What clothing for Canada in September please?

Hi all,

Hubby and I are doing the big family visit in September 2009 and we will be staying for 4 weeks. We will be in Trail BC for 2 weeks of that time and we are planning on going to Edmonton and hopefully Toronto to have a look around as well. I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas for what we would need to pack for the weather at that time of year. We have a family wedding happening in that time so I know I need to take some heels and a pretty dress for that but any other suggestions. We aren't planning on doing any hiking or anything that would need any special clothes but would just like some ideas. Would like to know if any sorts of clothing are frowned upon or anything like that. Definately need to know what the dress codes are for pubs, restaurants and stuff like that. Hubby wants to know about shoes. Here in Perth you can wear thongs/flip flops/jandals in the public bar of a pub but in any other bar you have to wear sneakers/running shoes or dress shoes. He just wants to make sure he takes what he needs with him. I have told him we could buy him something if we need to but he likes to be prepared .

At this point in time we will be leaving Australia in Winter and arriving in Canada in late summer I think so we were going to dress light. I am planning on wearing black cotton leggings and a long black cotton t-shirt and my reeboks for comfort and I am trying to convince hubby to wear some lightweight cotton tracksuit pants and a large cotton tshirt as well for comfort and lack of anything cutting into our stomachs while we are sitting for so long on the plane and and we both have a husky coat which are suitable for temps down to -5degrees celcius so we were going to wear those and/or carry them on the plane. They are rather bulky but light to carry so we figured it would save us some room in our suitcases as well. We could also put them over ourselves if we get cool on the plane as a blanket.

Just to add to things we will possibly be going to the UK and NZ on the way home and I am yet to look into what the weather would be like at that time of year in the UK. Hubbies family are around Birmingham so I need to look into that. I am still working on hubby actually as I want to only do Canada this trip and then we could spend 6 weeks there instead of 4. I want to have a really good look around....we both do, but hubby wants to fit in everything in one trip whereas I want to break it up and do UK and NZ in a second trip. So any suggestions for clothing suitable for the first two weeks of October in UK and NZ would be appreciated too. Sorry this ended up so long. I tend to ramble in case you didn't notice. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Regards Sasha

I can help you out with toronto, as far as bars go most during the day wont have much of a problem with the sandals. night time its a differrent story. weather your looking at 20-25 C during the day gets a little cool at night but still pretty nice. One pub i would suggest you to go to while in toronto is The Madison Ave pub, its always a good time at the madison. PM if you have any questions on toronto.

Canada (and the US) are very casual (more so in the sticks of BC). You don't say when in September - it makes a difference since early would be summer-like and late would be a tad chilly in Edmonton and points north. These days people in N. America dress more or less the same as they would in Sydney (not quite as many shorts when you get up north). My rec would be to take layers of clothes and dress up/down according to the temp. I imagine Toronto would be slightly more conservative in dress than out West. Just be sure not to over-pack - nothing worse than trekking around the world with 10 suitcases (and who wants to pay the overcharges).

Thanks for your replies Nosmada and Daawgon.

Daawgon we will be flying out of Perth on the 31st of August and will be in Canada for the whole or September. If I get my way we will be there for the first 2 weeks of October also. Hubby now wants to do a week in the UK and a week in NZ on the way hom from Canada. We are both hoping to keep our baggage down to one 20kg suitcase each and our carry on bags and thats it as we need to take a domestic flight from Vancouver to Trail BC so can't carry more than that without penalties. We have been told that if we fly Canada Air from Aust to Calgary we can get around that so we are looking into that. If we could get away with carry on baggage only we would. I am trying to get a comparison of prices of clothing in Canada as I need heaps of new clothes and I am getting to the point of just buying myself whatever I need while I am there. I definately will go that route if clothes are either the same price or cheaper than Aust. Thanks so much for the help.

Nosmada I have written The Madison Ave pub in Toronta in my little book of places to go. Thanks for the tips.

Having a fleece jacket is a good idea. It can be nippy at night. But September is pretty good for warmth during the day, and you should probably have shorts too. Trail in the Interiour and can be fricking hot on occasion.

D

Thanks for that Piecar. I have a polarfleece jacket that I was thinking of taking so I will make sure I fit it in somewhere.

The whole of southern Canada will be OK during the day at that time, but a little chilly at night. Toronto will be a lot warmer than Edmonton.

Thanks Redpaddy. I have started to try and figure what I am going to take with me and have started looking at clothes I can add a cardigan to in the evening or a jacket to help ward off the chill in the evening.