Brrring! Your alarm wakes you up, and as you sluggishly get ready, you decide to check the weather app. It’s 6 a.m. and 47 degrees — a little cold but expected for a December day. You dress accordingly: jeans, a thick sweater and a jacket. Fast forward a few hours, and it’s now noon. Again, you check the weather, and it’s 78 degrees. The once foggy morning is now a bright, sunny day, and as the sun beats down, you can’t help but regret that thick sweater you chose. This is the reality of winter in Los Angeles.
However, issues with bipolar weather can be avoided by dressing properly for these temperature swings. The key is to wear thin layers.
An example of an outfit I’d wear to face a Los Angeles winter day would start with jeans and a long sleeve. Over this, I would wear a short-sleeve shirt to add extra warmth and dimension to the outfit. When layering two shirts, it’s key that the base layer is thin so you don’t feel like you’re wearing too much fabric. I’d wear a canvas jacket, which adds warmth while still being relatively thin, considering the many layers to this outfit. If this is a nighttime look, I would swap out the canvas jacket for a leather one, giving the outfit an edgier look. Lastly, I’d throw an oversized slouch bag over my shoulder and tuck a thin jacket in it if needed.
But sometimes, the problem with layering is that there’s nowhere to put any shed layers once you take them off. This is a personal pet peeve of mine because I hate lugging around a jacket, and I tend to lose them.
A layering outfit I’d wear to combat this issue would start with a light base. Let’s say a jean mini skirt and a short-sleeve tee. Next, to add some warmth, I’d throw on a V-neck sweater and wear sheer stockings with fuzzy socks. If it’s really cold out, I might swap my typical sneakers for boots. Lastly, of course, I’d accessorize with a leather belt, a purse to match my shoes and jewelry.
Then, once the clouds burn off, I’d take off my sweater and throw it around my shoulders, which still looks cute without leaving me with extra clothes to carry. And what’s great about stockings is the thin layer of fabric can be enough to save your legs from freezing over but isn’t too much that you feel overheated once the weather warms up.
If neither of these outfits feel right to you, I still have a final recommendation for what to wear. One of my favorite stylish outfits that withstands fluctuating weather is a denim-on-denim look. A pair of jeans, a white tank, and a buttoned up jean jacket is, in my opinion, a monochromatic masterpiece. It not only looks fun and chic, but denim fabric is also adaptable for different temperatures during the day. I like to pair a denim on denim look with neutral brown and white tones in my purse, shoes and accessories to break up a truly single-color outfit.
I wish this winter could stay a consistent, cool 68 degrees, but knowing Los Angeles weather, this is an unlikely reality. So, I hope this advice is sufficient to dress accordingly.
