Our crazy Chicago weather has been mostly gentle so far, but we know in our hearts there's some ferocious stuff in our future. On one of the coldest days so far — temperature in the freezing zone and snow flurries too — I went looking for the do's and don'ts of winter wear. I found a lot of both.

The biggest mistakes were in footwear, where an alarming number of people were in denial and still wearing sneakers or summer shoes — in December! I'll be writing more about boots after testing some promising ones in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, underdressing for Chicago's wind, cold, snow and slush is a pretty bonehead play. The right clothes can make the difference between miserable and bearable. I got a reminder of this recently. As I wandered the city talking to the people on this page, my feet soon felt like blocks of ice and my hands weren't any better. I belonged firmly in the "Don'ts" column.

Next time I'll wear thicker socks, heavier boots and insulated mittens over my fur-lined leather gloves. Yup, layering works. Please learn from my mistakes and … stay warm.

-- Ellen Warren, Tribune Senior Correspondent