How to dress for California weather

by Maya Kumar, Winged Post Asst. Features Editor

When you wake up and feel the frigid morning air, your first instinct is probably to bundle up as if it’s snowing outside, in a turtleneck and a thick parka, but wait until 3 p.m. and you’ll be ready to break out the sunscreen and tank tops. It’s the usual California weather dilemma – do you dress for the chilly mornings or the burning afternoons? Here are some outfit ideas and pieces of inspiration to stay comfortable throughout the day:

1. Light and breathable for the summer but still insulating enough for the cold, cotton clothing is an ideal choice for the unpredictable weather. Cotton comes in a variety of forms, including denim, corduroy, and some flannel. This way, you won’t have to lug around a thick jacket with you all day when you decide it is too hot.

2. Another trick to get around it is layering lighter sweaters and jackets to accommodate a large range of temperatures. Instead of wearing one thick jacket, consider wearing two thinner ones layered on top of each other. Layer a cardigan under a denim jacket or a cropped trench coat. This way, as the day goes on, you can peel of the layers as needed.

3. As it gets warmer outside you may feel like starting to break out the skirts again, but you will most likely find that your legs are freezing in the mornings. To get around this, consider wearing midi or maxi length skirts. They can protect most of your legs from the cold, but still provide the light airiness of a shorter skirt for when it gets warm.

4. One final tip is to wear light scarves. In this weather, a thick, knit scarf can often feel suffocating, so opt for a scarf made of a lighter material to keep yourself warm in the morning. It can still have the same effect as a thicker one but be more versatile and wearable even as the temperature gets warmer.