Don't go to work dressed for laser tag (part I)

Even when it's 10 below outside and you don't have time for a blowout, please don't wear crap like this on your head. Or Birkenstocks. With or without socks. Ever.

Sensible sandals aside, today is all about work-appropriate cold-weather accessories.

When I saw a woman in her mid-30s wearing this hat - this very hat - in tandem with a professional business ensemble, two thoughts immediately popped into my carefully-coiffed hat-free head. The first was recognizing the powerful assexual-and-proud vibe she gave off. No makeup, sturdy black platform flats, dry blotchy skin, maltreated cuticles -- her not-tonight-I-have-a-headache-ness was so mighty that just standing next to her for the duration of a red light, I felt a noticeable drop in my own sex drive.

The second observation I made was how completely unaware she was of not only how ridiculous she looked, but of how unprofessional she looked. Ridiculous is wearing a bright green knitted beret with a pink and black tweed shift dress, unprofessional is wearing the hat your son's "slow" friend wore all day at his laser tag birthday party in the Fairfax playplex.

Even though cold-weather accessories are primarily to-and-from work outfit components, we still need to be cognizant of what looks best on our bodies (or in this case, heads) and the difference between office-appropriate and office-inappropriate.

Recommendations for how to keep your head, neck and hands Penelope-Cruz-hot through the Winter months coming up later tonight...