NYLA HARRIS / ASST. A&C EDITOR

It’s not always sunny in San Diego. Days in the city during the span of December through February can come with warm evenings followed by day cold nights. When waking up and picking out an outfit for the day, it can cause confusion on what’s best to wear for SD’s  weather changes.  

With such winter weather changes, there is an opportunity for students to change their wardrobe to adjust. There are a variety of different outfit ideas that can properly accommodate for the changing weather within the array of available activities to do in SD.

Beach Day

Basic things needed for a visit to the beach are well…   beach essentials. Sunglasses, swimsuits, flip flops, hats, towel, surfboard, etc.  Beyond the obvious essentials, it’s important to have prepared pieces for the cool breeze that often hits on the varying San Diego beaches. Many students prefer to dress in a light bottom layer, like tank tops and breezy tops with a warmer top later like a hoodie, cardigan, jean jacket, etc. ready for the cooler sunset air.  

USD senior Alex Nazareno enjoys going to the beach and staying there until the sun goes down. She discussed her way of preparing for a winter beach day, while still staying stylish.

“My go-to outfit for the beach is a warm zip up with a bikini underneath.  For accessories I love to do a cute hoop earring and gold chains to ‘up’ the look—that’s my signature,” Nazareno says. “If I’m going in the water, I also like to bring a claw clip to tie up my hair so I don’t get sick.”

Night out in Downtown 

Downtown San Diego offers an abundance of options for activities, dining experiences and cultural attractions. This variety of options offer several occasions to wear fancy  attire such as dresses, skirts, dress pants, suits, etc.  

After dark, the city transforms into a more sophisticated playground. With a variety of nightclubs, music venues and sky-high rooftop bars, there are plenty of ways for 21+ adults to enjoy a memorable night out.  

It can be cold outside during winter nights in downtown, but with the venues filled with people, it can become hot quickly. There are versatile ways to dress to ensure comfortability inside and out of downtown.  

USD senior, Rianna Batra enjoys responsibly exploring nightlife in  Gaslamp San Diego. Part of her experience of going out downtown is preparing an outfit that will make her feel confident and cozy for the fun night ahead. 

“Honestly, getting ready for me starts three hours ahead of time. I like to do my makeup, get my music blasting and just have fun,” Batra said.  “What I choose to wear depends on my mood and what temperature it’s gonna be, because sometimes I’m waiting outside for events. To make it more fun I love to call my friends and make it a social activity of choosing the best outfit.”

Hike or Walk

San Diego offers many hiking options like Tecolote Canyon or Mission Trails, however, there is no one approach to hiking attire.  Many variables can change hiking apparel needs such as temperature, distance, duration of the hike, etc. 

However, a general checklist of the most basic hiking attire requirements to move around comfortably include sturdy pants, moisture safe tops (e.g. nylon, polyester, merino, etc.), a warm jacket (polyester fleece option), a rain jacket and sturdy shoes. Polyester clothing, unlike cotton, moves sweat off the skin and dry fast, so they’re an ideal base later option.  In anticipating weather conditions, elevation shifts can change the weather even more, so it’s good to be prepared in case the conditions turn warmer, wetter, or cooler than predicted.

School Day

As USD students, it’s common to have long days on campus with varying clubs, classes, jobs and more to attend to. Especially for commuting students, it can be difficult to go home and change in between these activities just to adjust to the weather changes. 

USD junior Aiden Solano has a passion for vintage shopping and styling himself accordingly.  He described his way of making sure he best represents himself going to school.  

“With the cold season approaching in the winter, I typically like to layer up.  Whether that be thermal with a t-shirt or flannel, hoodie,  zip up… it’s all a good foundation to make sure I’m staying comfortable throughout the day,” Solano says. “When it comes to my creative process for my daily outfits,  it really starts with, ‘what pants do I want to wear today?’  I’m always making sure the portions of my pants look somewhat tailored so the overall outfit looks proportionate to me, all while including the varying brands and pieces that I’m rocking with.”

The comforting, laid back and diverse vibe that is accredited to San Diego allows for all aesthetics to be showcased. When it comes to fashion, comfort and confidence are added parts to the story of any outfit. This guide is only a base that can be exemplified by personal creative outfit choices to make you the best (and smartest) dressed for San Diego winters.