3 Wardrobe Essentials for the New-New Yorker

Snow-pocolypse 2015. Look how terrified we are. 

One of the many things I loved about California was the weather, and how infrequently it changed. Sure there were occasional days when it rained, and some parts of the year are hotter / colder than others, but for the most part it's sunny year around. Because of this, I didn't put a whole lot of thought into the utility of my wardrobe, because everything I had could be worn at pretty much any time of the year. Besides, I mainly just wore Hawaiian shirts all the time, because they are comfy and they look awesome.

But here in New York, seasons are actually a thing, like leaves falling from trees in the fall and flowers growing in the spring. You know, all the things you read about in books or saw on T.V. Because of this odd phenomenon, one must put more consideration toward what one wears at given times of the year, especially when the weather turns cold. I for one really don't like clothes shopping for things I need, so during my first Fall here in the city I tried to put off shopping for these items for as long as I could. But I paid for my procrastination, as I wound up miserable on several occasions due to my insufficient clothing and accessorizing, a fate I would not wish to fall on you.

So here are a few things you need to buy as soon as possible if you choose to stay in New York long term. Since we Californians have hot weather pretty much figured out, I'm going to be focusing specifically on cold weather items. I recommend getting them early on in warmer weather because they will most likely be much cheaper then.

1. An Umbrella: A damn good one.

It doesn't rain a whole lot in SoCal, but when it does it was never so bad that a simple button-press mini umbrella couldn't fix. This was the mentality I had going into the Fall of my first year in New York, because it's just rain after all, right? Wrong. A cheap umbrella might do for the occasional little drizzle, but storms can quickly escalate to a point where that little umbrella is rendered a useless pile of canvas. Don't skimp out on investing in a quality umbrella as soon as you can, one that won't fail you when the rain or snow is decimating the city.

2. Gloves: Don't try to tough it out.

If you own a pair of gloves in SoCal, they're probably buried in a drawer somewhere for when you go up to Big Bear in the winter for snowboarding. I was never good at snowboarding, so they just stayed buried in my drawer. But don't underestimate the cold here in New York: it will cut through to the bone. It's not worth trying to go the winter without gloves, because you need your hands to do things, and the amount of time you can spend outside in cold weather will be significantly reduced. As for those snowboarding gloves at home, they're not gonna cut it. Yeah they're thick, but they're useless when trying to use a subway turn-style, or pulling out your wallet, or doing anything that requires fine-motor skills. Spring for a pair of leather gloves that you can move your hands around in. They may be pricy, but they'll pay for themselves in no time.

3. Pea Coat: Style and function in one convenient coat.

Like those puffy gloves you don't use, your puffy coat at home simply won't do for navigating the city. Being a marshmallow person is fine in the great outdoors, but becomes very burdensome during your morning commute, or any other time you're out and about. Pea coats are great because they're extremely warm while also being slim enough to make city navigation a breeze. They're large enough to wear a suit under, and they also just look really damn good. One problem with this is that new pea coat are very expensive, and would require much more saving than leather gloves. I highly recommend getting a used one, preferably from a thrift store, because they'll be significantly cheaper and work just as well.

Is there anything you think I forgot to mention? Feel free to comment with what clothing / accessory everyone should get immediately when moving here.