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Moving from Ontario to San Jose-clothes?

Janine

Hi everyone

I am a lurker, but have a question that I really need help with!

My husband and I live in Ontario Canada but we are moving to San Jose in 5 weeks.
I have no clue what items should be culled from my closet...we are going to be renting for awhile and there is not much closet space, so if there are any clothing items that would not really be needed I would love to know and will donate/gift them.
Here in Ontario it goes from extremes of -30degrees C to humid and hot at 40 with the humidex in the summer...so quite a range. I am thinking that N. Cali does not have swings like this (at least the winter part).

My main concerns are:
-winter jackets
-warm sweaters
-fuzzy jammies

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Are there any items I should definately hold on to that will be real workhorses?

Thanks!

Dressing

15 replies

Latest reply was from Aziraphale

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I grew up just north of San Jose for most of my school age years. I don't remember ever having a proper winter coat lol. It gets cool, but not COLD like I am sure you are used to.
Good luck with your move!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Wow! I have no words of wisdom but just wanted to wish you luck and congratulate you on the big change! I am sure the first winter will feel like heaven!

MsMaven

Veteran

Wonderful--I've lived in Silicon Valley for the last 30 years now, ten in San Jose. No, wait, twelve. Time flies.

We are fortunate here in having a diverse ethnic community and moderate weather--most of the time. It is pretty informal overall, but some areas are more into dressing up than others.

As I've gotten older and have thyroid issues I feel the cold more. Warm sweaters are definitely useful, as are winter jackets. It all depends on your personal refrigeration-heating system and where you live. We must have dozens of microclimates here. You won't need a winter coat or a heavy jacket unless you need it for travel. My son lives in Chicago--we often go there for Christmas.

We get several episodes of 100°+ weather from May to even October. It usually only lasts a few days. The coldest time of year is from late December to early February. Last average frost date is January 25 where we live. Some years it doesn't get below freezing, others it gets into the 20s. Again, it depends on the microclimate where you live.

DH and I take continuing studies classes at night at Stanford and we call the place foggy bottom. Puffy coat or jacket, gloves and hats are needed to walk from parking to classrooms.

Fuzzy jammies--well I have a couple of pair of flannel pjs I occasionally wear in winter. The rest of the year they are stuffed into a cupboard.

The first 5-6 years we lived here I didn't have a winter coat at all. We moved here from Southern California. I wear wool and leather jackets most of the year.

I imagine it will be quite a change for you. San Jose is going through some traumas due to the recession. We love it here because of the variety of cultures and people.

Any specific questions there are several of us who could answer.

Very important Question: Are you a Hockey Fan?

Dee

Veteran

I'm also a newbie (posted in Who's Who the other day) so I don't have much advice, but I am in a similar situation, just in reverse. I'm moving from Pennsylvania to Calgary and don't want to lug anything that is going to unnecessary over 2000 miles. Calgary winters will be even longer and colder, and the summers much less hot/humid.

I plan on getting rid of tank tops and some of my light, summery things in favor of things that layer easily and then stocking up on parkas, jackets for a wide range of temperatures, pajamas and flannel sheets when I get there. Hopefully you can do something similar in reverse. You probably don't need as many warm things as you currently have.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the advice here, in general, because culling your wardrobe is hard!

kellygirl

Veteran

I've lived in the San Jose/Bay Area my whole life and I don't think I've ever really had a winter jacket. I have a lined London Fog trench that I use for cold, rainy days and an unlined trench for pleasant rainy days. We generally have a few weeks of cold weather (and I mean the low 30's) but I've never felt a need for a down jacket or anything like that. When it's cold, I wear sweaters layered over a tee and throw on a jacket. In general, the winters are pretty mild. My neighbor across the street wears shorts year round--they are from the East Coast and laugh when they see me bundled up.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or post them here. I'll check back

Welcome to the Bay Area (in advance!)

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I am not all that sure about summers, but winters are a lot milder - you will be able to wear trench coats, denim jackets, nice leather jackets etc. without the need for actual 'winter' coats or anything resembling snow boots.

All of that spring/fall stuff that you hardly ever get to wear in Ontario? These items will come in handy!

You know how it is where winter is the dominant season in Ontario, and how summers are pretty intense, and there's not much in the way of fall or spring ? Reverse that. It'll be one long 'fall' compared to what it's like in Ontario. If there are cold snaps, they won't be anything like Ontario, and they won't be too long-lasting. Same goes for any so-called "heat waves" in the summer.

If I were moving from Southern Ontario to San Jose, I'd be prepared for the following 'flip', so to speak:

Instead of having tons of winter clothes and dealing with a short, but ridiculously hot summer - think fall and spring - these will become your dominant seasons instead.

Having said that, I'm not 100% certain what summers are like - I just know that "winter" is...a piece of cake!

Best wishes for your upcoming move - very exciting!

kellygirl

Veteran

Oh, VC is absolutely right. Spring and summer are the dominant seasons. We go straight from knee high leather boots to bare legs with flats/sandals. The spring is mild--think 60-70's. Summers are fairly hot but remain somewhat dry. We have a handful of days that are unbearably hot (IMHO) and sort of humid but in general pretty pleasant. Last summer was pretty mild--high 80's-90's mostly.

cheryl

Veteran

I'm no help but just wanted to say good luck with the move

DonnaF

Veteran

Winters are very mild in SJ, but if you are one to turn your thermostat way down at night or turn the heat off, you might want to keep those fuzzy jammies. Also, if you think you might drive up to the snow (like Lake Tahoe) or go skiing in the winter, you might want to keep gearish winter clothing. But basically, if there is going to be a hard freeze at night, it makes the news. Daytime winter temps are in the 50s and low 60s.

Summer heat is more dry than humid, and how much you feel it may depend on whether you work/live in an air conditioned place and whether it gets the south/west afternoon sun. As you move north, fewer homes will be air conditioned or have window units. The South Bay does not cool down at night nearly as much as SF or the East Bay on the Bay side of the tunnel since the fog come in through the Golden Gate. Today, SJ was in the high 70s. I generally expect 80s and low 90s in the summer. Triple digit heat, esp. for more than a day or two will make the news, and if it happens in SF/Berkeley/Oakland it will be top of the news!

ironkurtin

Veteran

You've gotten a lot of good feedback... it's cold and rainier where you are, damper all around. SJ is very pleasant, moderate, with dry heat. It does get cooler at night, but we're talking 60's as I recall. Congrats on the move!

christieanne

Veteran

I live in the colder, foggier East bay (Berkeley/Oakland) and even here (10-15 degrees cooler than SJ in Spring/Summer, we don't need what you would consider a winter coat.
It does get into the 30's but mainly 40-50 in winter. Absolutely no snow but rains quite a bit in fall and winter.
I think it gets pretty hot in SJ (90's plus is hot in my book) but most houses/apts in that area seem to have A/C whereas up where I am, no one does (that's why it makes the news - much harder to deal with sans A/C).
If you want to ski, obviously we have Tahoe and other mountain areas within 5 hr drive so you might want cold weather gear for that. Otherwise, your light coats, a few hats and thinner or leather gloves should do you fine.

Welcome to the Bay Area! You may feel a bit at home as we take our Sharks seriously (even if they let us down in playoffs time after time lol).

HelenInCanada

Veteran

Wow - exciting move! I love the Bay Area (though I know San Jose is bit more south). I found it to be a LOT more casual than Toronto, with year-round spring/summer like weather. Although it doesn't snow there or have extreme cold temps, it DOES get chilly in the evenings. I'd have a mix of cool/warm-appropriate clothing. No need for a big winter coat, as was mentioned, but definitely something like a trench and maybe leather or light wool. Good luck!

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Congrats on the move! Great advice! i've lived in the East Bay since i was 5 (45 years!). I'd only like to emphasize a couple of things. First, the outdoor opportunities around here are phenomenal - beach, mountains, snow, rock climbing, camping, hiking, lake, etc. all within a half-day drive. I'd hold onto any outdoorsy gear that you have as it can be expensive to replace.

If you spend any time up in SF or in Berkeley/Oakland you'll want something to cut the wind (windbreaker, trench, etc.). It doesn't get cold there so much as you get 30mph winds laden with 90% humidity.....really cuts thru you! Around the bay in general most people find that fleecies, light wool sweaters and down vests provide plenty of warmth. And if you keep your fluffy jammies you won't have to have the heat on at nite, as DonnaF pointed out

One new point - be sure to dress in layers (or take some extra with you) if you're traveling around the bay (heading over to Pt. Reyes or something). The bay is full of microclimates, and driving 20 minutes can change the weather by 30 degrees F. Fortunately the National Weather Service does a good job of forecasting for all the little nooks and crannies:
http://www.weather.gov/

Welcome to California!! steph

Janine

Thank-you so very much to everyone who took the time to reply I really appreciate the advice
I have a much better idea now of what needs culling LOL I do have quite a few heavy winter coats that will be donated. I will hold on to some gear as we are pretty active and one of the the things we look most forward to when moving to Ca is the outdoor activities
Nice to know my Fryes will be put to good use too with the extended fall-like weather LOL I will also hold on to all layering clothing (which I do have a lot of).
I also have to admit I am excited for the shopping...the US has so many stores that I just drool over and cannot wait to see IRL!!!
Now onto the next challenge...finding a house (which has proven to be very difficult to say the least!)

Aziraphale

Veteran

The Bay area is lovely! You'll have fun. And I think I can help. I moved from Vancouver BC to Marin County California once. San Jose is even warmer than Marin, but it's just at the other end of SF Bay and similar in that it's sunny and dry most of the time.

Compared to Ontario, it will feel like you'll never have winter. The weather will go from hot hot summer that's dry, not muggy, to a pleasant fall that morphs right into spring! I never wore my chunky knit sweaters *ever again* after moving to Marin. I also never needed a winter coat, although lighter spring/fall coats and sweatshirts were useful. Clothes that can be layered are good, because it's true that in the evenings it can get a lot cooler. I wore a lot of tee shirts, sleeveless tees and light cotton button-front shirts.

The other thing I wasn't prepared for was the rainy season. Marin (and I assume San Jose, too) has what they call a Mediterranean climate, with a wet season where it rains periodically, and a dry season where it doesn't rain at all for months on end. Well, the rain there was not like Vancouver drizzle. It POURS. Not for long, mind you -- only maybe an hour at a time -- but during those times, if you must go out, you must have an umbrella. Most people I met who lived in Marin did not own a raincoat, but did own multiple umbrellas.

For footwear, you'll probably need more sandals than you currently own. But you don't have to worry about wrecking your good leather shoes on wet streets anymore! One thing that I noticed, though, is that during the long dry summer, it's really DUSTY. Dust everywhere. It gets on stuff, shoes in particular, and at first I felt like everything was dirty. You get used to it though.

Finally, sun hats are not a bad idea. Hope you have a great time!