And our local website states it is 56 degrees right now. So doesn't that make me a wimp regarding cold weather?

I wouldn't worry about being stylish although I understand your desire to be. My first concern would be being warm. I say this as I just turned the heater up to 72 degrees, brrrrrr.

Wow, LoveItaly, I'd say either you're an extreme wimp or maybe you have a thyroid problem. The longer you live with the heat revved up to 72, the harder it will be to tolerate outdoor temperatures in the 50s. Here in Boston, we never turn the thermostat above 65 unless grandma's coming.

Its all about what you're used too. In hawaii, the newscasters will remind people to get out an extra blanket if the nightime temp will drop below 60`.

The flip side is how amused my daughters get when their east coast classmates put on shorts & tank tops and get out the frisbees when the weather hits 60`.

When we used to go to San Diego at christmas, my parents' neighbors always recognized the Hawaii relatives by our down coats, mittens and knit hats. This in the mid-50's weather.

Pam- I have found that a nice wool shawl, especially cashmere or pashmina is the absolute best cold weather accessory. Use it around your shoulders, around your neck, or even around your head (practice in front of a mirror first!). You can slip it in your purse and drape it across your shoulders-- or even your legs -- in a chilly restaurant. great for in the airplane as well.

What about those fleece headbands to cover the ears? And a wool scarf/shawl to cover the headband. The headband can go into the purse when you are inside, and the scarf around the shoulders.

That cold wind blowing up from the Potomac is something I haven't yet forgotten.

If it is cold and windy, be sure to use some heavy moisturizer on your face unless you want to look sunburned the next day. Or a layer of petroleum jelly!