What Do I Need for Winter in LA? - YouLookFab Forum

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What Do I Need for Winter in LA?

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I am skipping NAS this year, but with everyone else's attention on fall/winter, I'm wondering how even to approach the upcoming season. Our current home is on the market, we have our eyes on a new place in North Hollywood, and snowy winters are about to be a thing of the past.

I have been to Los Angeles in the winter many times, but planning for a trip based on a specific forecast and planning for a season based on climate are two different things entirely. I do know it's a myth that you can just wear your summer clothes all year round in SoCal, but I've generally been perfectly comfortable there in jeans and a light sweater in the winter, with maybe something a bit more substantial when there's wind and rain.

How should I think about my winter wardrobe in the new climate? What do I need that I might not have already? Should I be shopping early, before transitional items disappear?

Dressing

35 replies

Latest reply was from Greyscale

rachylou

Veteran

Hehe, well you know I believe in the Puffy. Sweater weight The thing that bothers me most is wind, damp wind, which is why I don’t find actual sweaters sufficient. It can feel more chilling to me than actual snow conditions. I do rainboots, raincoat and rain pants (no umbrella), but then it’s all about dog walking then. I run super cold, so I also wear Uniqlo Heattech underlayers... or sometimes by themselves.

Oh and good socks. Socks are important to me.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

rachylou, I have actually found a sweater-weight puffy really useful in LA winter, too. They are breathable, but keep the wind/rain out. Mine is ready for replacement, so I have my eye on a Patagonia one.

DonnaF

Veteran

Maybe you can review your Spring and Fall wardrobes? They may do winter duty for you.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

DonnaF, my spring and fall wardrobes are generally just layered combinations of summer/winter. We have short transitional seasons with wildly varying temperatures here (a typical spring day is pretty much just winter in the morning, and summer in the afternoon), so I don't really have dedicated spring/fall capsules. I'm thinking I need to plan for more true middle-range items?

cloud9

Veteran

Have been having mild winter lately. Overnight Low in the low-mid 40s. Daytime high typically mid-high 40s. May also go low to mid-high 30s depending altitude/location. There may be days with high winds. Rain is not common. I think a light puffy always work. Some people still wear them NOW in the am when it’s in the 60s. My guess is what you have for fall already would be sufficient for winter in LA area. Layering really works as it gets warm under the sun. Day/night difference can easily be more than 20 degrees.

nemosmom

Veteran

Rain gear for sure: boots or waterproof sneakers, raincoat or waterproof jacket(s), a bag that can withstand the wet. Jackets you can layer under... and echoing Rachylou on the socks. Nothing worse than cold, damp feet

SarahD8

Veteran

Jenn do you know the blog une femme d’un certain age? The blogger, Susan, lives in so cal I think and so a poke through her archives could give you some clues as to what’s weather appropriate at different times of year. Her style isn’t quite the same as yours but I suspect there’s enough overlap that you could glean something useful.
https://unefemme.net/

smittie

Veteran

I laughed at Rachylou’s comment. Seems there’s a puffy for every type of weather condition!

rachylou

Veteran

Oh yes, Smittie! I promise there is a Puffy for every occasion!

Joy

Veteran

For the first couple of years, just your summer/ transitional clothes. Gradually you will feel colder and will want some warmer things. If you may visit relatives during the winter that have 4seasons, ask if you can stash some winter things and a coat there. It is a shock to experience winter when you are not used to it
ETA you will have several seasons in one day in SCal. The day may start cool/cold and foggy, then the fog burns off and it feels lots warmer. evenings can get brisk, especially on the beach. Evening can also be the most windy part of the day except during the late summer Santa Ana winds, hot winds that blow off the desert.

Anonymous

Agreeing with Joy, and I'd mostly wait and see. When I moved to Miami from NYC we thought it would be balmy year round. It snowed the first winter (unheated house and a baby), then constant rain in the spring, sweltering summer (ceiling fans only) and back to rain in the fall.

After a few years, we didn't really even go swimming in the winter because we thought it was too chilly!

Sal

Veteran

I suspect it will be warmer and dryer then our climate. But I have actually been a little cold on my California visits - esp SF!! But LA too was a little windy and cold in October- definitely long sleeves and jeans!!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I suspect that over time, your wardrobe will include more items that might be considered cross seasonal or fit for a temperate climate. You won't wear them for half the year (summer) because you run warm, and, well, it's warm where you'll be living! (LA not being SF) .

BUT...you will wear these "cross seasonal" items in early spring and late fall. You will also layer them in winter. The winter layers you used in Colorado will (mostly) be too heavy. But the summer things won't offer you enough insulation. So you will be going for more things that are in-between in weight.

Still, there's no huge rush. You can test it out for a few months before purchasing. See what you are lacking when you get to that point.

Joy

Veteran

What Suz said. Wait to see how you feel. I suspect you will need what we now consider transitional. Southern California is the land of heavy hoodies or even light puffer jackets with shorts and sandals. Something that I thought was seasonally confused before living there.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

We have mild winters, rarely if ever below freezing, lots of rainy days but also warmer and sunny days. A light puffer (Uniqlo style) is my best friend, worn with jeans, ankle boots and a sweater most days.

Sal

Veteran

Joy- my sons think a puffer and shorts is perfect in winter here!! I have to laugh because it is not stylish but they love it!

rachylou

Veteran

My little brother is coming up tomorrow from LA. It occurs to me he wears a thin shirt and a thin sweater all year round, but in winter adds a jacket. I got him a sweater Puffy from Uniqlo that he actually wears (I consider this one of my greatest gift successes, lol). It also occurs to me that the greatest difference for me is summer. In LA, I can go without a jacket at night in summer. In the Bay Area, I can do that in the daytime, but need one at night. In SF proper, there is no time of year when my real clothes are not entirely hidden, hahahaha!

nemosmom

Veteran

Oh, what about a puffer vest? I remember my two vests getting a ton of wear in SoCal winters. I have the thin uniqlo one that I can wear under most of my light to mid-weight jackets, or even over a long sleeve tee, and a thicker Columbia one that is strictly outerwear (too puffy to go under anything but layers well over sweaters or hoodies.

Women Ultra Light Down Vest

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LaPed

Veteran

The weird thing about LA is that, depending on where in the city you are, you might be in moist coastal air or dry desert air. Microclimates! It's all about paying attention to the wind. I spent a fair amount of time in LA when I lived in LV (easy drive, and the climate on the coast is so much nicer than the basin). Once the fog burns off, the sun feels hot, even in winter. Light puffy plus sandals is totally sensible. I think you're headed in the right direction. Lots of jeans, transitional footwear (oxfords and loafers!), lightweight sweaters, maybe more long-sleeve shirts and blouses if those interest you. Those "seasonless" dresses a la Elizabeth Suzann should become easier to wear -- just throw on a jacket and you're good to go. Light anoraks and trench coats -- the kind of of "water resistant" jackets that are totally useless in an east coast climate where rain means all-day downpours (we just had heavy storms, flash flooding, and washed out roads last week so I may sound a little grumpy about this!). Even the rainy season in So Cal is so dry, really. Maybe 15-16" total precip? I'm guessing where you are in Colorado isn't much more annual rainfall, but makes up for it with snow.

always trying

Veteran

so far this summer it has been cooler than usual. Last winter and into spring we had way more rain than usual, It is almost always 20 degrees cooler after the sun goes down. Sometimes it is quite cool in the morning and goes up 20 degrees very quickly when the sun comes out. Always colder along the coast. 5 miles inland it can be as hot in winter as summer. have hot weather clothes, some winter stuff, but mostly I wear my year round clothes, if I am staying near the coast.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I agree with Suz and La Ped on seeing how it goes in your specific activities and micro-climates.

Living in Tampa, I thought open boots were silly because they were so impractical for "boot" conditions. Now I'm starting to get it, and keep seeing sandal/boots I like and thinking "those could've worked, if we were still there!" Lol at me. But you might want to get some.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for all the wise replies! To summarize, I am concerned because I own three long-sleeved shirts, one lightweight sweater, a couple lightweight cardigans, and no light jackets for transitional wear. (Every single one of those items is over 30 wears, too, so I'm due a refresh.) I'm not sure I CAN just wait and see how it goes without planning ahead, if I actually want to be clothed this winter.

cloud9--Those day/night differences are actually about half the difference in day/night temps here, so I'm quite prepared for that! I think it will take me some time to get used to the increased humidity there, too. I know LA is dry compared to the east coast, but being acclimated to Colorado, it often feels muggy to me.

always trying, we will be living a good 15-20 miles inland, in the valley. I've had Burbank in my weather app since we got the apartment there in October, so I have an idea of how this year has been. It's weird, though, because I swear I can be chilly there at 55° and FINE here at 30°.

I'm a little concerned because my wardrobe REALLY doesn't have a lot of transitional clothing. I only own three long sleeve shirts that aren't sweaters, I think. And one of those is a flannel I only use for layering.

La Ped, you're spot-on about our climate. 15" rain, 44" snow, although we certainly haven't hit that the last several years. I don't own really any light jackets, so that's another thing I'm concerned about.

nemosmom, I do own a puffer best, but that feels more like hiking gear than everyday wear for me.

shevia, I suspect my ankle boots will serve me well! I could also use more light sweaters, I suspect. I have approximately...one?

Joy, I can barely remember the last time I really needed transitional clothing here. We really have seemed to just leap between seasons recently.

SarahD8, I will poke through her blog. Interestingly, I found YLF when I was moving to Seattle and searching for blogs to help me dress for there!

rachylou

Veteran

LA is not Miami to be sure, but I think of it as rather humid in summer...

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Rachylou, I am a humidity wuss. Pretty much anything over 35% feels like a sauna to me.

Zoelicious

I lived in the Valley for many years close to North Hollywood (in Sherman Oaks, right next door) but now live in Orange County. The micro-climate in the Valley is sunny and super hot and dry most of the year, no breeze or clouds in the summer. If you watch the weather report on local TV, they will always give 4 different areas for weather: beach cities, metro LA/OC, Valleys/Inland and then mountains. It's always at least 5-10 degrees hotter in the Valleys/Inland. Last summer was the most humid we've had in a long time, but that much humidity is not normal. There was that TV show called Entourage where one of the characters packed an ice chest when they were going "over the hill" (the Valley) from the west side (of LA) because it was that much hotter. It was funny, but very true. As others have said, the weather can vary 20 degrees in a day. We recently had a rainy winter and the weather has been cooler than usual, but it hardly rains - 10" for the season would be considered a lot. Southern California has been in a long drought until this year. Normally, it's hot until the end of October. The cold nights start right around Halloween. The Santa Ana winds usually start in September. Super hot, super dry and super windy, which is also wildfire season. A light puffer and another light jacket is probably all you need for winter. People wear jeans/leggings and light long sleeve tops in the winter and shorts and tanks in the summer. Light layering is probably best.

Fun fact - if you hang around the shops and restaurants on Ventura Blvd. between Laurel Canyon and about Woodman (Studio City/Sherman Oaks), you will most likely bump into very recognizable actors out and about in their daily lives - a lot of industry people live around there.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

If you’re chilly at 50 degrees + LA humidity, then maybe you don’t need as many light sweaters as you think—go straight for warmer ones.

But how do you only have 3 long-sleeved shirts when you live somewhere that got 44” of snow last year?

If you do buy things ahead of the seasons, make sure they have long return periods and leave the tags on until you wear them.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Zoelicious—Thank you so much for the detailed info! Sherman Oaks is indeed very close to the place we’ve put an offer on, which is in the NoHo Arts District, near Toluca Lake. (As an aside, I love Studio City, and we almost ended up in a condo there. Still might, I guess, as nothing is certain yet.)

Fashintern, my winter “uniform” is generally a silk tank or cami with a cozy cotton or cashmere cardigan or pullover. Just a few lightweight long-sleeve blouses have gotten me though transitional weather because we don’t have a lot of it, and I get overheated wearing long sleeves under sweaters. (Also, 44” of snow reflects a lot of snowfall that melts off immediately. I think we only had two snowfalls in excess of 6” last year and exactly one snow day off school.)

LaPed

Veteran

Jenn, when DH and I lived in LV we considered moves to almost everywhere. SoCal and Colorado were both on our list of possibilities. I read a lot of weather reports. In the end we decided to keep playing continental ping-pong instead. Re: snow days, the school I work at had over 10 last year! The real issue is ice rather than snow. I've seen plow and sander trucks slide right off the road...

smittie

Veteran

Hmm.. so what are you thinking Jenn?
Maybe keep the cardigan look going, but add in some cotton ones?

If you don’t want to do a puffer, maybe a thicker anorak/ raincoat?

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