What to Wear in Phoenix in December

Pack for a garden after dark. December is Phoenix's coldest month on NOAA NCEI's normals for Sky Harbor, with a 66.2°F afternoon and a night that falls to 45.3°F. Las Noches de las Luminarias opens at 5pm, about 20 minutes before a mid-month sunset, and closes at 9:30pm, so the evening you dress for runs from NOAA's hourly normal of 64.4°F at 5pm to 56.0°F at 9pm. The Desert Botanical Garden promises "thousands of glowing luminarias, radiant light displays, expanded live entertainment and performances" along its trails, and its own FAQ recommends "comfortable shoes for the trails". Build the trip around one rust corduroy jacket, a camel crew and closed boots.

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Rust corduroy jacket, cropped

   Your layer for the walk. Luminarias runs from 5 to 9:30pm, and NOAA's hourly normals fall from 64.4°F at 5pm to 56.0°F (13.3°C) at 9pm, with 6.8 nights at or below 40°F in an average December. Cotton corduroy keeps that evening air out without the weight of a wool coat, and a cropped cut clears the bag strap at your hip.

2. 
   02

   Camel fine-gauge crew-neck sweater

   Luminaria tan, in fine wool. A fine gauge lies flat under the corduroy jacket on the walk and over the ivory shirt at dinner, without the bulk a chunky knit adds inside a sleeve. On a 66.2°F afternoon it comes off and goes in the bag; by 8pm, when the hourly normal reaches 57.4°F, you want it back on.

3. 
   03

   Ivory cotton button-down shirt

   For the daytime, and for the collar at night. A 66.2°F afternoon at the Heard Museum, which opened on 26 December 1929, needs one layer, and a cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled is it. After dark the button-down collar sits out over the camel crew, which looks finished when you sit down to dinner at Gertrude's inside the Garden.

4. 
   04

   Olive knit vest with side ties

   Saguaro green, as a middle layer that leaves your arms free. Over the ivory shirt on a 19°C afternoon, a knit vest warms your core without the sleeves of a sweater, and under the corduroy jacket after 8pm it adds warmth without bunching at the elbow. A tie at each side pulls it in, so it sits flat over a tucked shirt.

5. 
   05

   Olive cotton-twill trousers, tapered

   One pair for both temperatures. Cotton twill is warm enough for a 56°F walk and cool enough for a 66°F afternoon, so these cover the day and the night. A tapered leg that stops at the ankle keeps the hem off the trails and clear of your boots, and olive works with the rust jacket, the camel crew and the ivory shirt alike.

6. 
   06

   Terracotta knit midi dress, long sleeves

   For dinner at Gertrude's. During Luminarias the Garden says "reservations for Gertrude’s by Tarbell’s are highly recommended", so plan a seated meal inside the event. Long sleeves and a midi length cover you for the walk back out at 56°F, a knit packs without creasing, and terracotta sits under the rust jacket while the Chelsea boots handle the trails.

7. 
   07

   Chestnut leather Chelsea boots

   The Garden's FAQ asks you to bring "comfortable shoes for the trails", and a Luminarias evening runs four and a half hours on foot. Chelsea boots pull on with no laces to retie in the dark, closed leather keeps trail grit out, and a low stacked heel stays steady on a path lit by lanterns. Chestnut goes with olive, rust and terracotta.

8. 
   08

   Dark brown suede shoulder bag

   Both hands stay free on a long walk, and the Garden's FAQ suggests a camera for the views. This bag carries the camel crew once it comes off in the afternoon, plus a phone and a card. Picnicking items are not permitted, so leave the cooler at the hotel; dark brown suede goes with the chestnut boots and the rust jacket.

A suggested look — rust corduroy cropped jacket, camel crew-neck sweater, ivory button-down shirt, olive tapered trousers, chestnut leather chelsea boots.

What to avoid

• Dressing for 5pm on a walk that ends at 9:30pm
• Christmas Eve or Christmas Day — not on the Luminarias calendar
• Heels or open sandals on the Garden's trails
• A picnic basket — picnicking items are not permitted
• Gertrude's without a reservation on a Luminarias night