YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Tops and Toppers

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Tops and Toppers https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:47:10 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911752 Sun, 22 Apr 2018 17:39:11 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1911752@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Can't agree more that it's very individual and affected by what you're used to, as well as the humidity. There's a perpetual joke in San Francisco about all the tourists who think California equals LA weather and show up in t-shirts and shorts, and then have to buy a pricey souvenir sweatshirt so they don't freeze to death.  Toban makes a good point about weight as well - when I'm on the higher end of my range I definitely run warmer than when I've lost some. I've heard from some people who've lost significant amounts of weight (>50 lbs) that they run perpetually cold ever after, like their metabolism is permanently shifted.  Now that I'm back in the humid midwest, at least for now, I'm also trying to figure out what the finishing bits to an outfit can be, either when it's really cold and you're totally covered up and layered, or when it's hot and humid and you are wearing the minimum required not to get arrested for exposure. I personally don't love jewelry when it's hot and humid - earrings maybe, but not necklaces or bracelets, they stick to my skin and are just a bother. cindysmith on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911699 Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:17:41 +0000 cindysmith 1911699@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In this part of Texas, and with my health issues, toppers are out of the question in summer. I've got lots of them for our brief spring & fall seasons and they're useful in what passes for winter around here most of the time. But summer? Not happening. Its totally frustrating, because toppers do help some outfits feel complete, or make them so much more interesting. Elly on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911625 Sun, 22 Apr 2018 02:44:17 +0000 Elly 1911625@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling, I think that your observation about feet is particularly apt. Since moving from CO to AZ I've realized I'm far more adaptable than I ever thought and can tolerate most things. However, I HATE having sweaty/hot or cold feet.  That and a cold neck or hot hair (dark hair and sun) can ruin my day. I haven't lost my cold tolerance yet, but my heat tolerance is definitely building. However, I find that I'm much more "natural" than many in this climate and feel like many offices and stores are over heated in the winter and over air conditioned in the summer-- I spend my summers feeling a bit cool, but the indoor temps at work in the winter make my boots practically unwearable. Sorry to hear that you aren't so lucky with the climate control situation! I second the idea of trying items with sleeve detail-- there are so many good looks right now. krishnidoux on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911113 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 18:44:50 +0000 krishnidoux 1911113@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ La Ped, short vest, great suggestion. And I agree that they aren't easy to find. There used to be some affordable ones at Talbots, but now they seem to make then bulkier than before.  LaPed on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911085 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 17:34:07 +0000 LaPed 1911085@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ krish, I usually wear a cami or a heat tech baselayer, depending on the temperature. I think I'm just very draft sensitive and need my core to be warm. Even if I make a point of leaving a cardigan open, I generally end up closing it without thinking. My favourite thing for the winter is short vests -- they give the proper third-piece effect, are easy to layer, look good closed, and provide core warmth. As many have mentioned, short vests/waistcoats are really hard to find right now!  krishnidoux on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911082 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 17:11:16 +0000 krishnidoux 1911082@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ La Ped, that's interesting what you say about fastening the topper. It does change an outfit's vibe! I feel sorry you experience this. I myself always run cold and live in the coldest country, but can still wear toppers open (inside) during winter. Mind you, I also wear camis under my tops. LaPed on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1911043 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 15:31:55 +0000 LaPed 1911043@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ My own feeling is that humidity plays a huge role in our perception of hot/cold. In my experience, damp-cold is the worst kind of cold (like what we're having right now -- temps around freezing, just cold enough for it to snow rather than rain, no sun, and a damp wind), and also that humid-hot is the worst kind of hot (like the East Coast gets in the summer -- the air sticks to you). Despite all that I didn't love living in a dry climate -- the constant sun gave me headaches and the dryness wreaked havoc on my hair and skin year-round.  These days, while I wear layers in the winter, they don't feel much like third-pieces because I run cold and can't imagine wearing a jacket/cardi/hoodie hanging open in the winter. I absolutely button/zip mine all the way up, or I'm wearing a pullover. I really only get the topper effect in the warmer half of the year, when I can wear open jackets and cardis comfortably. I am happy with my arms fully covered and wearing a lightweight second layer up to about 74-76 degrees F. It has to reach 80 before I feel like it's true "t-shirt weather" whereas DH starts wearing short sleeves around 70 degrees. I run pretty cold despite growing up in northern New England.  Toban on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910995 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 13:58:20 +0000 Toban 1910995@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ As a Canadian prairie girl that moved to the West Coast in her teens, then eventually found herself living in Melbourne, Berkeley CA, and now the Washington DC area for the past 9 years, I concur with Krish. There is a relativeness to our experience of weather that relates to our upbringings, temperature, and humidity. We vary in our ability to acclimate to new climates. Our body weight also impacts this. I generally ran hot, but as I lost weight I felt the cold of the winter more. It will be interesting to see if I do better in the heat than before, which I couldn't take well at all at my higher weight. My coldest has always been on the West Coast (rather than Winnipeg), where the temperatures are moderate, but the rain and wind make you chilled to the bone. I always needed a jacket. It took me a long while, like Sterling, to adapt my summer wardrobe to my new environment. I now know that jeans are way too hot for me from May through early September unless I am traveling north or to Europe. I now know to focus on skirts and dresses for that period, but definitely need light weight toppers for work a/c. I like sleeveless tops, but prefer to cover my arms for more formal meetings. I usually have a collection of very lightweight cardigans for that purpose. Suz on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910986 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 13:44:29 +0000 Suz 1910986@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ah, Krish, you are a philosopher of the weather, and every word you say is true! I couldn't agree more.  West coast summers can feel awfully cool to us easterners because they lack that humidity. Toppers always handy there, even on the hottest days, because it also cools down more at night than it does here.  I'm going to have to readjust to life out there.... RobinF on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910977 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:50:07 +0000 RobinF 1910977@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ugh, horrible Michigan weather this year too! I used to always run cold until menopause, now I run hot and cold - haha. No in between. I always have a topper for the a/c, too icy for me. But in the summer I have to be more careful about what I wear under it because I am more likely to take it off than in the winter and I am very self-conscious about my bust, work with all men, and have to be covered up. So yes, the toppers Angie posted would work for me in the summer but they can't be the focus of my outfit. I was more commiserating with Sterling about the lack of in-between seasons. krishnidoux on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910976 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:10:17 +0000 krishnidoux 1910976@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This has been such an interesting read!  This thread is full of extremely informative insights from many members and parts of the world. I was especially interested by the recent Angie-Suz exchange about Canadian weather, and because I'm a Canadian and can't resist when it comes to share one's opinion about our national favorite topic, I will chime in. I too lived on the west coast for 10 years but I'm from the eastern part of the continent, and I think it in this east-west divide that lays the answer. We tend to underestimate how much of contrasting climates both places are. For instance, in the east the disparity between winter and summer is so vast that it's as if we lived in two distinct countries. Summers are tropical. Tokyo-in-mid-July-waiting-for-a-train-in-a-crowdy-station kind of tropical. The air gets so damp, so still, so muggy that you write by hand and when you raise your arm the sheet remains stuck on it. Extremely cold A/C are found in some governement offices, but are not as widespread an automatic as they are in the States, and I wonder if it hasn't anything to do with the fact that we must also pay for heating energy wise, and that summers are relatively shorter here. (On this note I have found that the culture of cooling things, serving them at brumal temperatures, adding ice in your drinks and blurting out Chill out! loosely and largely for every occasion is a very American thing). In the east, winters are long, cold, moody, and display a cocktail of everything meteorology can offer. One thing for sure, the weather will not bore you. Easterners tend to think of west coast as the *warm* place. And then when easterners think warm, they erroneously think Barbados warm. Nothing could be further trom the truth. My best friends in Victoria and Seattle were those ultra thick cotton hoodies from Lululemon. On the west coast, I actually discovered the whole topper aesthetics, and that's when I started to think it was cool to wear pants under dresses, tees under shirts, as well as scarves and hats or caps. Suz mentionned meeting a Manitoban claiming the problem was the dampness, and I see where he was coming from (prairies are dry), but I disagree. On the west coast, what makes it colder, especially in the summer ("refreshingly cool", as my mother and other warm blooded people say, yet donning full sleeve toppers) is the wind, coming from the Pacific ocean. It was a pleasure to take a mid-day stroll and remove toppers, tie them around my waist... but an hour later, shivers down my arms and neck would remind me I needed that extra layer!  So here, That was my two cents.  Sterling, I don't know where you live, but maybe this is where you experience confusion. Angie being someone who runs cold, and living on the west coast, understandably devotes space and energy into incorporating toppers to outfits. But I get that in other parts of the world, and for example in the eastern part of Canada or the States in summer months, this need is less pressing.   Right now, like Suz said, the eastern part has been literally deprived of any sort of spring whatsoever, so all of our spring items remain unworn. (phew! This was a long message, I'm sorry) Mainelady on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910966 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 11:11:11 +0000 Mainelady 1910966@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I live where there are 6 seasons: autumn, winter (seems to be the longest one) mud season, spring (usually seems to last about 2 weeks), blackfly season and summer. A nice long sleeved shirt is enough to keep the black flies from “bugging “ me and doesn’t get too hot. Once summer really arrives, I seldom need a topper. If I do, is is always casual. We live on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and have beautiful breezes, so not many buildings are air conditioned. A few are. Most restaurants celebrate open windows and outdoor seating, to maximize our beautiful area. DurIng the summer I am on vacation and my work wardrobe hangs pretty quietly in the closet. I rarely need a topper when out and about. I usually keep a lightweight cardigan in my car, in case the sea breezes run cold. The only times I make sure to have a good topper is when we go out on the boat. The temps can change dramatically, so I have a Sea Bag with a change of warmer clothes, socks and a coat that stays on the boat. Sisi on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910958 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:36:29 +0000 Sisi 1910958@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ For all  my life I wished I lived in a perennial Summer and I was in some way dissatisfied with my Italian, 4-seasons climate. Recently I realized that  living in a 4-seasons climate is not so bad. There is variety and if I had no Winter how could I be so happy when Summer comes? If only Summer lasted longer .... That said, thank you Sterling, you make me appreciate the fact that I can wear toppers!  anchie on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910949 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 09:59:46 +0000 anchie 1910949@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This was very interesting read. It seems that feeling warm or cold is very individual. For me 74 Fahrenheit which translated seems to be 22 Celsius is still pretty cold, especially when sitting at the desk. They have already turned on AC here, and I am shivering at my desk. My nails are turning blue from the cold. And I am wearing a camisole, thin wool sweater and a blazer. And regretting not bringing scarf with me today. But there are some female colleges here today that are already happily wearing sleeveless dresses and I just don't understand how they do it. And it is not like I changed climates that much in my life. We don't have AC at home and I don't want it. We keep our apartment at 25C (77F) for most of the year and this is very pleasant to me. I don't like to be bundled at home.        Angie on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910836 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:28:52 +0000 Angie 1910836@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh my word, Suz. You need to get over to the West Coast FAST. I DO believe that your Canadian Winters are the worst of all worlds. You have all my sympathy. It is ridiculous to have snow on the ground in April. Sunshine makes a huge difference in your mind and for your soul. The PNW is very UN-sunny, and that's the hard part. Anonymous on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers/page/2#post-1910834 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:22:12 +0000 Anonymous 1910834@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Grew up in 4 seasons and never had a problem. As a kid I lived outside all the time- beach in summer, skating on the pond all winter, neighborhood ball games the rest of the time. Loved the heat more than cold really. Then hubby got transferred to desert- he swears it wrecked my internal body thermostat.  Now I am back in 4 seasons. Have zero tolerance for the cold so I my wardrobe is heavy on all different weight sweaters and blazers....and of course scarves. I am never without layers. Hate AC with every fiber of my body- we open a window in this house! Have to say I am in awe of those UPS drivers that wear those brown shorts even it winter....my UPS guy knows that when he starts Christmas deliveries at my house he will hear me tell him to put some clothes on!...he just laughs........ Suz on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910831 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:19:01 +0000 Suz 1910831@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Angie, when I lived in Vancouver, I met a man from Winnipeg who swore up and down that he had never been as cold there as he was in Vancouver. "It's the DAMP!!!" he said... I get it, too. It really can be dismal when it rains nonstop for more than 40 days and nights and the clouds are so low and days so short.  Having said that...what I'm dealing with here feels like the worst of all worlds!  To be fair, this is a REALLY WEIRD YEAR here. Sometimes the trees even have leaves by the end of April. Not this time... As to how we deal with it...layer, layer, layer, and puffer, puffer, puffer. It's all about practicality, as you know from my frequent rants on the subject of footwear! Actually, those who drive to work and live in offices are fine all winter. I think they freeze in arctic AC in summer, though.  As for me, I'm here in a cami, cashmere pullover, scarf, jeans, wool socks, and I am under a down blanket as I type. :)  Angie on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910829 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:10:16 +0000 Angie 1910829@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The Canadians - Smittie and Suz here - have my sympathy. Your weather is VERY EXTREME - apart from when you live in certain parts of BC. It's sooooo cold. I don't know HOW YOU DO IT. I'd have defected or died long ago..... Linder51, thank you for your empathy. The wet cold with NO SUN is unpleasant - and people seldom get that. Smittie though, empathized with me at some point because she has lived in it. Send some of that AZ weather over to Seattle when you get a moment. Anonymous on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910811 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 23:01:16 +0000 Anonymous 1910811@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Feet.  Gail ... you brought up something I failed to consider.  My feet get cold in the office during the summer months.  I have personal hatred for socks/hose so I always go barefoot in my shoes.  My feet get cold in some conference rooms because the duct work is on the floor under the conference table.   Smittie -- I see you as the STRONG and COURAGEOUS Woman of the North.  If anyone can do it, you can do it and make it look easy.  Delurked -- try sleeveless tops, you might fall in love with the look.   Linder51 -- I am starting to understand the variables in climate (latitude, humidity).  I have never had the opportunity to visit the PNW (despite having family that live there).  As a consequence, I can only imagine how the climate must feel.  I imagine I would like it a great deal though.  I feel the same way about the UK, Gail.  Jenn -- If I were to wear a topper, it would on and off all day long.  On.  Off.  On.  Off.  It would drive me crazy.   Jussie -- You made my day.   Gail on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910807 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:36:57 +0000 Gail 1910807@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't mind hot but I don't like it when mixed with high humidity. Living in Pa we get a fair bit of humidity and therefore have arctic ac in my office. My feet get freezing ! I always have a topper in summer which I ditch once I leave work and break out into a sweat. I grew up in the UK so summer was usually a couple of weeks a year if we were lucky, never left the house without a cardigan and a brolly!  When I go back I am always so cold as the damp air there seems to seep up through my feet and I cannot get warm . We had snow flurries here on Monday and it is raining and the wind is howling as I type. delurked on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910803 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:25:37 +0000 delurked 1910803@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nooo Smittie. I need sympathy!!!! Anonymous on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910802 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:23:52 +0000 Anonymous 1910802@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have been wearing my puffer since NOVEMBER!!! Anonymous on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910801 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:22:55 +0000 Anonymous 1910801@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It is literally snowing here too and I literally have no sympathy for you warm climate people, lol! delurked on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910795 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:11:00 +0000 delurked 1910795@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling - I’ve got a few sleeveless tops I’m going to try to incorporate more this summer. I will see how I feel in them. I also rely on necklaces a ton. Suz on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910789 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:04:13 +0000 Suz 1910789@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling, thank you for your kind words. You give me way too much credit! You worked hard for those insights yourself. But I'm glad if my blathering helped a bit. And we can commiserate with one another's opposite woes -- I never get out of snow boots  (it is LITERALLY snowing as I write this, on April 19!!!!) and you never get to wear jackets!  Anonymous on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910782 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 21:42:58 +0000 Anonymous 1910782@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hear Angie.  Having live in the PNW which has a damp cool climate, I always wore a topper.  Now living in the desert I feel like a little desert flower in bloom.  Not much use for toppers here, except at night for AC and the desert does get chilly at night certain times of the year. Love it. Jenn on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910781 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 21:42:28 +0000 Jenn 1910781@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Except for a couple months each year, we have pretty much nothing BUT transitional weather here, so I'm all about the toppers. That being said, when I lived in Seattle, the temperature would often have only a 5° variance from wake-up until bedtime, and I could happily wear a topper all day. That's never the case here, so I can't count on a third piece the way I might be able to if I spent my time in climate-controlled buildings or if I lived in a more moderate climate. I feel your pain here, because my toppers must come off at some point during the day. And they'll get put back on, and come off again, depending on how much I'm moving, whether I'm transitioning between inside and outside, and how much the temperature changes between morning and afternoon, and afternoon and evening. jussie on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910780 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 21:41:56 +0000 jussie 1910780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I much, much prefer hot weather, though I was born in a fairly cool climate. Where I live we have heaps of in between weather, plus a true summer and a true winter (though not snow thank goodness) which results in needing a lot of different garments.... so many different weights of jackets and pullovers... singlets, shorts sleeves, long sleeves, thermals.... I need it all! Janet on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910779 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 21:32:05 +0000 Janet 1910779@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It’s funny how some of us do or don’t acclimate to weather. I was born in an area with definite seasons — moderately cold winters that don’t run bitter for the most part, and hot and humid summers. I’ve never really taken to the hot and humid, despite living in it my entire life. These days I seem to run only moderately warm. Not hot as Angie says. I don’t mind warm as long as it’s not sticky — I hate the humidity unless I’m in Hawaii. I love the desert! But I loved visiting cold places like the polar regions too! As long as I’m properly geared up, I’m fine. Angie on "Tops and Toppers" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/tops-and-toppers#post-1910778 Thu, 19 Apr 2018 21:26:10 +0000 Angie 1910778@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sterling, quick chime in from the road. You’re right. I think you don’t acclimate well to new weather. I was born, raised and grew up in Hong Kong. Hot, humid, tropical. I then moved to Cape Town. Mediterranean climate. Hot. Gorgeous, but cold at night because of the seashore climate. Living in Europe and Seattle thereafter feels very cold to me. It’s all relative, isn’t it :) Sleeveless tops can look elegant, so good for you. Glad you’ve found your Summer topper - Necklaces!