THE BIG CHILL!

Brrr ... Sarah-Kate embraces winter, boots ’n’ all

It’s a bit of a struggle to look forward to winter this year because I’m still looking forward to summer, which never quite got off the ground. Still, I’m going whale watching in Tonga in September, so at least I know there’ll be warmth and sunshine then. That’s not too long to wait, is it?

In the meantime, the older you get, the better it is to wear more clothing and that’s what winter is really for.

One reason I was mildly thrilled that our summer was missing in action was because it reduced the need to wear sleeveless tops. They’re great for exposing your armpits to the elements when it’s hot, but in the past couple of years, a crepey-ness not unlike a sloppy sort of cellulite has crept into the bottoms of my upper arms, making me less inclined to reveal them.

I feel, really, that cellulite should stay on your butt and thighs, where it belongs. And where it’s easier to hide thanks to the invention of, you know, pants. But connective tissue has a mind of its own, darn it, so sleeves are one good reason to look forward to winter.

Boots are another. I love boots. I only have two pairs, but I’m sentimentally attached to both of them.

The first pair are cowboy boots custom-made by R.M. Williams about 13 years ago and they have taken me to so many places. They’ve been re-soled half a dozen times and bear many a war wound – not the least being the result of a battle with an open bottle of nail polish. (Note: Nail polish remover does not work on suede.)

I want to die wearing my cowboy boots. But they’re not chic. For that, I rely on my second pair of boots, which are Chanel. I searched for them for years and finally found them after trying on every other pair of boots in New York on a trip there six years ago.

Their first outing, later that same day, was to an all-Madonna disco, where they allowed me to dance in them till 4am.

Even on sale, they cost me an arm and another arm (no point selling a leg when you’re buying boots), but they’ve been worth every cent. I feel groomed the moment I slip them on. They’re the epitome of comfort not excluding beauty – a rare and precious thing. Sleeves and boots. Yessiree, those right there are two reasons to bring on the wind and rain, and sleet and snow.

And then there is the poncho. Oh, my Lord, I only discovered ponchos last year, but when I did, I went cray-cray, buying three of them – in cashmere, God’s gift to the permanently chilblained. For a cold person with armpit issues, ponchos are the bomb.

Besides, people, in my opinion – just like trays of chocolates and sheets of flaky pastry – are much improved when there are layers involved.