Help! 20 degrees, smart…

[Socoo]

Help! I’m travelling to a work conference this weekend, near San Francisco. It will be about 20 degrees. I have NO idea what to wear. I’m currently in a jumper feeling a bit cold, and I can’t remember what 20 degrees is like. I want to buy some stuff today that will pack well. But is 20 degrees tights weather o not? Sorry, I ought to know, but I’m in a hot (cold) panic. I need to look in control since I have to manage a difficult group. I need to be smart, but not flashy. I think I’m placing all my anxieties on my outfits, argh! Ps I’m about a size 8-10 and about 5’3”, with a fat stomach and flabby thighs, thin lower legs (apple shape?).

Well it's pretty varied by person I'd have thought? If the forecast says 20 (remember that's in the shade) then for me I would be absolutely roasting and needing to wear the minimal clothing it's possible to be dignified in 😆 But for those more acclimatised to heat tights might be fine?

Don't forget that aircon inside might make it feel chilly, so I would go for trousers.

I have been in San Francisco in July and it was cloudy and chilly.

20 degrees is warm rather than hot, but I would settle for that over what we have right now.

What sector do you work in OP? I work in tech and it tends to very casual, what's the dress code like at your place of work?

thanks both! @RampantIvy i think you’re dead right. Trousers! I’ve been fannying around with dresses. But I have flabby thighs and stomach, so I like a tunic with thin trousers look. Or I need some sort of long cardigan to skim my thighs. I also wear a lot of black. I do suit black but would it be odd in this sort of temp? Sorry, I seem to have utterly lost my way in a mire of panic. Any links to anything that might work would be appreciated!

@AutumnNymph academia, but I’m there in an allied capacity (managerial).

So the dress code is the sort you might expect secondary school teachers to wear (eg for parents evening rather than day to day) — since this is a conference and I’m there to lead various groups.

It won’t be hot. I would wear high waisted wide leg trousers with a smart top for 20 degrees.

In that case I think I would go with trousers, some kind of she'll top and a casual blazer /cardigan which you can wear if it gets chilly inside due to Air conditioning.

Also make sure you wear it a few times before the day if its a new outfit to ensure its comfortable. This is a lesson I have learnt the hard way

Thank you! And what about footwear?

I was in SF for work last spring and wore mostly wide legged trousers with silky tops or smarter T-shirts and added a less structured blazer.

I'd take a light coat such as a mac if you're in SF itself as the weather is very changeable. 20 in the day can be 6 or 7 in the morning and evenings.

Shoes I wore smart black pointed flats. Didn't see many heals.

My SF colleagues all wore fairly standard smart casual office wear apart from a few standout 'stylish' ones who wore things such as dark green leather sleeveless coats.

I took pearls as a token slightly joking British item and they were well regarded by my colleagues

Oh that’s SO helpful, thanks!

My panic is starting to recede a bit…

San Fran is always colder than you think because of the wind tunnels between buildings, sea breeze, fog and so on. As per PP, suggest trousers, light jacket, smartish underlayer so you can take off jacket and still look smart (but you won’t in the AC I don’t think) and loafers or ballet flats. For apple shape wear lighter coloured blazer over dark top and trousers with a necklace. And take a trench or thicker jacket for evening. Have fun!

Thinking it through, I found SF surprisingly unfashionable, it was actually more conservative than I had anticipated.

Men in chinos and button down shirts, or even suit trousers and shirts. Ladies in standard central London office wear from a few years ago. No midi dresses and trainers, no statement silver brogues, no men in hoodies, no unnatural hair colours, actually much less variety than I'd see in my UK tech office. Fairly preppy and boring.

This could just be my business and sector however.

Also checked forecast of where ill actually be: low of 15, high of 19 currently. That could be boot weather or not? I prefer boots to flats with the trousers I’m thinking of taking… but was worried I’d be looking too wintery… but maybe boots ARE too wintery. They’re the clompy sort.

It’s not an actually SF but nearby. But thanks just read updates and maybe I need to be quite conservative. I may wear some lace up flats. I do have some (unworn) square toed ballet flats, but my husband said I looked like a Tory MP in them and I can’t bring myself to wear them now. I pay too much attention to what other people say. Need to enjoy myself as @Fudgeandcaramel says 😆. Also fudge, hadn’t specifically appreciated the lighter coloured jacket suggestion. Makes sense. I end up going all in one (dark) colour since I have found unbroken line of colour works better, but I can definitely see what you say working (unbroken line, w light jacket). But I can’t see wide trousers working with a jacket, unless a sort of Japanese look. I’m quite short!

Boots would be fine. You could always throw the flats in too so you have the option.

It's 12 degrees here today and definitely boot weather.

I suspect you might be slightly over thinking it

Pack what you'd wear for a spring time conference in the UK and add a few lighter tops in case it gets warmer.

Climate both metrological and sartorial are much the same

throw in some flats, now there is a radical idea 😄. Maybe even take my Tory flats. Thanks so much. I am over thinking it. I really am…

I would go midi length dress and sandals with jacket in case the air con is cold

Boots are totally fine, As PP said just think spring time in England and you will be fine.

I am short too and I steer away from wide legged trousers

I have however done wide legged jumpsuits with a contrasting jacket and it worked quite well.

to expand on the light jacket thing: you’re absolutely right about creating a ‘column of colour’ to slim down a tummy. You could still do this with black top and black trousers. a jacket worn open creates a vertical line which is also slimming. Re wide leg trousers yup this is a tricky development fashion wise for us apple people. My advice is to look at a few shops you like to see how they style stuff. Sometimes they have more cropped styles: eg Chanel or bomber style jackets worn with looser leg trousers. Or you could do a blazer which hits your anterior superior iliac spine level (ie shorter rather than ‘boyfriend’). Disclaimer: I am not a stylist or fashionable at all, have just been to a conference or two there and tried to dress my (larger!) frame.

Conference venues in the US (in my very extensive experience) are always freezing. Def boots, trousers, a top and layer (I even take a pashmina type thing as I've been actually shivering). And much less of the midi dress kind of outfit unless it is a very casual conference (I see the teacher or MLM ones like this), theres still a lot of the matching trouser suit look, and the much maligned on MN nude tights are still very much there

Sounds too cold for sandals IMO.