How to dress for your autumn trip

One of the most popular posts on my blog dates way back to 2012 when I gave a rather long lesson as to how to dress for winter - well, I have since done loads of follow ups on the popular subject but I thought I'd do a post for dressing for autumn for a change. When autumn starts depends on where you are: in places like Alaska and Northern Scandinavia, the weather turns cool by early September or even late August, in the UK the weather only really becomes cooler by mid or late October whilst in places like Taiwan, their average 'winter' day is still quite warm, It is autumn now in London, it gets to about 15 degrees in the day but down to about 7 degrees at night. We're in that transition period between summer and winter when it is not warm any more but it is still not necessary to dress like it is winter yet. So, here are a few tips to bear in mind if you are headed to a destination which experiences autumn:

Are you ready for autumn?

1. The role of clouds in autumn weather

It can feel decidedly summery on sunny days with clear skies - the temperature climbs to the high teens, that is when some people are lured into a false sense of security, they go out dressed as if it is still summer and then nightfall comes. The temperature falls below ten degrees and they get well and truly caught out. They cry out, "but it was so warm just a few hours ago, what's happening?" Simple: it is autumn. The days are shorter now and the nights are longer - that means less hours of the sun warming the land and temperatures falling like a stone at night. In rural areas, it is possible to see a difference of over 10 degrees between day and night on clear days, no matter how warm it gets in the day, the clear skies allow the heat to escape really quickly. Cloud cover to keep the land warm at night, for it forms a natural cozy blanket, trapping some of the heat that has built up in the day - so whilst cloudy and rainy days may feel cool, but the cloud cover would mean a relatively warm night to come as that traps the heat.

2. Layers and a bag

The solution is simple: anticipate the big range in temperatures and layer up. This way, you can peel off as many layers as you like until you are comfortable during the day and then you can put your layers back on as it gets cold at night. Thus you may need to carry a bag around with you to store the items you do not need in the day: for example, I would wear my hats and gloves at night during cooler autumn nights, but they would make me sweat if I wore them during the day time. Likewise, you should avoid clothing items like shorts or skirts if you intend to stay out after nightfall. Plan ahead if you know you are going to be out after dark, then make sure you have everything you need.

That's me in Paris last autumn - layers, layers, layers.

3. Check the weather forecast

Autumn weather can be unpredictable because you can get very warm days when it feels like summer has returned, then you can get nights when the temperatures fall below freezing for a few hours. So much of that depends on the prevailing weather conditions - in the UK, if we get a few days of winds all the way from Southern Europe where it is still warm, then we can experience a return to summer conditions (known as an 'Indian Summer'). If we get an arctic blast from the north, then we may experience some early snow in October (that is rather rare but yes it can actually happen). The temperature here can be anything from +23 to -3 in October but thankfully, the weather forecast is very reliable and it will give you a very accurate prediction for conditions for the next 7 to 10 days. If there is going to be a cold snap or a heat wave, it will be predicted with quite good accuracy.

4. No, it is not winter. Not yet.

Leave those winter coats at home - you will not need your thicker, heavier winter coats when the temperature is still in double-digits. If you insist on bringing these heavy winter coats with you on your autumn trip, you will simply end up carrying them around for nothing. They will take up a lot of space in your luggage - think of how much more shopping you could do without that winter coat taking up all that space in your bag! Don't be paranoid - autumn is not winter, it is not that cold yet. You need quite a different wardrobe by the time the real winter weather arrives after autumn.

This is winter - not autumn.

5. What will you be doing on this trip?

Yes the temperature may drop to 7 or 8 degrees, but that will be in the countryside at four in the morning; so unless your trip involves trekking, mountain climbing or camping (I can't think of any other activities which will involve you being out in the open in the countryside at four in the morning), then you really do not need your winter coat. If you are a tourist, you will be spending most of your time indoors - we're talking about shopping malls, museums, art galleries, restaurants, historical buildings, castles, spas and hotels. These buildings are well heated and you will be visiting them during the day, when the weather is nice and warm. If you are visiting an outdoors attraction like Stonehenge, the Niagara Falls or the Great Wall of China, then you may need to dress a bit warmer - but only if you are there early in the morning or later in the evening. Furthermore, the urban heat island effect means that if you are in the city center, it will be a few degrees warmer than in the surrounding countryside.

6. The first five minutes

When I left my flat to go to the gym today, I forgot to take my hat and gloves - as soon as I stepped out of my building, I felt cold and I thought, should I go back to get them? But as I was late, I decided to forgo the hats and gloves. Within five minutes though, I completely forgot that my fingers were cold as I had gotten quite used to the temperature and didn't feel the need for gloves anymore. I call this the 'first five minutes' effect: my flat is heated to about 21 degrees Celsius - the road outside was about 11 degrees Celsius, that is a drop of 10 degrees the moment I go out. Certainly, I would feel that drop in temperature the moment I leave the warmth of my building - my body would protest and send signals to my brain that say, "ooh Ale, it is cold out here!" However, those signals would go away within minutes once your body has a chance to acclimatize to the lower temperature. If you still feel cold after five minutes, then fair enough go put on more layers and get whatever you need. You do the maths: if you are spending 8 hours out and about, the first five minutes represent just about 1% of the 8 hours: dress for the 99% of the time, not the first 1%!

Autumn can be a very pleasant time to travel.

This first five minutes effect actually applies in tropical Singapore as well! My sister has a lovely pool in Singapore but she refuses to use it as she thinks the water is too cold. It is an unheated pool so in Singapore, the water temperature is about 26 degrees in her pool. When the air temperature is about 31 or 32 degrees, that is a drop of 5 or 6 degrees when she first steps into the pool. The water temperature is relatively colder than the air temperature, so the signals your body sends to your brain is, "the water is cold". At this point, my sister jumps out of the pool and says, "no way I'm gonna swim in that, it is too cold." I feel cold too for a few minutes upon entering her pool - but within a few minutes, I get used to the water temperature and stop feeling cold. I have tried convincing her that she would enjoy swimming in her lovely pool - she just has to ignore the cold for a few minutes but she wouldn't listen to me...

7. Autumn style and fashion

When it is -22 degrees in the middle of winter, your priority is to keep warm. But when it is +12 degrees, you can afford to have some fun with fashion. Think about creating a fun image with your autumn ensemble, I have always complained about the way one's fashion choices in Singapore are primarily dictated by the extremely hot and humid tropical weather (thus limiting what you can sensibly wear ) - but when it is around 12 degrees, you can let your vanity dictate your choices and wear things you would never dream of wearing during the summer or in the tropics. 

Autumn is a great time for dressing up stylishly.

8. Beware of rain

Finally, rain is your enemy - rain can occur at any time of the year of course and you don't want to be caught out. In London for example, October and November are the two wettest months of the year. Thus always make sure you have either an umbrella or a raincoat. You should also make sure that your footwear is waterproof - the worst case scenario is when your shoes get wet in the heavy rain and you spend the rest of the day walking around with wet shoes and socks. Not only will that feel very uncomfortable, it will also make your feet feel decidedly cold. You should always check the weather forecast when you're traveling, so that you can be very well prepared if rain is forecast.

Okay, so that's it for me on this topic. Are you taking a trip this autumn to somewhere cool? I hope you have found this topic useful - if you have any other questions on the issue of dressing for colder/cooler climates, please feel free to leave a comment below and I'm happy to answer your questions. Happy travels, bon voyage. Thanks for reading!

Rain, rain, go away...