The forecast this week calls for highs to fluctuate by 10 degrees. One day it may be 67 degrees, the next day 77. I love the fall, it’s my favorite season, but I could do without the schizophrenic weather changes. “Dress in layers!” is always the fashion tip, and while I’d rather not head out all bundled up for a cool morning, only to have to hold on to the sweatshirt or sweater that needs to be shed when it warms up, the problem is my closet.
When I lived on the East Coast, the season changes were more decisive, with cool fall weather taking over as if on cue right after Labor Day. Shorts could be traded for pants without any second guessing. But here in the Bay Area, it’s a slower, on-and-off change, until suddenly I realize I’m wearing only long pants and long sleeve shirts. That doesn’t normally happen until sometime in November. With a fairly small closet and dresser, we rotate our clothes by cold and warm seasons. We have several plastic storage bins in our attic with all of our jeans, sweatshirts, and thicker clothes, not to mention a down comforter. I know the moment I take out the cold weather clothes and pack away the capris and shorts, we’ll be hit with a hot snap. It’s inevitable.
Our Indian Summer is one of the many nice things about the Bay Area. The weather is generally almost perfect with warm days and cool nights. It could only be better if the temperature dropped very slightly each day until winter, but, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Two days hot enough for A/C, the next day cold, and the next day it threatens to rain. It’s impossible to dress for this weather. Either I walk around overheating in cold weather clothes or I look foolish in capris and sandals. This weather is why some people wear socks with sandals. I’m not one of them, but I can understand the conundrum that got them there.
Without long pants in my current clothing rotation, I broke a personal rule the other day and wore yoga pants outside. It was that or capris, and because I was really cold, the cozy yoga pants won out. I got enough odd looks at school pick up that I won’t do it again. This means that my cold weather clothes have to come out. When the October heat wave comes, I’ll be sweating it out in jeans and a sweater. You can blame me if you need to turn on the A/C in late October.
I couldn’t agree more. Getting my daughter ready for overnights at nana’s is impossible without packing her entire closet. I am 31 weeks pregnant, nothing fits, but I don’t know what to buy. And what is so wrong with picking up the kids in yoga pants? You must have been dreaming about the odd looks, unless you had a hole somewhere embarrassing. I for one am ready for fall/winter for boots and sweaters.