How do I pack for Los Angeles?
February 2, 2016 1:18 PM Subscribe
Last year I went to Los Angeles and I packed ALL wrong. I saw highs of 80 and I packed for Wisconsin 80s and Florida 80s and that just wasn't right. It would get warm, even hot for a few hours only to be so cool in the evening. Some days it really felt like it was HOT for only an hour or two, then freezing. Or it would change depending on where I was.
Last time I basically brought shorts and tshirts. That was all wrong. But going the other direction and wearing pants seemed like I got too hot during the day. How do LA folks manage this? I am assuming "layers" but looking at my wardrobe, I still feel like I'm at a loss.
Flying out tomorrow morning, so suggestions appreciated, so I won't have time to get anything new. That being said, I think I have most everything because I live in Wisconsin, so I have all season clothing. It's going to be 60s/40s when we get there but predicted to be up to 80 by Sunday.
I'm planning to stay three weeks. Hoping to pack light or as lightly as possible. Suggestions for men and women appreciated, my husband is traveling with me for the first week.
Last time I basically brought shorts and tshirts. That was all wrong. But going the other direction and wearing pants seemed like I got too hot during the day. How do LA folks manage this? I am assuming "layers" but looking at my wardrobe, I still feel like I'm at a loss.
Flying out tomorrow morning, so suggestions appreciated, so I won't have time to get anything new. That being said, I think I have most everything because I live in Wisconsin, so I have all season clothing. It's going to be 60s/40s when we get there but predicted to be up to 80 by Sunday.
I'm planning to stay three weeks. Hoping to pack light or as lightly as possible. Suggestions for men and women appreciated, my husband is traveling with me for the first week.
In general, I pack for LA the way I do for almost any desert/dry location -- assuming pleasant but not extreme warmth during the day and chilliness at night when the sun is gone. I do rely on layers, which for me means travel pants/jeans and a mix of short and long sleeved shirts, a few light sweaters, and a lined raincoat. I pick compatible colors, usually relying on neutrals like gray and black and white. To dress things up, I toss in a light dress and a couple of scarves. I like light versatile shoes like Tieks. That isn't a lot of clothes.
posted by bearwife at 1:24 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bearwife at 1:24 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
LA resident here. Layers is the answer. I pretty much wear a tshirt with jeans, leggings, or a long skirt year round, with a cardigan, hoodie, or light jacket as necessary.
LA 80 is not like Wisconsin or Florida 80 because there's such low humidity here. As soon as the sun starts heading downwards, it's going to get cold. If there's a breeze, it's going to feel a lot cooler than 80. The air just doesn't hold onto heat, especially in the winter months.
posted by erst at 1:26 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
LA 80 is not like Wisconsin or Florida 80 because there's such low humidity here. As soon as the sun starts heading downwards, it's going to get cold. If there's a breeze, it's going to feel a lot cooler than 80. The air just doesn't hold onto heat, especially in the winter months.
posted by erst at 1:26 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Layering really is your best bet. Also, bring wet weather gear. There's no rain forecast right now, but everyone keeps assuring us that El Nino's conveyor belt of storms is nigh, and February can be a pretty wet month.
I think you should give up on shorts, because even that high of 80 is probably "80 at 2 PM, in full sunlight, when the breeze isn't blowing." If you're going to be around the beach/coast especially, the breeze can add a chill that makes shorts uncomfortable. Personally, I wear pants in temperatures up to 85 degrees and don't feel hot in them, but then I'm not doing anything more active than walking down the block and I'm used to the temperatures here. That said, if you want some warmer weather options, skirts that you can wear tights under are a better choice than shorts.
For women, a cardigan or light sweater/hoodie or jacket is basically a necessity, because even aside from weather, a lot of indoor spaces are air conditioned and can get chilly. For dudes, a hoodie or pullover sweater seems standard enough.
posted by yasaman at 1:28 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think you should give up on shorts, because even that high of 80 is probably "80 at 2 PM, in full sunlight, when the breeze isn't blowing." If you're going to be around the beach/coast especially, the breeze can add a chill that makes shorts uncomfortable. Personally, I wear pants in temperatures up to 85 degrees and don't feel hot in them, but then I'm not doing anything more active than walking down the block and I'm used to the temperatures here. That said, if you want some warmer weather options, skirts that you can wear tights under are a better choice than shorts.
For women, a cardigan or light sweater/hoodie or jacket is basically a necessity, because even aside from weather, a lot of indoor spaces are air conditioned and can get chilly. For dudes, a hoodie or pullover sweater seems standard enough.
posted by yasaman at 1:28 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
The last time I went, I packed for the kids and myself the same way we do things here - mostly jeans with t-shirts or tank tops, plus hooded sweatshirts. (maybe zip, maybe not)
Of course, living on the Oregon / Washington border, that's pretty much the year round uniform... unless it's over 95 and we melt or so cold we give in and dig out the real jackets til it warms back up to 30-ish.
posted by stormyteal at 1:30 PM on February 2, 2016
Of course, living on the Oregon / Washington border, that's pretty much the year round uniform... unless it's over 95 and we melt or so cold we give in and dig out the real jackets til it warms back up to 30-ish.
posted by stormyteal at 1:30 PM on February 2, 2016
LA native. Nthing layers. I wear jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie just about everywhere during the day. Today it's cold and windy enough to wear my wool peacoat when I'm outside. Forget shorts, that's madness. The hottest time of day here is 2-5 p.m.; once the sun goes down, it gets cold very fast. LA is a desert, remember?
If you feel like you're going to overheat in pants during the day, wear the pants, but then put on sandals instead of regular shoes and socks; it's amazing how much cooler you'll feel. Then switch to regular shoes and socks at night.
posted by culfinglin at 1:39 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you feel like you're going to overheat in pants during the day, wear the pants, but then put on sandals instead of regular shoes and socks; it's amazing how much cooler you'll feel. Then switch to regular shoes and socks at night.
posted by culfinglin at 1:39 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yep, layers! During this time of year, I'm always wearing pants. It just doesn't get hot enough for shorts right now. LA isn't swampy and hot and even if the temp in the sun is 80 for a few hours, with breezes and shade, it won't feel like it's 80. Plus, you may actually see some rain. I wear jeans, a t-shirt, some kind of hoodie/zip-up and also have a light jacket on me almost always. The weather can change depending on time of day, neighborhood, etc. I almost always have a scarf on me as well. I wear the layers in various combos throughout the day.
posted by quince at 1:52 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by quince at 1:52 PM on February 2, 2016
I have had the same problem when dipping into LA at this time of year. In addition to pants, I do lots of tights and dresses/tights under shorts. Plus scarf/hoodie etc.
posted by zem at 1:56 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by zem at 1:56 PM on February 2, 2016
Pack for Spring. Unless you are here July-Oct it is never hot. 80 isn't hot when it's the forecast high - a temperature we only reach for 2-3 hours mid-afternoon. 80 in winter is still covered-legs weather. You need a jacket at night at least - yes, even if you're from a cold climate. Our breezes have teeth this time of year.
Also, 80 where? There's somewhere between 2 and 5 microclimates in the conceptual urban area called "Los Angeles". (KTLA has 7 forecasts.) The general rule of thumb is that it's coolest at the ocean and gets hotter as you go east, but then there are sub-rules based on elevation+season. But it's never hot here, for any definition of hot, except in our weird late summer.
I am pants or leggings+skirts 6 months out of the year, and this is dead center of leggings season. Take a jacket or sweater everywhere you go, and even in the upper 70s you will still be fine in long sleeves unless you are standing at length in the sun with no breeze.
If you're going to be here for 3 weeks, right now they're predicting two more bands of rain for the month. It can be miserably dank when it rains in winter, and our streets/parking lots don't drain, so you may want an actual coat and some rain-safe shoes.
You may want to bring one or two pieces of extra-warm loungewear and at least one serious pair of socks to wear in the mornings and evenings. Unless you're in a really nice hotel or swanky private home, everyone's heat sucks. I can't feel my toes and it's a sunny 59 right now.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:00 PM on February 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, 80 where? There's somewhere between 2 and 5 microclimates in the conceptual urban area called "Los Angeles". (KTLA has 7 forecasts.) The general rule of thumb is that it's coolest at the ocean and gets hotter as you go east, but then there are sub-rules based on elevation+season. But it's never hot here, for any definition of hot, except in our weird late summer.
I am pants or leggings+skirts 6 months out of the year, and this is dead center of leggings season. Take a jacket or sweater everywhere you go, and even in the upper 70s you will still be fine in long sleeves unless you are standing at length in the sun with no breeze.
If you're going to be here for 3 weeks, right now they're predicting two more bands of rain for the month. It can be miserably dank when it rains in winter, and our streets/parking lots don't drain, so you may want an actual coat and some rain-safe shoes.
You may want to bring one or two pieces of extra-warm loungewear and at least one serious pair of socks to wear in the mornings and evenings. Unless you're in a really nice hotel or swanky private home, everyone's heat sucks. I can't feel my toes and it's a sunny 59 right now.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:00 PM on February 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
If it helps for frame of reference, when I visit my parents in LA in the winter I basically pack a Northeast/Midwest fall wardrobe -- while the daily temperature variation is much higher in LA, you know as well as I do that autumn days across the season in the NE/Midwest are wildly variable as well.
Specifically: I typically pack only pants or only one pair of shorts, because even if the high is 85 in February this is, like yasaman says, typically only for a few hours max in the afternoon and the temperature will start plunging at sunset. I sympathize because I run hot and would like to wear shorts all the time but I just don't find it practical in LA in the winter.
Top-wise I usually bring a lot of (casual) button-downs and T shirts, lots of light sweaters, and a "fall jacket" (typically a fleece, the kind of jacket you would probably be wearing all the time in mid-late October). I do find that I'm dressed a bit more formally than a lot of people there, but I'm not going to maintain a separate LA wardrobe for my two short visits every year, and this allows me to move up and down the temperature spectrum.
Finally, unless I am literally just driving to the grocery store to pick up lunch, I always throw the jacket in the car because you never know when you'll need it. (When I lived in LA I basically always had a jacket in the car, even in midsummer.)
posted by andrewesque at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2016
Specifically: I typically pack only pants or only one pair of shorts, because even if the high is 85 in February this is, like yasaman says, typically only for a few hours max in the afternoon and the temperature will start plunging at sunset. I sympathize because I run hot and would like to wear shorts all the time but I just don't find it practical in LA in the winter.
Top-wise I usually bring a lot of (casual) button-downs and T shirts, lots of light sweaters, and a "fall jacket" (typically a fleece, the kind of jacket you would probably be wearing all the time in mid-late October). I do find that I'm dressed a bit more formally than a lot of people there, but I'm not going to maintain a separate LA wardrobe for my two short visits every year, and this allows me to move up and down the temperature spectrum.
Finally, unless I am literally just driving to the grocery store to pick up lunch, I always throw the jacket in the car because you never know when you'll need it. (When I lived in LA I basically always had a jacket in the car, even in midsummer.)
posted by andrewesque at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2016
San Diego here - so a bit different, but similar.
I simply accept that I will not be ideally comfortable. If you have layers, then you need to carry them when you aren't wearing them. No layers means you'll be a little chillier than you might like in the evening.
I nearly always wear - skirt, tee, jacket/sweater, scarf.
posted by 26.2 at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2016
I simply accept that I will not be ideally comfortable. If you have layers, then you need to carry them when you aren't wearing them. No layers means you'll be a little chillier than you might like in the evening.
I nearly always wear - skirt, tee, jacket/sweater, scarf.
posted by 26.2 at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2016
Another LA resident here. I'm currently sitting in my workplace in hollywood, and this is how I've dressed for the weather these past few days:
Jeans/Jeggings + layering tank + long or short sleeve top + medium-warmth layering cardigan (not like tissue paper, but not warm enough for me to remove it in the sun) + scarf & larger coat that I take off when I'm inside. Socks and ankle boots. I wore flats yesterday and it was a big mistake because it was so freakin' windy. If I wore a dress/skirt I'd be wearing knit tights. I do tend to get cold easily, though. During the winter I second the thing about always having an extra layer/jacket in the car.
So yeah, layers. I high of 80 means nothing at this time of year because it'll be really cold at night. Basically desert in wintertime. It might get annoying to have to remove/carry layers during warmer parts of the day, but you'll be grateful at night. And if you are exploring during the day you can probably get away with just wearing the layering cardigan and leaving a bulkier jacket in the car.
At least if you pack layers you can mix and match a lot, so that might save some packing room.
posted by sprezzy at 2:10 PM on February 2, 2016
Jeans/Jeggings + layering tank + long or short sleeve top + medium-warmth layering cardigan (not like tissue paper, but not warm enough for me to remove it in the sun) + scarf & larger coat that I take off when I'm inside. Socks and ankle boots. I wore flats yesterday and it was a big mistake because it was so freakin' windy. If I wore a dress/skirt I'd be wearing knit tights. I do tend to get cold easily, though. During the winter I second the thing about always having an extra layer/jacket in the car.
So yeah, layers. I high of 80 means nothing at this time of year because it'll be really cold at night. Basically desert in wintertime. It might get annoying to have to remove/carry layers during warmer parts of the day, but you'll be grateful at night. And if you are exploring during the day you can probably get away with just wearing the layering cardigan and leaving a bulkier jacket in the car.
At least if you pack layers you can mix and match a lot, so that might save some packing room.
posted by sprezzy at 2:10 PM on February 2, 2016
Smart-ass me says, "Pack everything." But if you're staying for 3 weeks, with climate change and El Nino, you might see a year's worth of weather in that time. Heck, here in GA last week we hunkered down for snow and tomorrow it's going to be in the 70's.
Layers are the way to go. One item I think you'll get a LOT of use out of is a wooly shawl. It folds up easily and you can throw it on when it gets cool.
I might leave shorts at home, and go with leggings and dresses. A pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. That gives you a lot to work with, without piling on 18 different kinds of items.
Have fun!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:25 PM on February 2, 2016
Layers are the way to go. One item I think you'll get a LOT of use out of is a wooly shawl. It folds up easily and you can throw it on when it gets cool.
I might leave shorts at home, and go with leggings and dresses. A pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. That gives you a lot to work with, without piling on 18 different kinds of items.
Have fun!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:25 PM on February 2, 2016
I live in LA and tend to run hot, so lately I've been wearing pants (or a skirt + tights), a tank top or short sleeve shirt, closed toed shoes with socks, and I usually have a lightweight cardigan or sweatshirt with me, but I rarely wear it except in overly air conditioned environments. If you tend to run colder or will be outside at night, I'd bring a medium weight jacket or sweatshirt with you during the day and add a scarf at night. If you run really hot or will be walking a lot during the middle of the day, you might want to have either very lightweight pants or shorts, and maybe a pair of sandals. And do bring some kind of jacket that works in the rain.
Basically: I would plan on wearing something like jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and a lightweight sweatshirt most of the time (or a dressier version if you prefer).
posted by insectosaurus at 3:20 PM on February 2, 2016
Basically: I would plan on wearing something like jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and a lightweight sweatshirt most of the time (or a dressier version if you prefer).
posted by insectosaurus at 3:20 PM on February 2, 2016
Depends a bit on how nicely you like to dress, but the LA standard at this time of year is probably leggings, shirt, and some sort of light or technical jacket. If you like to be a little more dressy, then shirt with a light cardigan and jeans. Scarves and such are basically optional decoration if you're looking for something to leave out. It does tend to get windy periodically around this time of year, so if I were you, I'd skip skirts in favor of pants.
posted by tautological at 4:21 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by tautological at 4:21 PM on February 2, 2016
Native Angelena: Nthing everyone who says pack for spring, which can range from high 40's to low 80'S.
The climate isn't desert ( further east) but Mediterranean.
posted by brujita at 5:08 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
The climate isn't desert ( further east) but Mediterranean.
posted by brujita at 5:08 PM on February 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, keep an eye on the weather. It's been pretty cold in the morning (My car told me 41 around 6 AM) and while it gets temperate in the afternoon, I've been breaking out my jacket for the evenings. It's a little colder this year than in past years.
posted by GilloD at 6:27 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by GilloD at 6:27 PM on February 2, 2016
Brings clothes for warmish weather but also bring one warm, long coat for each of you, and a beany cap and a scarf. It's been an usually cold winter, when it's not too damn hot. You're coming when we're about to swing from one to the other, so definitely bring a warm coat but be prepared to sweat.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:16 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:16 PM on February 2, 2016
As a chilled person, I'm wearing leggings/thick tights, dresses and blazers, and either a lined North Face jacket or a leather coat when it's on the chillier side. It's been quite brisk at night, and if we get winds like the ones over the weekend, you won't regret having a pashmina and extra layers at your disposal. I wouldn't bring open-toed sandals, but knee-high boots aren't necessary (though I've been wearing mine; it's still air conditioned in my office.)
posted by jetlagaddict at 8:19 PM on February 2, 2016
posted by jetlagaddict at 8:19 PM on February 2, 2016
LA native here too. The thing about LA is it sits on the Pacific and the closer you are to the ocean, the cooler/damper it will be with the westerly breezes that come off the water. Whereas, in Wisconsin or many other places far from the West Coast, the temp remains fairly stable throughout the area.
In LA, the inland valleys are often 10 degrees higher than in West LA. And the temp changes can happen in terms of just a few miles. So, how you dress will also depend on just where you are in Southern California.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 11:07 AM on February 3, 2016
In LA, the inland valleys are often 10 degrees higher than in West LA. And the temp changes can happen in terms of just a few miles. So, how you dress will also depend on just where you are in Southern California.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 11:07 AM on February 3, 2016
I went to LA this time two years ago and also made this error. (I am from England). I thought 82F there would be like 82F here ie. baking hot, even at night. I suggested taking a bikini and could not work out why my LA-resident friend thought this was funny. It was actually only that hot around lunchtime and pretty freezing in the evening. I spent a lot of evenings wearing the clothes I had travelled in, suitable for the 40F British winter. A thick winter coat, a hoodie and jeans. If I were to go again, I would pack lots of layers. Vests (what is it Americans call vests? Singlets?), thin long sleeved tops, cardigans, shorts, jeans, SOCKS, both summer and winter shoes. And a COAT. A big one.
posted by intensitymultiply at 12:04 PM on February 3, 2016
posted by intensitymultiply at 12:04 PM on February 3, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by matildaben at 1:24 PM on February 2, 2016 [2 favorites]