Five Tips for Dressing for Portland’s Most Unpredictable Season

Sporadic rain patterns and 30-degree temperature swings make it hard to dress fashionably during Portland’s springtime.

By Maurice Merrell

The sporadic rain patterns and 30-degree temperature swings make it hard to dress fashionably during Portland's springtime. Sometimes, there's just no telling what to wear. So we turned to expert wardrobe stylist Camila Petroske for some functional fashion tips on how to survive a Portland spring.

Petroske, a Portland native who spent a good portion of her youth in Europe, is a veteran stylist with a résumé that includes work with Washington-based women's boutique Aritzia and on-call rolls with Nike for editorial and digital styling campaigns. Versatility is a part of her everyday hustle. What started out for her as an interest in fashion-forward trend-spotting has turned into credits on large projects like Air Max Day at the Swoosh.

On a daily basis, she says work begins with herself. Creating a new look and serving as her own mood board helps Petroske stay inspired and craft looks for others. When it comes to Portland's style, Petroske says the city is more than flannel shirts and beanies.

"I see Portland as the next place in fashion where diversity will take place," she says. "With all the global companies bringing in people from bigger cities and the creative people already here, you can find people with their own unique aesthetics if you look hard enough."

Below, Petroske offers five essential go-to's for dressing for spring in Portland:

1. Layering is key, so the No. 1 piece to incorporate into your look is a good duster, which is a jacket you can throw over anything. It's a piece that you'll always see me in that I can dress up or dress down.

2. For footwear, I always go with a good pair of Nike Air Force 1s. They're timeless classics that go with anything. Some people like to go with the black versions to deal with the unpredictable weather, but I like to go with the white on white since it's spring.

3. A combination of a T-shirt and hoodie. This is another layering element, but it's great in case it rains.

4. I never go anywhere without slides, as they're great for comfort when it's warm out. And yes, contrary to some beliefs, you can wear socks with them.

5. A classic windbreaker. This kind of goes to serve the same purpose as the duster, but windbreakers are a lot lighter and can go with anything.

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