Moving to Seattle from FL, need help evaluating what's both weather and lifestyle appropriate
Hi y'all!
As the title says, I'm moving quite a distance, into a significantly different climate.
I'm moving for a job at a tech company, so some of my wardrobe has to be appropriate for a "tech company office" setting, but I also want to have more casual outfits, for life outside of work.
I'm willing to get rid of things, though some categories have items I'm quite attached to.
I'm also willing to buy new things if there's stuff I need that I don't have.
In terms of what I currently have:
40 short-sleeve t-shirts
6 short-sleeve polo shirts
1 long-sleeve polo shirt
29 button-down shirts
14 pairs of jeans & pants
3 skirts
2 jumpsuits
11 hoodies
1 hooded cloak
1 coat
1 fleece
3 sweaters
I can send more info about items in any given category if relevant, I'm not sure what level of detail to include in this initial post.
Thanks!
6 Replies
this is way more detail than people usually post so thanks for starting off strong and helpfully!
Light jackets with a technical fabric will be your friend for a while (while the Earth is still cool enough) due to the rain and moderate temps during most of the year
Hi! It’s hard to give good guidance here. At a glance, this feels like a lot of clothing to me.
Personally, I would start by doing an inventory (which you did, yay!) and determine what you don’t like/wear/feel good enough in to keep. This can help inform buying.
In general, I would look at the average monthly temperature highs/lows and see how you feel about your comfort level in those temperatures vs your wardrobe.
As Isaac said, your wardrobe might be a little light on lighter jackets, which I think will get a lot of use in Seattle.
Your willingness to do laundry / access to in-unit laundry is also a factor in what you decide to keep.
It is hard to gauge what will be appropriate for your office. Some tech companies are more lax than others on dress code.
I would also put together inspiration from various sources, then use those as a guide for what to buy next. Try to buy secondhand so you can experiment without breaking the bank.
You could look at the “basic bastard” guide here https://malefashionadvice.substack.com/p/how-the-basic-wardrobe-has-changed-de0 or the best X for X posts in #fashion-guides and see what gaps you might have as well
How the basic wardrobe has changed: a 2023 supplement to a 2016 MFA...
There are a lot of newcomers to MFA who don't know where to start, or, folks who used to read MFA back in 2013-2017 then get confused when the pieces that were touted as "timeless and classic" aren't seen as very fashionable today. The Building a Basic Wardrobe
Yeah, this mostly feels like a utilitarian question, so I agree that you should probably examine the situation after settling in and work from there.
Luckily you're moving in the summer time, so you're probably fine without it for now, but before October I'd recommend getting a good rain coat. Some boots of some kind will probably come in handy too. I have Blundstones.
Dressing is very casual here, which I'm sure you'll notice. Fleece is very common. Jeans, hoodies will all fit in.
Buy and take some Vitamin D