<p>all righty, so i'm from california, and not being completely ignorant of fashion issues but being entirely uninformed on the harsh realities of prolonged periods of coldness, what should I bring? what is overkill and what is underkill? is long underwear necessary?
lists: much appreciated.
rationale: more appreciated.
list and rationale: most appreciated.
thanks!</p>
<p>I've been in boston for a few years now so what seems cold to me is a little different now, hehe. A lot depends on your tolerance for hot and cold :) I whined and whined about the winters in StL, until I moved to boston.
As far as summer: it gets really hot. and humid. St. Louis summers are bearable because of AC :) Even Sept is still pretty hot (90s, and humid), so you'll want summer clothes... shorts/tshirts/sandals/etc.</p>
<p>We actually have a really nice fall, in my opinion, so lightweight jakets are very useful. It's not like some cities where you go from shorts to parkas in a week.</p>
<p>Winters: It really depends on your tolerance for the cold. You'll definitely need a warm winter coat. I used to wear a wool peacoat, and froze my butt off a couple times...then I got a down coat and was happy, but warm :). It's all about layering... especially because the heat in some buildings can be turned on max, and others barely at all. You'll def. need warm gloves/scarves/hats for most parts of the winter, but others it's not so bad. I never wore long underwear - didn't find it necessary, but I had a friend from FL that wore it every day. I'd say don't worry about it until it starts getting cold, then run over to Target if you have to. I also never wore actual winter boots or anything... although they probably would have been helpful for when it snowed (it's not all that often). You can definitely get by with warm socks and shoes, and if you end up needing something warmer, buy it later. Being out in the cold itself isn't that bad, because it doesn't get <em>that</em> cold, but the walk to/from class (10-20 mins) in temps below freezing is what gets ya.</p>
<p>The most important thing about dressing for the weather in StL - just because it was70 degrees yesterday doesn't mean it won't snow today... it happens more than you'd think. I've worn flip flops in january and wool sweaters in june... so look up the weather each day. It also rains a decent amount, so have an umbrella, and some windbreaker or water repellant jacket for when it randomly starts raining... that's the one thing I needed but never had.</p>
<p>I second the randomness. When I went to visit, it was sunny and in the 70's in the afternoon, and by nighttime, the Cardinals game that I had tickets to was rained out...</p>
<p>yes... stl weather is extremely unpredictable. i had my graduation party last weekend in the evening, and temperatures dipped down to the 50s. in the middle of may. we were serving hot chocolate and most people gathered around the pitfire. and then today, a week later, it was unbelievably steaming.</p>