Rock East Coast Winter Fashion Trends San Diego Style

Enlarge Photo

As we experience the presence of fall and the progression of winter, you can't help but notice the sharp chill in the air, waves of rain at our feet and imminent snow; unless, of course, you live in San Diego.

A local stylista can choose the day's garb with the same decisive ease she used on a warm summer day. This ever summer simplicity is less evident for the rest of the country, however. A closet of limitless style greatly varies between the coasts. With the arrival of cold seasons, an east coast fashion connoisseur seeks extravagant outerwear, gloves and scarves, countless boots and an array of hats for the boudoir.

On the flip side, a west coast trendsetter may notice a substantial gap in this department. Due to the weather, trends born of utility on the east coast often soften to the west. But just because we don't need east coast protection doesn't mean we can't have fun with cold weather fashion.

Discover the best ways to rock cold weather trends with warm San Diego style.

The Trench Coat

Walking the streets of New York you will often see men and women wearing layers of clothing topped off with a sharp and chic trench coat. Here at home the trench coat is a fashion statement that can easily turn into quite the sweat mess if used in a layering look. Avoid the unnecessary heat and focus on the trench as a hot statement making accessory.

A sleek, more fashion oriented version of the men's trench coat is the lightweight Mac Trench from Rag & Bone available at Barney's Co Op in Fashion Valley. This thin thigh length jacket will give you all the style of the trench coat without the over-the-top coverage and accents. Wear this over a thin long sleeve shirt available at James Perse in Fashion Valley, or a quality tee from one of your favorite boutiques in San Diego.

Barney's Co Op also has some choice trench coat options for the ladies. Try wearing the cotton twill trench from Mason by Mason over a sexy blouse and jeans. You can even take a cue from Hollywood celebrities like Demi Moore and Kate Hudson and simply wear the trench by itself as a dress.

The Pea Coat

Instead of a heavy pea coat, west coasters need something a little less bulky. Once again, Barney's Co Op can provide the fellas with a fashionable version by Spiewak. Although relatively thick, this pea coat, with the fun nautical buttons, can be paired with jeans and a short sleeve polo, to perfect San Diego style.

For the ladies, Studio 12 20 is where you will find the hottest pea coats in copper and evergreen. With three quarter length sleeves, this shorten pea coat will keep you comfortable for any occasion.

The Scarf

In a San Diego winter the summer scarf, available at Haute Culture in Bird Rock, is still perfectly appropriate and stylish. The extra warmth of a thicker scarf is not necessary here. However, when the sight of belles of holly make you crave a more holiday inspired scarf go a head and grab one of the Co op's genderless cashmere scarves and skip the jacket to avoid looking overdressed or overheated. The key is to focus on one winter piece.

The Leather Jacket

A must-have this season for men and women across the states is a leather jacket. For the ladies, no matter the coast, the cropped motorcycle inspired jacket in light grey is to die for. Available at Georgiou Studio on Prospect, you can pair this jacket with anything from a top and jeans, a night-out frock or even shorts.

For the gentlemen, the Matte Black jacket from Capricorn Boutique is what you need. Whereas the east coaster would sport this over a v-neck sweater, a San Diegan would simply throw this over a light blue or maroon tee with jeans.

Ever casual and always warm, San Diego has a tendency to relax fashion trends with laid back charm. With the sun still shining and the beach nearby, the motivation needed to take style so seriously seems to evaporate along with our morning marine layer.

Lucky for us, the assistance of San Diego boutiques, from downtown to Del Mar, will keep our style west coast chic, no matter the season.