What to wear in 15 °C
15 °C (59 °F) is mild with a chill in it. The figure is dressed for a dry 15 °C day; shuffle for another look, or set a different temperature.
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Today’s look
Coral polo shirt, black jeans and cream sneakers, with a burgundy leather jacket
Casual, right for 15 °C.
Why this works
- At 15 °C, the burgundy leather jacket handles the time outside and comes off indoors, where the coral polo shirt keeps you comfortable.StandardSchiavon & Lee (2013)
- Coral and burgundy sit next to each other on the colour wheel, so they blend naturally.ResearchSchloss & Palmer (2011)
- The coral polo shirt against the black jeans gives a clear light-and-dark contrast, which people tend to like.ResearchSchloss & Palmer (2011)
Or try
Wearing this today?
Log it, and the picks rotate what you wear.
How this works: Method, 7 sources,
How this works
Method
With no wardrobe it builds a look from colour schemes; with yours it picks from what you own, leaving out pieces archived, in the wash or worn recently. A pick must suit the occasion and the weather, then it is scored on colour harmony (the Ou–Luo model and scheme rules, in OKLab), light against dark, warmth (garment insulation summed as in ISO 9920, against the UTCI clothing model), formality and rotation. The same day and wardrobe give the same pick until you shuffle.
Sources
- Ou, L.-C. & Luo, M. R., "A colour harmony model for two-colour combinations", Color Research & Application 31(3) (2006)
- Schloss, K. B. & Palmer, S. E., "Aesthetic response to color combinations", Attention, Perception & Psychophysics 73(2) (2011)
- Ottosson, B., "A perceptual color space for image processing" (OKLab) (2020)
- ISO 9920, Ergonomics of the thermal environment: estimation of thermal insulation of a clothing ensemble
- ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy (garment insulation table)
- Havenith, G. et al., "The UTCI-clothing model", International Journal of Biometeorology 56(3) (2012)
- MET Norway, Locationforecast 2.0 (weather data, CC BY 4.0)
Changes
- Added 21 pages: what colours go with navy, black, grey, beige, olive, burgundy, brown, white, denim and pink (each table from the engine), and what to wear from 40 to 80 °F and 5 to 25 °C.
- First published.
How warm the figure’s outfit is at 15 °C
The target. The UTCI clothing model gives the insulation people typically wear outdoors at an air temperature T in °C: 1.372 − 0.01866·T − 0.0004849·T² − 0.000009333·T³. At 15 °C (59 °F) that is 0.95 clo. One clo is a unit of clothing insulation.
The outfit. The figure’s garments, with their single-garment values: polo shirt 0.17 + jeans 0.24 + leather jacket 0.40 + sneakers 0.02 + underwear 0.04 + ankle socks 0.02 = 0.89. ISO 9920 turns the sum into the outfit’s insulation: 0.161 + 0.835 × 0.89 = 0.90 clo, 0.05 below the target.
The tool counts an outfit as right for the weather when it is within about a third of a clo below or four tenths above the target. Values for coats and jackets are estimates; the rest come from the ASHRAE 55 garment table.
How much to wear around 15 °C
Clothing insulation in clo: outdoors from the UTCI clothing model, indoors from the office model (Schiavon & Lee), with a typical outfit near the outdoor figure.
| Temperature | Outdoors | Indoors | About this warm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 °C (48 °F) | 1.16 | 0.60 | Long-sleeve tee, sweater, jeans and a trench coat (1.19) |
| 11 °C (52 °F) | 1.10 | 0.58 | Shirt, jeans and a leather jacket (1.04) |
| 13 °C (55 °F) | 1.03 | 0.56 | Shirt, jeans and a leather jacket (1.04) |
| 15 °C (59 °F) | 0.95 | 0.55 | Shirt, jeans and a leather jacket (1.04) |
| 17 °C (63 °F) | 0.87 | 0.53 | T-shirt, jeans and a denim jacket (0.75) |
| 19 °C (66 °F) | 0.78 | 0.51 | T-shirt, jeans and a denim jacket (0.75) |
| 21 °C (70 °F) | 0.68 | 0.50 | Shirt, jeans and loafers (0.64) |
Light jacket weather
The outdoor model suggests about 0.95 clo at 15 °C: a light jacket over a T-shirt or long-sleeve top. The figure’s look comes to 0.90 clo.
Leather jackets, bombers, denim jackets and overshirts all fit here. Under them, a T-shirt is enough in the sun; a long-sleeve top or thin knit suits a shady or windy day.
The morning sets the base
The indoor model the tool uses is driven by the morning temperature, not the afternoon’s. On a day that starts at 8 °C and reaches 15 °C, dress your base layers for the cool start and let the jacket handle the swing.
With the forecast turned on, the tool reads the day’s low for the indoor target and the “feels like” temperature for the outdoor one, so it plans for both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 15 degrees Celsius warm?
Mild. In the sun it can feel warm; in the shade or wind most people want a light jacket.
Do I need a jacket at 15 °C?
Usually a light one: denim, leather, a bomber or an overshirt. You can carry it and put it on as it cools.
Can I wear shorts at 15 °C?
Some people do, especially in the sun. Most prefer trousers, jeans or a skirt with a layer up top.
What should I wear at 15 °C in the evening?
Add a layer: a jumper under the jacket, or a warmer jacket. Evenings at 15 °C often feel cooler than the number.