One of the biggest factors impacting our style is our climate. A wardrobe must reflect our dominant season in order to be functional. Shopping for an imaginary climate makes little practical sense. 

When our climate changes, we must adapt our wardrobes accordingly. Sometimes the changes are subtle, and sometimes they are dramatic. Sometimes we enjoy the wardrobe changes, and sometimes we don’t.

For the last three years, Summers in Seattle have been hot and record-breaking. No longer mild, we are experiencing heatwave after heatwave, and it’s Summer weather right through to September. We used to be wearing boots and Fall clothing the second week of September, but not anymore. 

Adapting to this new normal, I made it a style goal to embellish my hot-weather capsule. I added some pretty, breezy tops, a bias-cut skirt, two dresses, and two pairs of sandals. I’ve also been wearing my old long denim and white shorts from my beach capsule. I will continue embellishing my hot-weather capsule next year, because I’ve passed on some dresses that will need replacing. I hope to find fab non-neutral dresses, a white dress, another skirt, dip my toes into the soft wide pants trend, throw in another pair of long shorts, and refresh my beach and pool capsule.

The alarming impacts of climate change aside, I do enjoy Summer dressing and the wardrobe changes I’ve made. Our Winters are also wetter and snowier than they used to be. But I have my cold-weather dressing formulas down, and simply replenish and refresh as needed.

Over to you. Have you needed to adapt your wardrobe to a change in climate? Are you adding more hot-weather items like I am?