https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:54:53 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1110604 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 07:26:40 +0000 devon7 1110604@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm usually a lurker here, but had to de-lurk to answer this question... &nbsp;I have lived in San Diego for 11 years now. &nbsp;I live near the coast, where it is usually quite cool. &nbsp;Inland can often be 10-15 degrees warmer, especially during the summer. &nbsp;</p> <p>I've made the mistake of buying too many summer clothes during most of the years I've lived here. &nbsp;In actuality, our summers are quite short, lasting from early to mid-July through October (and sometimes not all of October). &nbsp;The rest of the year is mostly cool (not usually cold but it has been the past few weeks) with some unseasonably warm days thrown in from time to time. There are days it's in the 70s in January or February, but those days are relatively rare.&nbsp;</p> <p>I feel the cold more than a lot of people, but I find I need some sort of jacket here about 85-90% of the time. &nbsp;I definitely think it's a good idea to have lots of layers to peel on and off. &nbsp; I often wear a lightweight top with a cardigan and a coat or warmer jacket. &nbsp; It's pretty damp here so it feels colder than it is much of the time. &nbsp;I used to live in the Lake Tahoe area and in Colorado and the same temperatures here feel quite a bit colder. &nbsp;The same thing is true of the San Francisco Bay Area, where I'm from.</p> <p>I hope this is helpful. How one dresses here depends upon which area of San Diego they live in as well as to what degree they feel the cold. &nbsp;Since I live by the coast and get cold easily, I need more warmer clothes than a lot of other people in San Diego. &nbsp;Overall, this is a beautiful place and the weather is better than most places in the world, but it's not the warm and sunny climate that most people think it is. &nbsp;Hope you'll like it here!&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1110438 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 03:27:17 +0000 ivorygorgon 1110438@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I moved to San Diego from Washington State over 12 years ago, and I can tell you that you will laugh, at first, at everyone bundled up, but you will definitely begin to feel the cold. Yesterday it was 32 degrees in the morning, but it was over 70 in the early afternoon. You definitely need to layer. Also, in the summer, once the sun goes down, it can get quite cool. </p> <p>That's all I have - sorry. I am not too good at this myself. I was thinking this morning that I actually should buy a coat! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1109363 Tue, 10 Dec 2013 05:46:53 +0000 jayne 1109363@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No clothing advice, just wishing to move with you.&nbsp; San Diego sounds lovely. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108682 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:25:37 +0000 Diana 1108682@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, wow!&nbsp; I think San Diego might actually have the best weather in the world.&nbsp; It's generally sunny, dry, and temperate all year round.&nbsp; Although to Claire's point, people seem to acclimate and you will see people in coats and boots when we east coasters would be wearing shorts!&nbsp; (For reference, I live in Boston now but I grew up just north of LA.)&nbsp; </p> <p>For starters, here's my very small travel capsule from when I went back to CA for Thanksgiving.&nbsp; It's heavy on the casual as it was a casual trip.&nbsp; The weather was actually quite warm while I was there - the first day it was cooler and rainy (maybe 55-60F?&nbsp; That is considered cool there!), the rest of the time it was closer to mid-70s during the day and sunny.&nbsp; It's colder at night, being a semi-desert climate.&nbsp; The temps can drop by as much as 30 degrees overnight!&nbsp; Anyway, I think this is similar to what you might expect in SD.&nbsp; I think maybe if you are near the ocean you wouldn't get as huge a temp drop overnight.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-thanksgiving-travel-capsule" rel="nofollow">http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....el-capsule</a></p> <p></p> <p>ETA: I would say for outerwear I use my leather jackets and trenches a lot when I go to CA.&nbsp; I rarely bring a wool coat as I think it's overkill.&nbsp; If you like boots, you can wear them three seasons assuming they are not like snow boots or something (which you won't need).&nbsp; Because it's much drier, I actually find wearing boots in warmer weather in CA is more feasible than trying to do so in MA (where the humidity makes my feet feel like a swamp).&nbsp; On the other hand if you like sandals/ballet flats/etc you can wear those most of the year too!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108678 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:16:46 +0000 LAR101 1108678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I needed to think about&nbsp;dressing in layers in California&nbsp;more so than I did in &nbsp;Connecticut.<br />The temperature swings much more from night to day or sun to shade or fog in much of California as compared to the&nbsp;East Coast. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />Humidity acts like a &nbsp;blanket to keep the temperatures even.<br />Think about the desert where the temperature can soar to over &nbsp;100 &nbsp;in the day and below freezing a night. &nbsp;Much of California is drier than the East Coast. &nbsp;I've lived in both the Los Angeles &amp; San Francisco areas and found the weather much milder (hot Spring to cold Fall) than Connecticut&nbsp;but much more variable and I needed think in layers for the day.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108658 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:41:50 +0000 Anonymous 1108658@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My pleasure! I'm not that familiar with the climate in San Diego, but you might be able to wear a&nbsp;leather jacket year round. Good luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108600 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:48:33 +0000 Anna 1108600@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you, Claire, this is a great example! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108599 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:47:19 +0000 Anna 1108599@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Dear Liz,</p> <p>Right now I'm thinking about some useful pieces to start out with. Casual/work appropriate. As I'm moving cross-country, I want to travel light, and since I'm going to have to find a place once I get there, I have no idea how much closet space I'm going to have.</p> <p>I'm a professional tarot-reader, but I'm going to need additional employment to cover me until I'm up and running in my new location. I'm looking for jobs that are generally casual--bookstores, new age shops, consignment stores, but I'll work almost anywhere if it comes to that. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108590 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:33:42 +0000 Anonymous 1108590@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh that's lovely! The first winter you might not feel the cold, but after you acclimate, you might (if you run cold like me).&nbsp;</p> <p>I don't know if you work or what your clothing needs are (by occasion) but I'll tell you what I have and see if that helps you.</p> <p>For winter I wear jeans with flats and I have one pair of boots. My warmest coat is a trench with a wool zip-out lining. I have light weight long sleeved shirts and sweaters and at night, I'll wear a blazer under my trench to add more warmth. I don't own a hat or gloves (but we're going skiing at the New Year so that will have to change).&nbsp;</p> <p>When I shop, I keep reciting the mantra "summer or seasonless" because obviously woolly looking winter clothes just don't get enough wear to justify their cost and storage. Here's an example of the capsule I'm wearing now:</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-10-item-wardrobe-for-fw">http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....obe-for-fw</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108589 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:33:39 +0000 Liz 1108589@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What kind of capsules are you putting together --&nbsp;a work capsule for a workplace with a dresscode? A casual capsule? A dressy capsule for outings and events? All of the above?&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1108581 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:22:13 +0000 Anna 1108581@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm heading to San Diego. How wonderful to get so many responses in such a short time! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1107917 Sun, 08 Dec 2013 19:10:46 +0000 Anonymous 1107917@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'll have to come back to this once you've answered the question about&nbsp;<i>where</i> &nbsp;in California you're moving. I made a move from Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh) to Arizona (near Phoenix) almost 10 years ago and it has taken me that long to figure out what my clothing needs are! It sounds like a fun move. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1107895 Sun, 08 Dec 2013 18:57:27 +0000 Angie 1107895@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>YES. I was going to ask you the same thing. Where in CA are you moving to? A San Fran&nbsp;wardrobe is different to a Pasadena wardrobe.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1107796 Sun, 08 Dec 2013 16:43:58 +0000 deb 1107796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am in northern California and we had snow yesterday. I will not get above 42 here today. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1107790 Sun, 08 Dec 2013 16:37:51 +0000 Hestonian 1107790@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Not Angie, but what part of California are you talking about? That would make a difference in putting together your wardrobe. Northern is usually cooler than southern. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-capsule-wardrobe-for-california#post-1107785 Sun, 08 Dec 2013 16:34:18 +0000 Anna 1107785@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b></b>Dear Angie,</p> <p>I'm trying to move from Pennsylvania to California, and I'm planning on leaving a lot of my clothing behind. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe, but I'm not sure how to put one together for a place on the other side of the country.</p> <p>I would love some advice.<br />Thank you!<br />Anna </p>