What to wear in Austin (Spring, Center: sales, to buy, live)

[chance1230]

This may sound like an odd question, but ... my husband and I are considering a move to Austin. We have lived in Alaska and Washington. Needless to say, we own a fair amount of sweaters and long sleeves. Can anyone tell me how people generally dress in Austin in the summer and winter? This includes "business" attire and casual. Thanks.

[Trainwreck20]

Business attire depends on what business you are in, of course. Our office is jeans, khakis, skirts, and/or slacks (and occasionally shorts when it is just too hot). Polo/button-up/Columbia type shirts. There are more dressy requirements at some jobs, but I think ours is not so out of line.

As for casual, whatever keeps you comfortable. Summer you can get away with sandals, shorts, and tees almost anywhere. Winter, I have some jersey shirts and a few 'heavier' tops, but it just really doesn't get THAT cold and when it does, it doesn't last long.

[Hollytree]

From the perspective of a Northerner..... In the summer Austin can be incredibly hot- as in the high 90s for months. It can also spike into the 100s and has been known to get up to 115. Offices can be heavily refrigerated so you will need to dress for cool weather indoors and then be hit with a wall of heat as you emerge at the end of the work day.

Winter can be as low as 30s to 40s and sometimes windy though it often warms into the 50s and 60s before the end of the day. Winter would be like late Fall in Washington state. March is Spring in Austin. The wildflowers there are lovely. Be sure you do get a well insulated place with both good heat and air conditioning. Some of the older places have inadequate wall heaters & insulation- I know- was cold there in the winter.

Many days, of course, are simply pleasant and in the 70s and 80s. A lot of blue cloudless sky.

Keep an eye out for the bugs... outdoors chiggers, ticks... indoors cockroaches. Most apt complexes spray every month.

[centralaustinite]

Ha! 18 years after moving to Austin I still have an old trunk somewhere filled with long underwear and wool sweaters and socks. Never worn once we arrived!

Yes, our summers are looong! May to October at least. It is all about managing the heat. (Big shady hats, linen pants and skirts, silk, and cotton. Light colors. Clothes with built-in sun protection are great. Outside of law firms and some government posts, most workplaces in Austin are pretty casual.

[10scoachrick]

All good info so far. Just as an example, Mon, Tues, Wed of this week will start out in the 40s with a touch of humidity but each day will warm and dry into the afternoon with highs around 80. Add to that the Cen-Tex crystal clear sky that acts as a bit of a magnifying glass and you will be peeling of layers throughout the day. Bring the vests and the layers!

[readymade]

I wear sweaters w/ a short sleeved shirt under them all through the winter. It's often quite cold (30 degrees) in the mornings and then warm (70s-80s) in the afternoon. So, layers are important. I have a winter(ish) jacket I wear in the winter.

[intmd8r]

This is a great thread. It sounds like it's very similar to Phoenix in that most places are probably a bit more casual than similar places elsewhere in the country simply because of heat management. I find Phoenix to be far more "business casual" attire and a lot less "business" attire overall.

For example, when I lived in Mpls, it was a business attire given that women were required to wear pantyhose with skirts. Here, it's not really a requirement because of the heat.

I worked for the 5th largest CPA firm in the country when I moved here and professional attire was expected, yet I didn't have to buy pantyhose anymore!

Is this a correct assumption that it's probably similar there?

[chickenfry]

but don't sell those fur coats. when it's time to hit "The Nutcracker", even if it is 80 degrees, the ladies will be breaking out the furs. serious

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

From the perspective of a Northerner..... In the summer Austin can be incredibly hot- as in the high 90s for months. It can also spike into the 100s and has been known to get up to 115. Offices can be heavily refrigerated so you will need to dress for cool weather indoors and then be hit with a wall of heat as you emerge at the end of the work day.

Winter can be as low as 30s to 40s and sometimes windy though it often warms into the 50s and 60s before the end of the day. Winter would be like late Fall in Washington state. March is Spring in Austin. The wildflowers there are lovely. Be sure you do get a well insulated place with both good heat and air conditioning. Some of the older places have inadequate wall heaters & insulation- I know- was cold there in the winter.

Many days, of course, are simply pleasant and in the 70s and 80s. A lot of blue cloudless sky.

Keep an eye out for the bugs... outdoors chiggers, ticks... indoors cockroaches. Most apt complexes spray every month.

Just so you know - Austin has NEVER recorded a temperature of 115. The all-time high is 112 - recorded in September of 2000. 2000 was the year of a terrible heat wave and drought.

Low 100s are fairly common in late July through August.

[readymade]

I can't imagine working for a company that REQUIRED me to wear a skirt. I've found Austin to be very laid back and casual. I work for a marketing company and most of us wear whatever we want. The sales team gets dressed up when they're going to be client-facing. Going out, I rarely see anyone dressed up. When I went to the Long Center to see Leonard Cohen, people were dressed dressier than I've ever seen anyone in Austin (dresses, skirts, etc...). But there were also people there in ripped jeans & t-shirts. I think, for the most part, you can get away with wearing pretty much anything you want.