San Francisco in late October: in need of all your tips!

[Earthymama]

DP and I are going to San Francisco on 21st October for 2and half weeks.
We are really looking forward to this trip; it really will be the trip of a lifetime so we want to make the most of our time there.
We are already researching and getting our itinerary in place. I have been eagerly following the "off to California" thread so I know it can get cold and the weather is very changeable.

My main concern is about what exactly to wear and what shoes to take! Superficial I know but I have arthritis and also my extremities get really cold.

So will it be autumn jacket cold or winter coat cold?

Will I need a wooly hat, scarf and gloves? (I know I can buy them if I do!)

I often wear flat Dr Martens knee high boots with tights and long skirts in the colder months; would these be appropriate or would I be better in flat shoes?

I know everyone says you can buy a fleece but I am not really a fleece-wearer and would prefer to take the right jacket-waterproof combo.

I do know that this is a very privileged query but I really to like to get my clothes "just right"!
Thanks Earthy x

I went to San Francisco in October and the weather was very variable. Bright sunshine and quite warm, then suddenly the fog would descend and it would be cold.

We made a lot of use of the tourist hop-on-hop-off bus to get around, using it just as a form of transport, as it was a cheap way to get around quickly. Some days we would be wearing t-shirts, other days they would be handing out the blankets they kept on board. So I would advise layers! I also ended up buying gloves. Think bright crisp autumn days with occasional chilly times and the odd scorcher. Difficult, isn't it?

We did a lot of walking, and it is very hilly, so bear that in mind shoe-wise.

We did a lovely trip into the Sonoma Valley, visiting several vineyards. It is beautiful countryside. Alcatraz was very interesting too. I am very jealous, I would love to go back.

Thank you, I am looking forward to this trip so much. We probably won't ever be ale to do anything like it again so I want to get the practicalities right.

I am going to pack my linen skirts and tunics and then add some long sleeved fitted tops I can wear underneath as well as some tights and leggings. I have my own quite idiosyncratic style, as does DP, so I don't have the pressure to look 'on trend',

I wear El Naturalista Mary Janes and Oxygen boots (often the butt of much scorn on S&B so I didn't post there) so that will be fine.

Thank you for your comment, can I come back and tell you how it went? Earthy x

You will get to do so much in two and a half weeks! How amazing!

Where are you staying? We stayed at the Westin St Francis on Union Square, so very central. We were in the older part of the building, with great views across the square, but I also liked going into the newer part of the building and going up and down in the glass outside lifts, which were in the Towering Inferno film (one of my secret guilty pleasures!).

I hadn't heard of the shoes you mentioned, so just looked them up and they look perfect for a lot of walking. We were on the third week of our honeymoon, after Vegas and Hawaii, so comfort won over style!

What are your plans for the trip? And of course I would love to hear how it all goes! It is great to hear about such a lovely place that I have such fond memories of.

why won't you wear fleece? lightweight, warm, quick dry. Perfect for the conditions.

Ss, I do have fleeces; one for winter in the garden and on the allotment and a snuggly hooded one that I wear in winter to cwtch up on the sofa. I just don't like them as a jacket for other occasions, they would look odd with the style of clothes I wear. If I was a walker in the hills I think I would surely wear one, as I would wear walking boots and trousers and a fleece would look good.

In a city I intend to dress up a little. I love to "dress up", my first job at 13 yrs old was in a 'boutique' and I have loved putting an outfit together ever since.

Anne we are staying on Sutter St a stone's throw from the Tenderloin! (Aargh!)

Actually it looks ok and had great reviews so we are hopeful.

It's amazing how many people we know in RL who have been to SF. We are meeting up with one of DP's friends who lived there for 3 years on Weds so expect some ideas from her.

October in SF can be anything - really warm, quite chilly, bit rainy, bright sunshiny, very foggy. But I'd want a coat that is lightweight and warm (not full winter coat), because you may wind up wearing it in the morning, then carrying it around with you until the evening.

Hey, if you don't have the right one, there's that lovely Macy's on Union Square just waiting to help you out... :)

Could you take a silk or fine wool sort of scarf if you chill easily? Warm but easy to keep in a handbag. Doubt you'll need a woolly hat of any kind.

You'll probably do a lot of walking in SF, so whatever shoes you bring, let them be comfy.

Have fun!

By chance I have recently bought a beautiful boiled wool jacket by Bohemia. I think I will take that with a few scarves and also my Seasalt tin cloth waterproof.

And gloves!! I hate having cold hands more than anything and my extremities are always colder than other people's. I can't bear to see people without the items I consider essential on a cold day; it makes me shiver to see DP going out without gloves!

Don't tempt me with tales of clothes shops. I have been buying fewer, more long lasting clothes but I do love unusual styles and quirky looks. I am going to struggle to stuck to my thrifty ways!!

Thank you all for understanding my concern about being warm enough, I am site to hardy types I seem like a nesh, pampered wuss but it is so horrid to be cold and shivering. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on all the wonderful places we need to see.

Oh I love Macy's, and the Macy's on Union Square is a very good one. I ended up buying kitchen stuff, bed linen and a new suitcase in there!

Just to update, we are here!

It is wonderful, everything I had heard and imagined and more.

We have walked miles and miles, exploring and turning 'just one more corner'.

Weather wise, all the warnings about the changeable nature of the city have proved true. Today started off cold but the air was still, I needed tights and a heavy jumper. By midday on Fishermans Wharf it was warm enough to sunbathe, but at 2.30ish a very cold wind had sprung up and I had to buy gloves.

Luckily with the help of MN and some on-line research DP and I are well prepared, it is layers, layers, layers all the way.