One cold February day in California, I was on a film set high above Malibu when it began to snow. Everyone started laughing, taking selfies, and shivering, except for the great Tracey Levy: makeup artist to the stars, impossibly chic human, and mom of author Honor Levy. She simply pulled this sleek, insulated snow skirt by Swedish brand Skhoop from her tote bag, slipped it on over her pants, and warmly went about her day. I stuck my hand down her skirt, looked at the tag, and ordered myself one on the spot.
Since that day, this toasty, insulated faux-down skirt has been my ride-or-die cold-weather BFF. Whether on location in New York City, visiting a pal in Chicago in March, or suffering through the random 17-degree cold snaps we have at my childhood home in Texas every year, this thing has been my salvation. Giant puffy coats are outfit killers, so the ability to wear a regular waist-length coat and just slide on the snow skirt as needed when walking or working outdoors is a revelation. Sissi Kewenter, the founder and designer of Shkoop, hit on something genius when she made her first down skirt from an old parka: If your butt and legs are warm, the rest of you is warm too.
My Skhoop skirt is a midi length that hits me right at the knee (I’m five-foot-seven), but the brand also makes a mini version that comes in eight colors, a mid-thigh version that’s perfect for sitting down on a snow-covered bench or tree stump, a clever version that is longer in the back than in the front, an ankle-length version, and a less puffy midi version. Ninety-five percent of Shkoop’s product line is OEKO-TEX certified, which means no harmful substances have been found in any components of the garment, everything from the fabric to zippers, thread, insulation, and buttons.
Every Shkoop snow skirt has at least one zippered pocket (mine has two, and they are deep enough to put your hands in or to stash your phone inside) and has zips on each side up to the waist so you can adjust it depending on the activity you’re doing. Almost all Shkoop skirts have belt loops — I usually wear mine with a Gucci belt on set to (1) elevate the vibe and (2) have a place to hook my walkie. Every time I wear my Shkoop, people stop me and ask what the heck this magical garment is, just as I did that day on a snowy hillside in Malibu.
More cold-weather clothing items we’ve written about …
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