These boots were made for walkin' in LA?

October 20, 2009 5:17 AM

What is appropriate fashion in fall and winter when in a warm or desert climate?

I live in Atlanta where we have 4 disctinct seasons (albeit in no particular order!) but I'm hoping to spend more time in the Southwest - Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles, etc - both for fun and perhaps for work, but have no idea what to wear when it's fall (I'll be there this weekend) or winter (again around Christmas). Will my trousers and boots look silly? How about tweedy skirts or sweaters? I am most concerned about business wear (woman, 30s, casual to dressy office) and going out in the evenings. Does it matter if you stay inside where it's going to be air conditioned? Do desert-dwellers and southwesterners still hanker for wool and suede when the mercury outside is in the 70s? Thanks for your wisdom!

posted by pointystick to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

I lived in San Diego for 7 years and it's really casual. You'll be fine with jeans and boots and a nice shirt for both work and going out (assuming your work is ok with jeans).

I think tweed is overkill. Lightweight merino wool is probably about as warm as you need to get next to your skin. It does get surprising chilly at night in some parts so I would bring a good versatile wool coat as well. San Diego is made up of a bunch of micro-climates so layering is your best option.
posted by like_neon at 5:47 AM on October 20, 2009

Actually a tweedy skirt sounds cute. Save it for winter evenings, with stockings and boots.
posted by like_neon at 5:49 AM on October 20, 2009

I lived in LA for five years, and the only significant difference in my wardrobe there was that I never owned a winter coat and rarely wore heavy sweaters. You'll be fine in your normal clothes.
posted by something something at 6:24 AM on October 20, 2009

Young girls here tend to throw a gauzy scarf with no thermal properties whatsoever over their summer clothes when it hits the low 60s here in San Diego.
Layer a bit, but the layers can be much lighter. Your outerwear doesn't need to be down or a peacoat, just a lined jacket.
posted by slow graffiti at 7:02 AM on October 20, 2009

It can get rainy in L.A. in the winter, as well as a bit chilly at nights even when it's not raining, but that's about the worst of it. You won't need any really heavy sweaters or coats or boots, but a tweed or suede jacket and a cashmere sweater or two and some non-bulky boots will fit the bill nicely. Be prepared to layer during the day, so that you can adapt to cool mornings that may heat up in the afternoon, then cool down again in the afternoon.
posted by scody at 11:03 AM on October 20, 2009

(er, should be "then cool down again in the evening.")
posted by scody at 11:03 AM on October 20, 2009

I'll say that I rarely see fall/winter fabrics such as tweed or corduroy on anyone other than people who've moved here to the Southern California from colder climates. Winter events tend to be much more casual here than elsewhere in the country, though once the temperature go below 65 you'll start to see winter coats.
posted by shesbookish at 11:26 AM on October 20, 2009

It seems to me there's less seasonality. I'm not that fashion-conscious, so maybe I'm missing it, but on the east coast, it seemed like there was this annual progression of [summer] pink and white and yellow, to [fall] brown and dark plaids, to [winter] magenta and dark greens and blacks, to [february] bland whatever, to [summer] pink and white and yellow. But on the west coast, it seems like it's whatever, whenever. Maybe this apparent difference is just my mom vs. everyone else, or maybe it's because everyone in San Francisco wears black year round.
posted by salvia at 8:24 PM on October 20, 2009