As early as October, we saw the season’s first winter’s snow in New York City. Yes, October – the Fall had just begun, and the even colder Winter lurked around the corner, but I wasn’t worried about it. Why, you ask? Because I knew I would most certainly be dead before February's end – if not from the cold itself, then from slipping on ice and slush into the streets. However, with a little luck and a little asocial behavior, it seems I made it to Spring.
Every year, I am faced with the strange and arduous task of wardrobe transitioning - that is, the chore of putting away your summer clothes and taking out your winter clothes, while becoming nostalgic about the warmth of summer. This yearly ritual supposedly stems from the fact that most of the world experiences normal climate cycles – these things called "seasons." The “Fall” and “Winter” seasons are not entirely foreign concepts to the Southern Californian; these seasons are commonly recognized by the extra two weeks of rainfall scattered throughout the months from November to March, the existence of markedly less desirable beach days, and the drop in nighttime temperatures to as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, at which time you might consider wearing a hooded sweatshirt. However, as it turns out, the “Fall” and “Winter” of Los Angeles is nothing like the “Fall” and “Winter” of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
In New York, these seasons manifest by changing leaf colors of trees from green to orange, yellow, and red, and, soon after, the loss of leaves altogether. These two seasons also mark a drop in temperature significant enough to bring about changes in the nature of precipitation from wet rain to actual snow and ice. As such, to avoid dying from hypothermia, it becomes a necessity for a New Yorker to wear thicker, warmer clothing during this half of the year.
In New York, it’s all about a very interesting concept that entails clothing being not only fashionable, but also practical. One example that comes to mind is the jacket collar: Did you know that popping a jacket collar is not primarily an aesthetic preference? It serves a practical purpose - a survival mechanism of sorts - to protect your neck from freezing in the winter's bitter cold and razor-sharp wind. Another example is down feather; down jackets provide not only the puffy, warm, winter look, but also actual warmth.
Practicality in clothing of course brings up several questions for the native Angelino who plans to experience a fall or winter in New York. Why can’t I wear my Rainbows in the snow? How can I distinguish between a winter jacket and a real winter jacket? What is the point of buying good looking clothing when the skin of your arms, legs, neck, clavicles, and general body shape are not at least partially exposed? How am I supposed to attract a future spouse without sporting a V-neck? Indeed, the Northeast is a different world, entirely. Winter must be, I suppose, one of those times of the year when “personality” becomes an actual thing.
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