Dear socks and slippers, I love you
Picture this: a person wrapped up shivering under a blanket, really craving some hot chocolate/tea, reading this article. That's probably you right now. But under all those layers, the real heroes of this winter are those blessed socks and slippers.
This winter has been a freak one: it starts mid to late 20s, and then one day it's 8 AM and you wake freezing and check the temperature to see it's 9 degrees Celsius outside. Once you get out of bed all your layers of clothing won't save you entirely. Yes, your hoodie and scarf might be keeping your face warm and tucked in, but your greatest assets are truly socks and slippers.
Last winter, I made a semi-joke investment by having a friend gift me these giant cat slippers from abroad. Let me tell you, those things are giant hugs in shoe-form, snuggly wrapping my feet and whispering, "I'll protect you from this cold, my dear" as they keep your feet warm and relaxed. I didn't really need them last year, but this year it's been a godsend. As I type this write now, the only part of me fully warm is my feet thanks to those slippers. I asked them how they're doing - they tell me they're on a tropical vacation in there. "Winter who?" is their only question. The second I take them off I'm pretty sure I replace my toenails with icicles on contact with outside air.
If you're not the type who owns slippers (or doesn't like taking them for outdoor use, which sadly, they aren't meant for, despite the number of cute ones you can get), the poor/outdoor man's option is the humble sock.
Long discarded and frequently mismatched, some lost to the annals of space-time thanks to you misplacing one in the wardrobe, your sock arsenal is in full force this winter.
School socks? They've upgraded to casual winter holidays indoor wear.
Thick woolen socks? They keep your feet warm on the part where your 10th blanket misses by an inch and you're too comfortable to move to fix it.
Lacking gloves but have excess socks? Improvise by using socks to cover your hands. We were on to something by making the Bangla word for gloves haat moja.
Oh and, decorative pattern socks make great gifts. Christmas themed socks in particular go well with the season (if slightly overdue, but always great to look at).
And hey, what if you end up wearing mismatched socks because you're too lazy to find/lost the other pair's sock? Not a problem -- with a fancy pattern, it's a fashion statement now. Everyone appreciates socks as a gift, and to quote Dumbledore: "One can never have enough socks."
And of course, nothing is stopping you from wearing both types of footwear and embrace the fuzzy feelings of warmth and comfort. This winter, pretend like you're royalty as you gracefully tread non-carpeted frosty tiles and then maniacally laugh as the cold won't make popsicles out of your feet, thanks to the nice snug warmth of your choice of footwear.
Once you enter the sock-slipper lifestyle, there's no turning this luxury machine back. Just embrace it like they'll embrace your feet, and you'll see you're truly living the good life after.