What to wear New York January

[Tootingbec]

I’m going to NY in January for work and struggling to think what to pack (I am a planner!). Anyone here familiar with NY work “dress codes” and the weather in winter there?

Because it’s going to be v cold, is it acceptable for me to take a sporty puffa coat rather than my smart wool winter coat I would normally wear for work in the winter? I have to be in an office and also some dinners out with clients - is a puffa seen as smart enough to pitch up to a corporate office/dinner??

The puffa is not a stylish one (if that makes sense), more like the kind of thing you would wear out in the snow on a walk. Furry hood 😀

Also, I normally wear trainers to hoof about in when visiting a city - would I be better off with Timberland boots re: cold and snow?

A while since I went, but we went in early January. We had thermal baser layers and coats etc. that were very warm for outside and easily removed when you moved indoors, as everywhere was super heated, or that's how it felt anyway. Can't comment on the etiquette re. coats for business, just that what I'd normally wear in SE England, would have been measley for their temperatures.

I've been in January. It was a long time ago but I've never known cold like it. I'll never forget the wind cutting straight through and how any exposed bit of skin froze almost instantly.

I remember NY business dress codes as being pretty conventional (I was disappointed) but people are also practical and most were in padded coats. I would take your warmest coat (especially if it has a furry hood!) and just check it in straight away if you go somewhere formal to eat.

Unless they've improved their snow and ice clearing immeasurably then I think trainers would be useless. (To be fair, the roads were cleared quickly but not the pavements.) So yes to boots.

Agree about layers and buildings being super centrally heated.

As I've said, this was a long time ago so, if other posters have been recently, then take their word over mine. Also I'm making it sound grim but there were some beautiful, clear sunny days too!