Dear Miss Made,

I'm a big fan of the multi-armed look. I've been rocking four arms for a while now, especially for fancy events. I've been working myself up to it being an all-the-time thing, and recently I managed to up my game to six arms. It's been a challenge to get used to the extra coordination, but I really love the look. My partner's got no complaints, either. :)

I've been wearing halters and bikini tops all summer, but now the weather's starting to turn a bit chilly. I have a kind of poncho I wear when it gets windy, but I don't think it would do much when it gets really cold in the winter, and I don't want to go back down to two arms. That just sounds boring. Can you give me any tips?

Sincerely,

Shivering in Saskatoon

----------

Dear Shivering,

Congrats on getting to six arms! It's such a fun look, isn't it? I've experimented a little with it, and I've got friends who embrace the lifestyle around the clock, like you do. A few of them go around in halters and toga tops too. A couple of them go the punk route, shirts with the sides torn open and so on, but one of them likes wraps, like this long wide strip of fabric that goes between every arm and over everything important. It seems like a lot of trouble, but she says it's the only thing she has that really fits around all her arms without being custom made.

If you're far enough north, you're right, a poncho or cloak won't really cut the mustard against the cold. It'll do fine as a windbreaker, but for real cold protection, you need layers. As any scouting manual will tell you, the best way is an inner layer that wicks sweat away from the skin, followed by a second layer that traps air, and finally an outer waterproof layer that blocks the wind. That's if you're planning on going camping or rolling around in a snowbank, of course, so if you're just going around town, you can probably cut a few corners.

The best solution would probably to get a coat custom-made to fit the look you're going for. There are a few people in the community who do that sort of work. I've shared their links below. I've gotten pieces from each of them, and I adore them. (And no, I don't get a commission for saying that. Community sticks together, right?) It might seem like a bit of a luxurious expense, but their work is definitely worth what they charge.

If you're on a budget, though, you might want to adapt my friend's wrap solution. A set of good full-arm gloves and the right fabrics can give you something pretty close to a good coat, and you can do it with stuff right off the rack. Polypropylene is the typical fabric for the under-layer, and a good downy vest will help keep your core warm. If you wrap a layer of polar-fleece or thin wool over that, it'll keep you nice and cozy. The wrapping pattern is a bit tricky, but I've put a link below to a video my friend made of her demonstrating the method. It may seem complicated, but she says that it's the one thing in the world that's easier with extra arms.

I hope this gives you the help you're looking for, staying warm in cold places while you're living the life you want to lead. And again, six thumbs way up for what you've accomplished.

Yours,

Miss Made