Winter has finally arrived. If you are a professional, you know how hard this season can on your clothing. Sometimes it can seem like you have only two choices: stay warm and risk ruining your business attire or protect your clothes but be cold. It makes you want to stay indoors until spring.

Do not despair. This post will discuss four essential winter clothing items for professionals. With all four you will be good to go. You will stay warm and dry without having to worry about ruining expensive business attire.

1. Waterproof Shoe Covers

Starting from the feet and working up, the first essential winter clothing item is a pair of waterproof shoe covers. If you are already thinking galoshes, you’re in the right neighborhood. Just know that old-school galoshes cannot hold a candle to modern shoe covers.

GC Tech, a Salt Lake City company that specializes in lightweight shoe covers, has a men’s overshoe that would be perfect for just about any professional. GC Tech says that shoe covers are a great option for protecting shoes against rain and snow.

2. Knee-Length Overcoat

Now you need a knee-length overcoat to protect your business suit or dress. A knee-length coat offers maximum protection without preventing you from walking freely. And by the way, you want an overcoat because it is designed slightly larger to accommodate the clothing underneath.

Wool and wool blends are good choices for overcoats. Cashmere is another option, but it can be rather expensive. Whatever your choice, make sure the coat is large enough to allow comfortable movement.

3. Insulated Dress Gloves

Next up are insulated dress gloves. Functionally speaking, any pair of insulated gloves will do. Yet as a professional, you probably don’t want to pair ski gloves with a formal overcoat. Dress gloves complete the look while also keeping your hands warm.

It is also a good idea to stay away from gloves that are not insulated. If there is no insulation, the only thing gloves will do is make your hands look good. That’s not what you want in the dead of winter. You want warmth along with style. If bulky gloves bother you, designers do make insulated dress gloves with a fairly thin profile.

4. A Good Hat

We top things off (no pun intended) with a good hat. Never underestimate the power of a hat to keep you warm during the winter months. And yes, several different hats styles can be worn without messing up your hair. Just stay away from wool hats and skullcaps.

A hat is going to be your best friend on windy days. You will also appreciate wearing one when it’s raining or snowing. Umbrellas are useful, but they don’t always work as advertised. On the other hand, a hat will keep your head warm and dry whenever you’re outside. It even acts as a fail-safe should you lose that umbrella.

Function over Fashion

To wrap all this up, it is probably a good idea to concentrate on function first. The goal here is to protect both you and your clothing against the harshness of winter. The more time you spend outdoors, the more protection you will need. So be very picky about the items you choose. Make sure you buy quality you can count on.

The four winter clothing items described in this post are your key to staying dry and warm this winter. With all of them, your walks from the office to the car will be a lot more comfortable. You might even be surprised to discover how much better your business attire looks when spring arrives.