Who ever thought we'd be wanting thermals?

WARM DRESSING:Funny, the kind of clothes you'll pitch up in during a snowstorm. EIMEAR NOLANdeliberates over a few essentials

LAST WINTER I stood with my mum in Brown Thomas for some considerable time, debating whether or not to buy brightly-coloured wellington boots for the commute to work. They were relatively smart, as wellingtons go, yet I couldn’t quite bring myself to make the purchase. By the next week, we figured, the weather would be temperate enough for normal leather boots again, and the wellingtons would look vaguely clunky, like thermal underwear and duvet coats and all the other things we’ve been craving for during the past few weeks. They only cost €20, but I wondered if I would wear them enough to justify the spend even though I rarely, if ever, ask myself the same question about sparkly dresses in Topshop.

It’s this reluctance to prepare for winter weather that has made us seem ridiculous to Scandinavians, New Yorkers and continental Europeans over the past two weeks. Our descent into Crisis Dressing has been a source of mirth for those used to extreme weather. We hedge our bets in Ireland, reckoning that it’s not really worth investing in winter gear when the cold spell probably won’t last more than a few days. Thus we have no suitable outer-wear, and are forced to pile on our entire indoor wardrobes, along with whatever remnants from a ski holiday we can find. Then we slip-slide to work in Uggs, wearing so many layers we can barely close our coats. You can lose 10 minutes of your lunch hour bundling up, and 10 more removing all the layers. It all screams dressing for an emergency.

We would do well to remember the Boy Scouts’ motto here, and be prepared. Dressing for extreme weather doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune. At the launch of the Tiffany’s ice rink at Somerset House in London last week, I was struck by how chic many of the skaters looked, successfully avoiding the Ghostbuster look and moving about unencumbered.

One of the least sexy words has to be “thermals”. Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing brand, has produced Heat Tech undergarments for the second year running, and they’re selling like hot-cakes. Uniqlo is not in Ireland yet, but the Heat Tech range is essentially thermal underwear with a cooler name. Try Marks and Spencer for relatively discreet items – and remember, glimpses of underwear peeking out under clothes aren’t as sexy when the underwear’s thermal. Alternatively, I’ve been eyeing up my brother’s rugby kit, which involves those Under Armour tops. They are available from Elverys all over the country, and the Great Outdoors in Dublin. I’m not sure the Vogue offices in London, where I work, are ready for me to show up in rugby gear, but I’m tempted.

Cashmere is the perfect accompaniment to thermals, and MS and Gap both do it at affordable prices. For some reason, men’s clothes always seem warmer, so I might invest in a grey cashmere jumper from the men’s section and wear it loose.

Gap does great cashmere socks, but if you’re feeling indulgent, MS sells cashmere sweatpants. Weird concept, I know, but cosy for lounging about the house. Unfortunately, I don’t know from personal experience, but apparently Burberry’s shearling aviator and Mulberry’s sheepskin jacket, the stars of the winter collections, provide incredible warmth. At €1,400-plus, though, we’d want to be having 52 weeks a year of this weather.

Russian hats were also prominent at Tiffany’s skating launch, and they are seriously warm. You don’t have to be descended from the Russian aristocracy to get your hands on one either, with Asos stocking them this year.

Fake or real fur gilets provide surprising warmth, and can be worn over anything. Topshop and Zara both have good colours and designs. Shops such as Fishers of Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow excel at hardy, waterproof, weather-beating gear, some of which even looks smart in an urban setting. And I I have one other un-sexy but indispensable word for you to to remember: snood. Basically it is a scarf that you put over your head, and it’s amazing how much heat it retains. It’s even possible to wear it over your nose, so that only your eyes are revealed, bank-robber style. Try Reiss or Topshop.

Hunter wellingtons cost around €90 (apart from the Jimmy Choo variety) and it is said their grips are second to none. This year I’ll be first in line to get a pair at the sales, and, depending on how the next few weeks go, I might even consider paying full price.