Mail Bag: Outfit Modifications for Weather

Do you ever have to change what you wear at the last minute due to bad weather? Or do you wear rain boots, etc. and bring things to change into inside? Or is it mostly about documenting the outfit in a photo rather than really wearing the entire ensemble every minute of that day?

Colette

I usually plan my outfits a week in advance, with the weather report in hand, so that I choose items that are weather-appropriate. Still, I sometimes do make some modifications to my outfits for the conditions out-of-doors.

Rain – If I know it will rain heavily, I wear galoshes to and from work and carry my shoes. I also grab an umbrella. (Is it terribly vain to admit that I ensure the umbrella matches my outfit? I have a selection of cute umbrellas, so why let them go to waste?)

Snow – My galoshes do double-duty in the snow. I just pair them with thick socks. Or, if the snow is on the drier side (no slush!), I wear my Matisse boots (pictured right) to and from work. I carry my delicate, indoor shoes in my bag.

Cold – The Matisse boots (plus thick socks) save my toes (again) from frostbite. Indoors, I slip on my impractical shoes. I usually wear a hat, gloves, scarf, fleece pants, coat and/or puffy vest to and from work, as well. You can view my entire cold-weather ensemble in my Bus Bundling post.

Sun – If I plan to be in the sun for more than a few minutes, I try to remember to bring one of my open-weave fedoras. I also may remove a few layers, once outside. The office tends to be chilly, even on the warmest days, so my indoor wear is usually impractical for the summer’s heat.

Mileage – On mild or hot days, if I’m going to be doing a lot of walking, I bring a pair of flats to wear for the walk. (In fact, I walk in these flats so often that I have to replace one or two pair a year.) I just bought a new pair this month and will share a picture in my August purchases recap.

I rarely photograph the “outside” gear, since I spend most of my time indoors. The picture I choose to lead my blog posts usually represents my look for most of the day (11 – 15 hours). If I thought my outerwear was particularly fun that day, then I’ll include a photo of the bundled up (or stripped down) ensemble, as well. Usually, though, the outerwear is awfully repetitive, so I save those looks for my fellow commuters.