Seasonally confused style - yay or nay or sometimes? - YouLookFab Forum

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Seasonally confused style - yay or nay or sometimes?

Sal

Veteran

Seasonally confused clothes can be perfect - my sons love shorts with a puffer and pool slides for example.

We’ve all seen Instagram or bloggers wearing heels in the snow or snow boots with a mini and bare legs that can seem madness.

But in a temperate climate it can extend your options and actually be comfortable to wear different combinations.

What do you wear that is seasonally confused?

I do wear the following:

- jeans and sandals and a sleeveless top. I like this look but I do find jeans very hot in summer.
- boots with bare legs - this is often very comfortable for me. Definitely I would not have done this 20 years ago though.
- any colour combo in any season. I wear black in summer, terracotta in spring and white in winter. I do have three long sleeve blouses that I tend to wear seasonally but that is all( the green and blue in summer or spring and the black in autumn or winter).

I don’t wear:
- sneakers with sleeveless dresses or tops. I love this look but my feet get hot so quickly that it is really uncomfortable for me.
- shorts with sweaters or jackets - I keep shorts to the hottest of days because they are not my favourite!
- winter textured fabrics in summer - velvet, wool etc feel cosy in winter to me and I try to keep them to that season.

How about you? What works for your climate or are the seasons so different there is little crossover.

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30 replies

Latest reply was from nuancedream

rachylou

Veteran

Hahaha... Puffy in Summer!

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I'm a yay. Temperatures feel different in the arid western US than in the wetter east...and I don't just mean that in a "but it's a dry heat" way. Daily highs and lows are further apart and the difference between sun and shade is more pronounced.

In mild temperatures, my strategy is usually to dress my top half for the current conditions and do pretty much whatever with the bottom half. My legs aren't as sensitive to temperature as my upper body, so boots with bare legs, jeans with a sleeveless top, sandals and a sweater, and a puffer with a skirt are all fair game.

Like you, I don't really enjoy shorts, but I'd totally wear shorts and sweater if I did.

Sal

Veteran

Rachy - not surprised!

Jenn - yes in California I imagine seasonal mixes keep things interesting and comfortable! And yes - my legs don’t care as much as my torso and feet!

Helena

Veteran

My climate is seasonally confused and so sometimes I dress seasonally confused

The extremes (puffer and shorts, e.g.) would not be up my personal alley, but I do enjoy things like jeans and sleeveless tops and sandals, or shorts and a sweater/sweatshirt/long sleeve/light jacket - these things are just practical sometimes.

The daytime dressing equivalent of layering on blankets and then sticking one foot out so you don't overheat

Sal

Veteran

Haha Torontogirl!!

Absolutely the climate is confused too...... I find in the winter I need to keep my head and feet and back warm - and in the summer keep my waist and feet cool (I often have to wear a hat so my head stays hot).

Anonymous

Only during about 60-70 degree weather, which is just a few days a year! Normally its 90 or 30 (this mild winter is a one off).
If it's warm enough for bare legs its warm enough for sandals. No boots, sneakers (except for gym) or other transitional shoes with shorts or skirts w/o tights.
I will wear sandals with pants and whatever top though- if over 60 degrees. Love my sandals
I'll also wear a little jacket or cardigan sweater inside in summer with a/c.
I have been known to wear sleeveless, short sleeve velvet on those mild days too.

nemosmom

Veteran

Yay from me! When I lived in a more temperate climate I wore:

- cotton tank top with beige corduroy pants and sandals (in summer)

- tweed pants with silk shirt (also summer)

- earthtones in summer

- dressy sandals with a knee length dress and a coat (winter)

- midweight scarves (summer)

- jeans year-round (still do this in the sweltering Midwestern summer)

I've worn merino (tees) in summer, but not velvet. I suspect that might be a little TOO warm... but if it's a velvet short sleeve tee in July, maybe I would just be seen as "fashion forward"

Sara L.

Veteran

We have big temperature swings here from day to night so sometimes it's just easiest to toss a sweater over a tee with my shorts and sandals. I'll wear dresses with sneakers in the spring/fall before it really heats up. My sister wears boots with bare legs in the middle of winter because she says her legs just don't get that cold.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is so, so climate dependent, as I am learning. When I lived in a climate of (relative) extremes, the whole subject just made me grumpy! Almost any kind of layering in summer seemed like insanity, and any bare skin in winter, ditto!

Now that I live in a more temperate place, I am beginning to soften. The seasons feel very different and the idea of wearing, say...

Bare legs (i.e. skirt or culottes or shorts)
Sandals or sneakers
Long sleeve top/ topper
Scarf

no longer sounds insane.

I would and do wear many of the combos you prefer. Like you, I tend to be sensitive to fabric weight and texture -- if it feels very cozy I leave it for winter; if it is linen, I rarely if ever wear it outside summer. I know, theoretically, you can layer with linen to "winterize" it, but I never really enjoy doing so. I don't wear summer dresses (i.e. lightweight cotton or linen or silk) in winter either -- I still shudder at those "winterize your summer dress" posts that I see in magazines at the end of every summer. My climate still feels too extreme for that, I guess.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I am afraid that the traditional British summer outfit is shorts and a tee or a sundress with a cardigan ,scarf and a raincoat over the top but I draw the line at a puffy !

LaPed

Veteran

Yay from me!

Even in hot weather, I get cold once the sun goes down (my family jokes that I'm an ectotherm...). I keep my lightweight puffy jackets out all year long and layer them over summer dresses/shorts/sandals. Ditto cozy sweaters, fleece pullovers, etc. My feet run pretty cold and are not prone to sweating, so I happily wear closed-toe shoes, sneakers, etc with those same shorts and dresses. Don't like the look of boots/booties with bare legs. And sandals with long pants doesn't look weird to me. In northern climates, I think we're all so desperate to get back into sandals we put them on as soon as the mud is gone, even if it's still chilly out.

By far the most seasonally confused place I've lived is Las Vegas. Arctic AC means you need sweaters/jackets indoors in the summer, and it's so dry and temperate in the winter that it's pretty easy to get away with shorts and sandals at any time of year (though not every day -- it does get frosty from time to time!).

Irina

Veteran

Last year I tried for a first time to extend my summer pieces into fall. I wore silk pants with bracelet length sleeves cotton mix sweater and flats in September. Felt a bit weird. I wear merino t-shirts almost until July. Bought a short sleeve cashmere sweater with a hope to wear under leather jackets in spring/fall months.

I guess my tolerance is very low. I’m sensitive about different weight fabrics. I don’t wear tropical wool pants under parka, need a heavier wool or corduroy for winter pants,
my summer jeans are thinner and not used with wool coats. So, maybe?

Runcarla

Veteran

Cropped pants with sneakers - even in ‘winter’ when temps are around 0degC or above, and there isn’t any snow, and I’m indoors or just running quick errands.

White jeans year ‘round.

Gaylene

Veteran

Well, on a dare, I once went downhill skiing in shorts, but I never repeated the experience. Which, I guess, is my way of saying that the point of seasonally confused outfits is sometimes hard to figure out—even by the wearer. Sometimes the exuberance of just trying something keeps us going even if others look at us weirdly. Or sometimes necessity makes for strange pairings like puffers and Birks when the fire alarm sounds at 2am In November. But, I wouldn’t put any of those situations down as particularly fashion-forward moments.

Color combinations, though, are a totally different thing for me. I adore wearing black with a dash of white in summer. Same goes for terra-cotta and cognac in spring with a flash of turquoise. Or cobalt blue with a splash of Dutch orange in the fall. And those infamous white shorts I wore with my yellow and black ski jacket were nicely set off by the blood-red, road-rash on my legs after I wiped out on an icy slope.

The Cat

Veteran

I don't mind others wearing seasonally confused styles. Well, in fact, I often find them fascinating, fun, even hilarious. But I realize that people likely have their reasons for dressing the way they do, and that some of the reasons might be related to health and body issues.

As for myself, I feel a need to keep my neck and shoulders warm year round, so even in hot summer you will often see me wearing a scarf or shawl. But apart from that, I don't think I tend to wear seasonally confused outfits nowadays.

When I was in my late teens, however, I actually tried to kind of ignore the seasons. So I would wear i.e. a long wool coat in summer, thin nylons or thin white cotton pants in freezing winter, open shoes on rainy spring days, and thin silk skirts on windy, cold fall days. Neither practical nor comfortable.

Over the years, I have felt a growing need to live in harmony with the seasons and have become increasingly interested in reflecting them in my clothing, food, activities, etc. Harmony means a lot to me, in all areas of my life.

I have favourite colours, styles, and jewellery for each season. They are not forced upon me by others, but are careful choices made by me. I certainly do not feel that those colours, styles, and pieces of jewelry are the only ones I can wear in the actual season. But to me, it brings joy to subtly reflect the actual season in my outfits--like wearing gold jewelry in spring (to reflect the sun), wearing cool colours like blue, torquoise and white on hot summer days, sporting cozy knitwear in fall, and wearing velvet and other shiny fabrics in dark winter.

delurked

Veteran

I am ok with some seasonal confusion. I wear boots with skirts and dresses, and the bare legs don’t bother me at my temps. I will also wear (fashion) tennis shoes with summer items. For some reason my feet don’t get too hot, as others express. I know it’s super cold if my DH doesn't wear shorts, because he pretty much does that year round.

smittie

Veteran

I have to think about The Cat’s comments about being in harmony with nature. I like this concept.

Anyway,
I have the same thoughts as LaPed (and probably rachylou): every season is puffer season.

Also: the lightweight puffer is the most functional and versatile piece of clothing anyone could ever own

I’ll wear shorts and a puffer or fleece, for sure, on summer evenings.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Jenn about the difference between shade and sun in a dry, hot country. Also my legs are less sensitive to temperature than the rest of me. And in blazing heat a light breezy layer can be cooler than bare skin. That said, I don't like to be cold, so I will rarely wear less than head to toe coverage in the winter.

notsaf

Veteran

I do think some confused seasonal dressing is just foolish, and better left to young people, haha!

Living in Italy taught me to retain layers till late in the season so when it gets blistering hot in the high summer, you have something to take off to feel cool. There's a real wisdom in that!

Sisi

Veteran

I find seasonally confused outfits very funny, "crazy" and creative.

Nevertheless I never dress seasonally confused. Here where I live, when it's cold it's cold and when it's hot it's hot. 4 seasons climate with cold Winters, hot Summers, chilly Autumns and unpredictable Springs. And it is always very humid, therefore it always feels colder and hotter than it is. My climate does not allow me to be creative!

Bijou

Veteran

I like to wear clothing with some seasonal variation, however because my climate is temperate, it is not essential. If fact, even in winter, you will see men wearing shorts and t-shirts in Australia. This is probably why I can wear dresses year round because it is never cold enough to make wearing them uncomfortable, especially if I wear boots and a coat when outdoors.

kkards

Veteran

were i live mother nature is often confused, so often i dress seasonally confused just to keep up...
for example...woke up Sunday to heavy snow, at noon it was 45F (7C) by 5 it was 60F (15C)...what to wear? boots with jeans, sweatshirt layered over long sleeve tee and lighter jacket with a wool scarf....

The Cat

Veteran

Agree with what smittie said about lightweight puffers. I have a deep green lightwear puffer jacket that I wear outdoors in spring and fall and indoors in winter. I must admit, though, that in winter I am sometimes asked why I am "dressed in outdoor wear while indoors", and then have to point to the fact that my puffer is actually light and feels perfect over a light blouse/top. (Another common question: "Are you freezing?" No, I am perfectly comfortable--BECAUSE I am wearing a light puffer jacket. )

Likewise, moto leather jackets can be worn indoors as well as outdoors.

If I had a lightweight puffer jacket in a light colour, I would happily wear it on cool summer days/nights. (We have plenty of them here in Scandinavia.) My deep green one simply LOOKS too heavy for being used as summer wear. (Our extremely long and amazingly light summer days always make me want to avoid heavy-looking outfits in that season.)

Colours, fabrics/textures, prints as well as lines and styles are all factors I consider when determining which items I will wear in the actual season. And I enjoy doing it.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I think if you are comfortable, it's not seasonally confused. I love shorts and a sweater on a cool spring day for example... if my core is warm, my legs don't matter much. IF you aren't cold or hot in jeans and sandals, go for it. I don't think a lot of the examples above fall into my personal "confused" category. They are just dealing with personal body temps, and local climates.

Colours shouldn't have a season, you should wear what looks good on YOU. If you are a warm coloured person, you should of course wear warm colours in the summer. Likewise with cool tones... My white is optic white so I'd rather wear that in the winter than wear something that makes me look dead. I certainly understand (and do) wear more lighter colours in summer and darker in winter, but doing the opposite doesn't seem confused to me, just a preference.

What IS seasonally confused, and I don't do, and I don't like to see, is silly things like sandals and snow (unless of course they are making a very short dash from car to indoor party).
You know the person is not thinking about comfort, practicality, or maybe not thinking about anything at all ;-).

I do find some textures seasonal...velvet and leather in winter, linen in summer. But would I say it's confused to do otherwise? Don't think so. Just my preference.

Also not a big fan of boots with summer dresses, but for me it's less about seasonally confused and more about aesthetics... they seem too heavy. But I've also seen it work well.

RobinF

Veteran

What a great question! I'm afraid I am not very daring when it comes to seasonally confused dressing. I do often wear a lightweight sweater with shorts but not when it's actually hot, mostly because of the AC. And in winter I find that my legs don't get as cold as the rest of me so some cropped pants and boots with bare legs but not when winter is really here. I'm definitely more likely to do this in the shoulder seasons.

Lesley

Veteran

I like it, but I hate being cold, so I really only do it in the warmer months. No sandals in the winter for me.

This means I do like jeans with sleeveless tops, sneakers with dresses, and what I find the hardest, boots with bare legs. There is really a short window, temperature wise, when that works, but I love the look!

Brooklyn

Veteran

I think many people who don’t understand “seasonally confused” outfits are coming from a cool climate perspective. Here in the city of high heat, humidity, sunshine, not nearly enough rain and no snow, boots, sleeveless top and jacket can make perfect sense on a sunny Autumn or Winter day that starts out at 13 degrees but ends up at 23 degrees (celcius).
I will do these confused looks:
*sleeveless or short sleeved knit tops on warm Autumn/Winter days
*Boots with bare legs for about 5 or 6 months of the year
*Shorts or skort with lightweight cotton long sleeved sweater on cool or wet summer days.
Today is very wet (yay!) and cool for summer (21 degrees). I’ll be taking my dog for a walk in a skort with bare legs, sneakers, t shirt and long sleeved cotton jumper for warmth. I’ll be perfectly comfortable in this and it’s easy to get cleaned up with a towel when I get home. Long pants or jeans would get very wet very fast and also feel sticky and uncomfortable in the humidity.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Like you Sal, I wear my white, brights and navy throughout my four season climate. I just wear my colours in the seasonally right fabric and items year round!

I wear sneakers in the Summer - barefoot and with Summer dresses. And it’s HOT in SLC. 38 to 40C is the norm. I’m very comfy. Walk a lot. And need good shoes.

I’m always covering up in arctic Summer a/c. It’s relentless. Sometimes I feel like I need a winter jacket indoors

In CA, tall boots with bare legs and dresses make perfect sense. And I wear it there!

Sal

Veteran

My apologies to start this thread - and run away. I ended up spending lots of time at the Accident Clinic - my sister hurt her hand on a public holiday on an outing with us. And a work colleague was injured yesterday.

Back to the seasonal confusion- for many of us it does make sense to cope with changing temperatures or add variety to our mix. And if you love white or terracotta - why not wear them all year. But I also appreciate the harmony of wearing florals in spring and cosy reds in winter.

I used to winterise summer linens or summer dresses - I now choose to wear them intensively in season and then put them away. I prefer it that way now.

Thanks for the interesting replies!!

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