Climate and Clothes

[Arête]

How much does the climate you live in have an effect on your style?

I recently moved to Texas, and I feel that my whole wardrobe must now change because of the hot climate. I long for the cool days of more northern climates where sweaters, coats, jeans, and boots can still be worn. I'm finding it hard to be stylish in such hot weather.

[Loafer28]

Ahem, there are some pretty stylish people in Texas.

I definitely dress for the climate, but I don’t feel like I am less stylish. You can move your funds from outerwear and boots to upgraded linen/cotton shirts, polos, club collar shirts and loafers. You can break out your old clothes for a month and a half a year . Look for lighter weight staples as well. I just picked up Flint & Tinder cool chinos and they are perfect for our climate. I also have a pair of Gustin featherweight jeans bra haze normal weight jeans will melt you in 5 minutes around here.

[ianr]

I still wear tailored jackets and trousers in Nevada, I just switch to loose-weave, lightweight, unlined versions. I will wear this type of thing in 110F heat and it's not a problem. One time, I tried wearing a regular suit in this weather and I definitely do not recommend that.

[aps2012]

Embrace the savings and the focus! In Minnesota I have to have 3-4 wardrobes for humid 90 degree days like today, cooler days in fall and spring, cold winter days, and then of course the Minnesota-cold days. It can be tough to justify something a little more crazy for any of those climates because it just won't get that much wear.

[JBarwick]

I still wear sweaters in the summer in TN unless I am walking outside. I have started to buy more open weave shirts which allows air to flow.

[hockeysc23]

It did initially. I've lived in the DC area my whole life but when I first started working I avoided suits in late spring/summer. I'd just be too hot in the cheaper suits, I'd be a sweaty mess by the time I got into work. It's gotten a bit better as I've gotten older by buying the right kind of suit, getting in better shape, etc. but in general there are times where I will intentionally move down in formality (no tie, not bring a jacket) because it's just too humid. There is still a line of formality I am not ok crossing in mine line of work so polo shirts, short sleeve dress shirts, chino trousers, I am not comfortable wearing to most work settings.

[mark4]

I grew up in Michigan, where people complain about the heat in the summer, but it wasn't until I moved to the DC area that I experienced real summer heat. I'm talking the kind of mid-90s with high humidity heat that is a sporadic presence starting in May or June in many years, constant for July and August, and then still making regular appearances through September and occasionally October. That kind of heat happens in Michigan, for like two weeks of the summer.

My wardrobe changes with the seasons. Late fall through early spring it's tweed jackets with wool trousers or cords, and flannel suits. Transition months - say mid-March through Mid-May - I wear regular worsted suits and sport coats with chinos. Summer proper I do go a little more casual but have a linen sport coat, light weight chino sport coat, and a linen suit. I give myself permission to wear a polo or short sleeved camp collar shirt and chinos or equivalent other lighter-weight trousers any day of the week where the temps are forecast to top 90 and I don't have a meeting where I'm interacting with senior executives or clients/contractors. Even then I leave a suit and a dress shirt or two at the office at all times just in case I have to spruce up at a moment's notice for a surprise meeting. Sport coats I tend to remove before going outside and put back on once I'm back inside. It helps that I bike commute 9.5 miles one way a couple days a week because I generally leave clothing to change into at work and just wear athletic gear for the commute. The gear I bike in is much cooler than office attire and because I do that I practically always have several apparel options staged at the office.

[MediumTex]

I have lived in Texas my whole life. As such, while I do try to be stylish more often than not, when it's 116 in August, my lone goal is to avoid spontaneous combustion. Style absolutely goes out the window from about mid-July to mid-November when it finally starts to cool off.

[julius12]

I was born in a tropical country and really hated the heat, including how it limited style options. The only place you could wear a jacket was indoors, if the office AC got too cold.

I recently moved to North America where there are 4 seasons and I'm loving it. Summer is still the season I hate most, and I don't mind winter even with the occasional snow storm, though -15C and below also limits style options what with the big parka covering everything up.

[ModifiedMind]

I definitely dress for the climate, but I don’t feel like I am less stylish. You can move your funds from outerwear and boots to upgraded linen/cotton shirts, polos, club collar shirts and loafers.

I've always worn boots as a staple year-round, even when I lived in Texas. Otherwise, I agree here...you have to expand the hot-weather clothes in that state and not worry as much about cold-weather clothes.

I also have a pair of Gustin featherweight jeans bra haze normal weight jeans will melt you in 5 minutes around here.

Are those the 6 oz Japan featherweights? How do you like them? I ordered a pair on the current campaign that's just barely up to 98% funded right now.

[Hebrew Barrister]

I live in Houston. You just adjust. Bunch of fully lined wool sport coats? Nope. Bunch of unlined instructured linen/cotton sport coats. Flannel slacks? Nope. Summer weight chinos. OCBD? Yeah, in pinpoint.

That sort of thing.

[Hebrew Barrister]

I would fix my typos but I'm on my phone and every time I try to edit, it just deletes my post.

[Galcobar]

I would fix my typos but I'm on my phone and every time I try to edit, it just deletes my post.

I have the same issue. For a while I could get it to cooperate in Chrome but not Firefox, but now if I want to edit a post I have to switch to desktop view and log in again.

[LesserBlackDog]

Weather here is highly variable, regularly heating up during the day and then cooling down at night by 30-40°F or more. The main effect on my wardrobe is that I have to have lots of layers and be prepared to use them regularly.

[Hebrew Barrister]

More Houston examples.

Shetland sweater? Nope. Merino.
Tall calf lace up boots? Not that useful. Unlined suede chukka? That's a 3 season boot.

The warm weather stuff tends to be cheaper, so it's really not bad.