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Climate - how it affects my wardrobe

Sisi

Veteran

Playing with my wardrobe numbers I noticed that I have a core of clothes that I wear consistently during Winter-Spring-Fall. It makes sense because Spring is usually rather chilly here (unfortunately for me!) therefore these three seasons do not differ much temperature-wise. I call these clothes my "multi-season" items. They are:

thin sweaters, good for Spring/Fall and also Winter with the addition of a warm cardi or poncho

jeans and medium-weight pants

moccasins and booties

thin puffers

I must remember to privilege this type of pieces when shopping. A light-weight sweater can have more wears than a heavy one because it goes successfully through three seasons.

What about you? Does your climate allow you to wear your clothes evenly during the year, or do you also have a core of items that gets worn the most?

General

24 replies

Latest reply was from Ginger

RobinF

Veteran

Here in Michigan we have pretty definite seasons. I do have some tops that I wear year round, under things in the cold weather but by themselves when it is warmer. And a few pairs of pants that are a medium weight that can be worn all year. So I would say I do have a core but it is very small and the rest I swap out for cold/warm and then struggle with the shoulder seasons

Runcarla

Veteran

There is a big difference between winter and summer where I live, and the shoulder seasons of spring and fall are different enough from each other to require different approaches to dressing - if not a completely different set of garments! That said, there are some core garments that get worn year round.

I whole heartedly agree with you on the usefulness of a lightweight sweater. A thin merino wool or cotton knit is a 3 season garment for me - fall, winter, spring. Jeans are worn year round. With our winters becoming so mild, sneakers are worn year round as well.

We are having a cool spring this year, and I run cold, so my uniform now is similar to fall and winter: light weight sweater, jeans, sneakers - with a light weight topper early or late in the day when temps are at their coolest. Once real summer starts (any day now) - I’ll be in shorts, linen pants, and short sleeved button downs. Really hot weather lasts 3-4 months where I live.

For the record my 3 most worn jeans chalked up 45-50 wears each last year, while 3 pairs of shorts averaged 25 wears each. 4 sweaters and a hoodie reached double digit (20+/-) wears each. A white linen shirt was worn on 18 occaisions, whilst a pale blue one and a navy one were worn 10 times each.

Joy

Veteran

We have 4 distinct seasons however for the first time there is a long transitional period and I want sleeves. Summers are cooler and do
not require sandals. It is May and snow is possible. It is 41 degrees F

Gone is the long hot summer to be replaced with almost no summer. This has made a big difference in my summer wardrobe. For the first time I need transition clothes, and the clothes lots of cold weather clothing. My wardrobe has flipped.

Dee

Veteran

I’m very much like Runcarla, living in the province next door. Summer and winter are very extreme from each other but I’d say spring is the trickiest to predict. It can be cold and rainy or occasionally warm and mild, so it can be difficult to dress for because it can change so suddenly.

Jeans, long sleeve tops, light weight sweaters and various weights of puffer/quilted vests/jackets work best for 3 out of the 4 seasons here. So it makes sense for me to spend most of my wardrobe $$s here but somehow summer is the easiest to shop for although its a short and sweet season for me.

Irina

Veteran

I live close to Carla but I run really cold I wear what she wears but my sweaters are not thin merino. I wear regular, mid weight cashmere sweaters from October through May. They are the most worn items in my wardrobe. Jeans will a close second category.
I don't know if it's due to a climate change, more likely it's due to my aging but I feel colder than before.

April

Veteran

We have four distinct seasons too, though spring is the most unpredictable. In our sticky summers, I can't bear layering beyond carrying a jacket against brutal AC in commercial spaces. I love tall boots but again, never in summer.

As I've gotten older (I'm a newly-minted 60) there is less seasonal difference because I prioritize sun-protection and no longer wear sleeveless items or shorts. I haven't worn open-toed footwear in forever.

Jeans are four-season. Linen is summer-only. Leather jackets are fall and spring.

Roberta

Veteran

I notice this "seasonality" (is that a word?) most when truly warm weather sets in. Then I start wearing shorts and a short sleeve top every day, with a very occasional dress. Sandals every day, unless I'm hiking. It feels too warm for pants, and definitely too warm for any kind of long sleeve top or cardigan, unless I know I'm headed for a super air conditioned spot like a movie.

The other three quarters of the year I wear almost everything in my closet. Lighter weight pants, but with socks and shoes. Sleeveless tops under sweaters. Dresses over pants, maybe with a cardigan. And of course, all of my heavier things, like corduroy and jackets. I love warm weather, but it's a boring season for me, wardrobe-wise.

Mirjana

Veteran

I'm almost like you, most of my clothes are like yours, probably similar climate.

cat2

Veteran

We have about 6 months of Summer and 6 months of Not Summer. We don’t really have two other seasons. So my wardrobe is pretty evenly split between wool and cotton.

pirouette

We have mostly grey wet weather all year so my wardrobe of boots jeans jackets and coats is worn most of the time. We get an occasional sunny day in the summer where you might not need a jacket! I have summer clothes for when I go abroad to warmer climates I almost never wear them at home. I run cold also do that doesn’t help.

Star

Veteran

I have very definite winter clothes and summer clothes. My Spring and Autumn can cross over. Although we have what I call a Cold Spring and a Warm Spring. Those require different weights of toppers and knits too. The same goes for Autumn. Although this year our winter was not so cold and I did not wear my heavy knits and under-turtlenecks. So my Cold Spring items got a lot more wear than usual. This is on the Black Sea.

In Johannesburg, South Africa most of my clothes could be worn all year round so this was a big change for me. The light weight jackets I wore in winter there can only be worn here in Warm Spring/Autumn.

So BIG change but wardrobe tracking has really helped me get on top of what I actually wear and need.

Interesting question Sisi!

Just to add I think lifestyle also makes a difference. I walk nearly everyday out in the elements so I need more heavy winter clothes than someone who say is driving to a heated office. Also I have no aircon at home so I FEEL the summer, so no sleeves or cardies until Early Autumn.

Bonnie

Veteran

I live where is it mostly 60F-70F with some days in the 50F and some in the 70+, so I can wear most of my wardrobe year round. I like to wear a spring color palette in Spring/Summer and a fall color palette in Fall/Winter just to make things interesting.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I find the answers fascinating and I am nodding my head along with most! I used to live near Runcarla and Irina and Dee (actually, I lived in a small city smack dab in between theirs!) so I agree with what they said re the big distinction between summer and winter, the variability and unpredictability of spring weather in those parts, and also the need for at least a few distinctly "fall" items (as a rule.) In fact, when I lived there, I used to sort my closet into six sub-seasons:

Now I live in a more temperate climate and more of my clothes are cross-seasonal but it has taken me some time to figure this out, and start buying for the new reality. The items that I wear most now include:

Light merino wool sweaters (and merino gear). I wear the sweaters 3 seasons and the gear all year.

Jeans and dressy pants in lightweight wool or similar. In summer, I do switch out for more cropped styles and for lighter weight fabrications or lighter washes and I will wear white jeans much more often. In my former climate, I almost never wore jeans in summer. Too hot!

Cotton sweaters (more of a spring/ summer/ fall staple).

Coats of all kinds, and I find I need a lot more options for true outerwear here! Like Star, I am out in the elements every day and I find that different weights of puffer coat, different types of wool coat, and -- of course! -- many different styles and types of raincoat are key to comfort!

I tend to switch out my footwear -- sneakers and oxfords in spring/ fall; sandals in summer (with some lighter sneakers or oxfords), and boots/ booties in fall/ winter.

I wear skirts and dresses and sleeveless or short-sleeved tops more. in summer.

Sal

Veteran

Yes I agree Sisi. Thin sweaters, light puffers are super useful for most of the year.

I try not to purchase too many true winter or hot summer pieces because they don’t get enough wear. I need a few more in summer for vacations.

I do like to have a couple of very summery pieces to put me in the mood- and with winter I like putting on my wool coat with a beanie to warm up a thin sweater and jeans.

Sisi

Veteran

Thank you for the interesting answers, everybody.

Chris987

Veteran

I think about this topic a lot, probably too much! I live in
a 4-season climate with extremes – winters are well below freezing and
high summer is in the 80/90s and humid, plus everything in between. Probably similar to Carla and Irina. I do like lighter colors in spring vs. darker in fall. I have never found a good answer for how many seasons to plan for with wardrobe-wise or how much of various things to have in each season. It would be easier if I had one big closet where I could put everything, but I do not, so I am often swapping things around between current vs in-storage closets to fit the weather. I wear different weights
of fleece tops 9 months of the year indoors, because I find them warmer on the skin than anything else, they don’t get hurt by kitty claws, wear like iron and launder easily. Strangely, I’m happy with a pretty small selection. I prefer a mid-weight or heavy sweater when I’m not at home, although my lifestyle and where I live are SO casual that fleece is fine in a lot of venues. I need lightweight cotton/merino sweaters for a few weeks in spring and fall and never feel like I have the right choices. I love pretty blouses but they only work for me in summer ... the rest of the year I need a layer under and a layer over and that kinda ruins the whole vibe. What Suz said about needing/wanted more outerwear options is true for me too. Footwear is boots (mostly booties) for half of the year, sneakers/loafers for maybe 10 wks in spring/fall, and sandals 0nly for 3 months. Just last week on a rainy cold day I wore an
insulated waterproof coat and lined booties. In May. Yup. Wool coats, even the heaviest ones, are not warm enough for me in deep winter so I wear puffer coats. Even though I go everywhere by car, it takes 15 minutes for the car to warm up when it’s really cold, and if my destination is 8 minutes away that puffer coat is really necessary

JAileen

Veteran

I’m in N Nevada, at 4600 feet. We have four seasons - cold winters, usually around 20F every morning. Very hot summers, approaching 100F in July and August. Spring and Fall are fleeting. People will say but there’s no humidity. True, but that’s why we have huge temperature swings daily - 30 degrees usually, but sometimes as much as 40 degrees. So you better layer! Anyway, my winter and summer clothes are separate and apart, mostly.

I joke about my uniforms. In summer I wear shorts, a sleeveless top and sandals every day, unless I need to go somewhere - doctor’s appointment, church, etc. Then I might wear cropped pants or a skort with a nicer top.

In winter I wear hiking pants, long sleeve tee, some kind of topper (hoodie, fleece shirt or vest, etc.), and boots or clogs every day. My dressy version is jeans or hiking pants, cashmere sweater, scarf, and boots. And of course some kind of coat. I have as many coats and jackets as the Inuit have words for snow. Wool, down, Goretex - you name it, I have it. I have lots of gear for our birding outings, and our longer trips. Birding is similar to hiking, except there’s more standing around, slowly freezing.

Someone posted this a month ago. We hope we’re finally in actual spring - we planted our tomatoes yesterday!

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RachelNZ

I live in a relatively mild climate without big extremes, our coldest points in winter are only just down 0°C and summer highs are high 20s°C. The biggest issue that impacts my wardrobe is the day-to-day variability, four seasons in one day is a common phrase! I run cold so would never leave the house without a second layer anytime of the year as we also have a cold sea breeze (the easterly) which ruins many a spring/summer day.

I'm getting better at focusing on those pieces that can be worn throughout the year but like Chris I prefer different colours for autumn vs spring/summer. I'm lucky to have the space to keep all my wardrobe together year round and it works well as I've had to wear boots on Christmas Day before (which should be summer!).

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

We have mostly two seasons - hot summer and winter, which is really closer to what I think of as spring or autumn. The most year round items in my closet are thin cotton blouses that I wear on their own in the summer and under jackets in the winter.

The Cat

Veteran

I live in a 4 seasons climate. Winter is my longest season and much colder than summer, so I certainly have special wardrobe needs for each of those seasons.

Spring and fall are my favourite seasons. However, both of them are short. And while I tend to prefer lighter colours in spring and darker colours in fall, I don't want items that would be worn for just one short season.

Many items in my wardrobe can be worn for two, three or even four seasons, depending on how I style/layer them. Among these versatile items are:
- Medium-weight long pants and jeans
- Long-sleeved button-front shirts
- Light-weight round-neck pullovers
- Thin turtleneck pullovers
- T-shirts and tank tops
- Ballet flats and loafers
- Booties
- Sneakers
- Trenchcoats
- Blazers
- Medium-weight cardigans
- Light-weight puffer jackets
- Silk scarves and pashmina style scarves

Thin wool has become a favourite fabric. Very pleasant to wear most days of the year.

Colours like teal, muted/deep pink, denim blue, navy and light/medium grey are versatile year round. They can easily be combined with many other (lighter/brighter/darker) colours.

Suntiger

I too, have a climate of extremes. 0F or even lower (very rare) to low 100sF, normally 30 to high 90s though.

My summer wardrobe is basically good May- October. Warm-Hot (70-100+). Skirts, sleeveless, sandals. Occasionally I'll need transitional things: a light topper, thin pants, warm skirts, short sleeves or sleeved blouses, or sandal booties at the edges of those months. Those transitional things are mostly worn March, April, November, December though- but it could also be colder. Springs are much colder and rainier than Falls. I used to try to lighten my palette in spring, but don't anymore.

January, February- cold (30-50F) to bitter cold (under 30 or snow- rare). Coats, long warm pants, long sleeve Ts or sweaters, boots/booties, gloves, sometimes hats. Hate it! The very warmest coats and snow boots get little wear, but when I need them, I need them.

The only year round things are some sleepwear (rayon harem pants) and gear (sneakers, swimsuits, athletic tanks). I keep my Birks out year round too, cause we do get winter days in the 60s.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

My core items were similar to yours when I lived in a true spring climate (UK) - I still keep some of my thin to medium weight merino jumpers, thin jacket/ puffer layers and wool trousers/ jeans over here too though, since they're useful for our milder winters in subtropical humidity in HK. (I don't add anything to them here, though in the UK it was nearly *always* accompanied by a raincoat lol...)

Where I'm from in the UK we *occasionally* get snow but it's not guaranteed each year (winters hover around freezing, or max -5 to -10C). Summers are becoming hotter now though (25-30C isn't so bearable in brick houses without AC...) so I'm ironically finding that a lot of the transitional hot weather pieces I wear May-October here in HK are useful for the UK too! I prefer to stay covered all year round, so I stick to breathable long sleeved tops, dresses and layerable shirts. Bottoms may not always be natural fibres but they're floaty &/ or collapse back to the body at some point (e.g. harem pants & maxi skirts).

Anyway, I don't switch items out from my closet because HK doesn't have very distinct seasons (just more rain/ typhoon in the 30-35C summer, but otherwise 5-10C is normal in winter), & I've only kept a handful of my UK coats here (2 heavyweight wool, 2 raincoats).

I'm sure I'll have more of a need for coats once I soon return to a true UK winter climate, but for now I'm enjoying having 2 core collections (for hot & cold weather) that I pull from year-round!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I live in a four season climate too

Apart from bras and knickers, nothing works across 4 seasons these days because our Summers are hotter than they used to be. Our Winters are icier and windier. More extreme.

That said, some items are very versatile, and can be worn a lot during the year. Jeans, dressy pants, cotton knitwear, sneakers, boots, belts and some outerwear.

Ginger

Veteran

I can't think of anything that's not underclothing that is truly four season wear for me. Maybe heeled pumps? But my color palette in cold weather isn't the same as in warm, and I prefer peep toes in warm weather also, so that happens rarely.

Well... technically, since winter can be erratic, I do pull out actual summer clothing on occasion. A few years ago we hit the low 80s on Christmas Day, and this February we had a day in the mid 90s. So my summer clothing is never packed away inaccessible. But it's also not at all something I expect to need. It may happen, but it may not. And if it does it's guaranteed to not last.

Its effect on my wardrobe, though, is that the seasons are imbalanced. Hot weather lasts a lot longer than cold weather. I am warm-natured, and I can still be comfortably hosiery-free for ~7 months of the year. Whereas at most 3 months (more like 2) will I want heavy knit hosiery (and then I REALLY want it).

The hosiery isn't so much important, but it's what makes my dresses and skirts a bit more adaptable. Point is, I need 7-8 months worth of hot weather clothes, and 2-3 months of cold weather clothes.

And I just realized that my desperate feelings of boredom and wanting to shop in August are actually pretty reasonable. Of course I'm bored with the same dresses I've been wearing for 4 months and will keep wearing for 3 more! LOL