Going to San Francisco and NY for the first time - YouLookFab Forum

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Going to San Francisco and NY for the first time

Tisa

On Saturday I'll be travelling to the USA for the first time. My partner and I will be spending one week in SF, and one week in NY. We might also take a short trip to Yosemite National Park, and another one to Washington D.C.

The thing is, I need to choose the right clothes for the trip, and I would really appreciate your help.
NY currently has a similar winter climate to the one we have in Europe, so I've got some idea about what to wear. San Francisco on the other hand is a complete mystery to me.

What to wear in SF right now? Sleeveles tops, short sleeves, long sleeves, blazers, a leather jacket, a trench coat? Layers?
I checked the weather forecast (mostly sunny), but since the same temperature can feel very different in different places because of other factors (wind, humidity, etc.) I'm no closer to figuring out my travel capsule.

What would you wear in SF at this time of the year?

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Tisa

JAileen

Veteran

Right now California is having a very wet season. I would take a very good raincoat, and maybe waterproof shoes, and definitely an umbrella. It's damp there year round so 50F can feel chilly, plus it's often breezy, especially on the bay. The NWS forecast only goes out to next Saturday, so who knows what will happen next week. I wouldn't wear sleeveless tops, but would take some short sleeve tops, along with long sleeves. A sweater layered under your raincoat would probably suffice. If you luck out and there's no rain, a leather jacket would be great. Take comfy shoes because SF is pretty hilly.

If you're going to be away from the coast, and it's not raining, it should be significantly warmer, maybe as much as 10 degrees warmer.

Have fun!!

ETA: Yosemite could be snowy. The valley floor is at 4000 ft elevation.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

How wonderful, Tisa.

It's wet, cold and very cold. Wrap up and bring lots of pairs of comfy shoes.

DonnaF

Veteran

I run very cold so wouldn't even want short sleeves for SF; scrunchable will do. NY and WDC have had a couple days of Spring/summer temps this past winter but I wouldn't pack for aberrant weather unless it's an underlayer you can also wear on its own. In the Bay Area we are getting so much rain I think I am developing webs between my toes.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

If you are still considering Yosemite, make sure you check that the roads are open before you set off. It's been a very rainy winter, which means snow in the mountains, and there have been a lot of road closures and people getting stranded in their cars overnight, etc.

I agree, SF is not that warm right now, so I'd go for long sleeves and layers unless you run really warm. If you travel out of the city proper (Napa, for example) it'll probably be warmer, but it still gets cool at night and can be windy a lot of places. Also, SF is a walking town and hilly, so comfortable shoes are a must in my opinion.

Hope you have a great time!

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Sounds like so much fun. Layers and comfy walking shoes.

rachylou

Veteran

Yes, it's very soggy right now, even soggier north of SF (like Sonoma and Marin, foodie country). And windy. It's been getting into the low 40s F, outside of SF at night. I'd wear a hat that covers your ears and flat shoes. You've got to walk everywhere, like New York.

Greyscale

Veteran

I'm also in San Francisco. You will always want a warm jacket for night time. I run hot, but here is what I wore the past few days (a mix of sun and fog, warm and cold, as always):

Yesterday (colder and windier than usual):
Sleeveless thick wool Helmut Lang top, leather biker jacket, wool scarf for extra warmth, jeans, sandals with socks (this is a perfect example of an outfit that works in SF but that would be "seasonally inappropriate" in the rest of the country!).

At night, to walk to a restaurant in my neighborhood (the Mission -- you MUST visit Valencia St), I left the leather jacket at home and wore a cropped, thick wool coat instead because it was cold and windy.

Friday:
Long sleeve denim shirt-dress over jeans, Dr Marten boots, light rain jacket.

Other days recently, I wore a t-shirt and jeans to walk to the train, plus a light merino wool cardigan to add later, and carried a light denim or leather jacket for night time.

As a general rule, when it rains here, it is warmer at night. When it doesn't rain, it can get quite raw and cold (the moisture in the air makes it feel colder than the temperature). The daytimes are often warm enough that I just wear a tee but I always carry something warmer with me, and at night you might need a lot more warm clothing than you expect. This is true year-round, not just in winter. I usually have a light wool hat in my bag for emergencies!

Greyscale

Veteran

If I were packing a travel capsule for SF, I would bring jeans, comfortable ankle boots, comfortable dressy sneakers, t-shirts, button-down shirts with sleeves I could roll up, a light merino cardigan, a pullover sweater, a leather jacket, and a warm scarf and knit hat. And an umbrella. Maybe a rain jacket if you'll be doing a lot of outdoors activities, or maybe you'll be fine with the leather jacket and umbrella for walking around the city -- it will rain, but the rain is fairly light most of the time.

Next week will be colder than average, so I would bring a short wool coat also. It will be in the mid-40s (7 C) at night.

Another note is that buildings are not very well insulated, so there's not much difference between indoor and outdoor clothing.

Joy

Veteran

I suggest Muir Woods, which is near SF, rather than Yosemite if the weather and roads are iffy.

April

Veteran

Some parts of San Francisco are not easy to walk because of the extreme hills, but if you'll be doing a lot of walking, bundle up and be generous with sunscreen. I wouldn't bother with sleeveless anything.

New York is having a mild winter this year but that doesn't mean much when you're walking long distances outside.

Warm layers that you can take off should you find yourself too warm -- I think that's your best bet for both places.

Tisa

Ladies, you are absolutly amazing, incredibly kind, and I'm grateful for your advice. Thank you very much for taking the time to write your answers.

From everything you wrote I gather that I need layers, warm toppers, sneakers for everyday wear, long sleeves, an umbrella, sunscreen, a scarf, and a hat. Suede shoes will stay at home.

JAileen, I'll make sure to take warm and rain appropriate clothes with me, as well as a leather jacket, and a dress or two. Just in case.
I planned on taking winter hiking gear with me for visiting Yosemite, but if the weather's bad, we'll leave the trip for some other time.

Angie, thank you. I'm very excited about the trip. I'll bring a comfortable pair of sneakers with me, and plan on buying another pair of comfortable shoes in SF.

DonnaF, great advice, thank you. I run cold, too. 3/4 and long sleeves it is then.

Laura, we'll decide about Yosemite when we get to SF. There's really no point in being stranded somewhere, so if the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll do something else. Thank you for the warning and the good wishes.

Ledonna N., will do .

Rachylou, I'll keep a hat with me at all times. I didn't think I would need it. California is always sunny in my mind ;-).

Grayscale, wow, I'm lost for words. Thank you for writing such a detailed answer. You gave me good advice, outfit examples and a capsule formula, so I don't even have to worry about a thing. Just need to pick the right items from my closet. Easy. You've been a great help .

Joy, Muir Woods look lovely. I think we'll follow your suggestion. Thank you!

April, I would forget sunscreen for sure! You're great.

JAileen

Veteran

Here's another thing to look at: Caltrans road closures map. Some are seasonal, others are due to recent flooding.

http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov

Tisa

JAileen, so many road closures. I heard about floods in CA, but wasn't aware the consequences were so big and widespread. Thank you for the heads-up.

Greyscale

Veteran

That's a great point JAileen. One segment of Highway 1 on the way to Muir Beach is closed, but Google Maps is accurate and gives a good alternative route.

(Big Basin State Park, north of Santa Cruz, is another beautiful place to visit, with lots of redwoods, and it might be another good alternative to Yosemite. And Santa Cruz is charming. But check Google Maps for the right directions, because some of the routes there are closed. And I don't know what the walking trails will be like after so much rain.)

JAileen

Veteran

Muir Woods is truly awe inspiring. My father in law visited it when we got married and talked about it for the next 20 years. However, it's very popular and parking is a huge problem. I would try to avoid going on the weekend, and instead aim for first thing on a weekday. That's your best bet for getting a parking space. The other alternative might be taking some kind of a tour.

ETA: It might be easier since it's winter, and especially if it's raining. In summer, the above definitely applies!

Barbara Diane

Veteran

This winter at times has been so cold that I've worn a sleeveless top under my shirt under a vneck sweater under a sweater or fleece. Under a coat. Mostly on the non-rainy days, which are colder. There was surprisingly fierce wind a day or two ago.

I highly recommend the view looking down from Battery Spencer but wear all your wind protection. I've only been there one time when it wasn't almost impossibly windy.

ClaraT

Veteran

Right now it is cold in SF. It feels colder than the temps suggest. Good advice above.

Re: Muir Woods vs. Yosemite. Both are gorgeous. Yosemite is bucket-list material. It is absolutely so fantastic, incredible, breathtaking. I don't have enough superlatives. Driving there in winter may be hard (snow/ice) but if you have a chance DO IT! or take a bus...It is famous for a reason.

I live just a couple of miles from Muir Woods--we can hike there. It is also beautiful, but much different than Yosemite in my mind. Lots of trees, fewer rocks. If you decide to do Muir Woods, consider going to the top of Mount Tamalpais (beautiful easy short trail rings the top with 360 degree views of the entire area; pay $6 or $8 cash to park), lunching at Stinson Beach, or even a stop in Mill Valley (Old Mill Park has gorgeous redwoods, very similar to Muir Woods, and a creek plus easy parking).

Has someone suggested comfortable waterproof footwear? Probably a good idea.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I had to leave for an appt. so I didn't get to finish but ClaraT nailed it by calling Yosemite a bucket list trip. Can not recommend it more highly.

Another thing to take into account when leaving where you are staying each morning is that the weather varies by location and time of day-it can be different one mile away! So I'd have a hat with a brim for when it is sunny, and a hat that is warm for when it is cold. Or one that covers both. And maybe something that you can carry your discarded layers in.

Dee

Veteran

Washington DC has had an abnormally warm winter with no signs of slowing down! I'd pack similarly for New York and DC, except I might need a lighter coat (or possibly none).

I haven't been around much lately, but I'm bookmarking this thead because I'll be traveling to San Francisco next month. I hope you post how your packing turned out.

Tisa

Greyscale, I'll be careful to choose the right routes. You make a very good point about the walking trails, I'll keep that in mind as well.

JAileen, I really like your suggestion, but unfortunately it won't work for us. The SF part of our trip is a business trip for my partner, so we only have the first weekend to travel around CA together. From Monday on he needs to be in SF. I could take a daily trip or two on my own, but since I've never been to SF before I'm sure I'll already have so much to see an experience in the city that there might not be enough time for anything else. I hope you're right about the rain and the number of tourists .

Barbara Diane, I'll be taking a bunch of warm clothes with me, and will bundle up. A small backpack would be practical, too, thank you!

ClaraT, I love the idea of combining a walk through the Muir Woods with a hike and enjoying lunch by the sea afterwards. Mill Valley is so close we can stop there, too. Thank you for such a nice plan. The weather forecast for the weekend makes it clear that a Yosemite trip won't be feasible, so we're definitelly following your suggestion.
I'll take my hiking boots with me, just in case. They are waterproof and would survive muddy ground. I'm not so sure I could say the same for my running/hiking sneakers.

Dee, a trench coat might be a good idea, then? Thank you for your answer. I'll post pictures of my travel wardrobe before I leave, and share feedback when I return. I hope this thread helps you before your trip next month and that you have a great time!