What to Wear in Seattle in December

Pack for the coldest month, not the wettest. NOAA's figures for Sea-Tac make December the low point of the Seattle year on both counts: an 8.3°C afternoon and a 2.8°C / 37°F night, each a shade below January's. Rain still falls on about 18 days, the same count as November, but 5.72 inches of it now lands within a few degrees of freezing, and lowland snow averages 1.7 inches against November's 0.2. So the coat changes job. In November it had to keep water out; now it has to keep heat in as well. Under it goes a heavy cable knit. Underfoot, flat soles: the Christmas Ship sails "rain or shine" from 27 November to 23 December, and Argosy asks for flat, slip-resistant shoes on its decks.

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Deep navy insulated waterproof hooded parka, thigh length

   Zip it to the chin on the Christmas Ship's outdoor deck. NOAA puts December nights at 2.8°C / 37°F with rain on about 18 days, so this coat has to be insulated and sealed at once: taped seams, a two-way zip under a storm flap, and a peaked, brimmed hood that keeps rain off your face. Thigh length keeps the wind off your hips while you wait on shore at Gas Works Park.

2. 
   02

   Kelly-green cable-knit crew sweater

   A heavy cable knit is what December adds to November's list. Raised cables hold more warm air than a flat mid-weight crew, which you feel on an open deck at 3°C / 37°F with wind off the water, and a crew neck sits flush under a zip. Kelly green is the one bright colour against navy, charcoal and indigo, and it shows at the collar with the hood up.

3. 
   03

   Charcoal ribbed V-neck cardigan, cropped

   Argosy's Christmas Ship cruises have heated indoor decks as well as outdoor deck space, and an insulated parka is too warm inside. Button this and wear it as the top in the cabin, and again at Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker, where PNB's own guidance puts the audience anywhere between gowns and sneakers. Cropped, it stops at the waistband and folds flat into the tote.

4. 
   04

   Dark indigo straight jeans, ankle length

   One pair of trousers is enough, because the thigh-length parka covers the top half and only your lower leg takes the rain. Ankle length keeps the hem out of kerbside slush and standing water on the 12 days that bring more than a tenth of an inch. Dark indigo hides road spray between the Christmas Market at Seattle Center and a Fremont dinner.

5. 
   05

   Brown leather Chelsea boots

   Pull these on for indoor evenings: the Nutcracker, which runs to 27 December, and dinner after it. Polished brown leather with a low stacked heel wipes clean after a wet street, but the sole is smooth, so keep them off the Christmas Ship's decks and any hill with ice on it. Brown ties them to the crocheted beanie.

6. 
   06

   Charcoal waterproof lace-up sneakers, dark rubber sole

   Argosy asks Christmas Ship passengers for flat, slip-resistant shoes, and this is the pair that answers it. Waterproof charcoal uppers keep a wet deck out of your socks, the flat dark rubber sole holds on a wet ramp, and laces pull tight over a thick sock at 3°C / 37°F. Wear them too on any day snow reaches the hills.

7. 
   07

   Brown hand-crocheted beanie

   Wear it under the hood, never instead of it. An open crochet stitch lets rain straight through, but under a brimmed hood it keeps your ears warm on shore, where Argosy tells viewers to arrive early, and at the Gas Works Park bonfire on 23 December. Brown crochet beside navy technical fabric is the one handmade texture in the capsule.

8. 
   08

   Olive technical-nylon tote, black trim, zip top

   Carry it on shore as much as on board. Argosy tells shore viewers to bring a flashlight, and the zip top keeps that, a phone and the charcoal cardigan dry through 18 wet days; the nylon wipes down in a heated cabin. Olive with black trim bridges the kelly-green knit and the navy parka, so the bag reads as part of the outfit.

A suggested look — deep navy insulated rain parka, kelly green cable-knit, dark indigo jeans, charcoal waterproof sneakers, brown crocheted beanie.

What to avoid

• An uninsulated raincoat on its own — dry, but cold at 3°C / 37°F on an open deck
• Heels or smooth soles on the Christmas Ship — Argosy asks for flat, slip-resistant shoes
• Driving the hills after snow — some streets are too steep to keep open
• The crocheted beanie without the hood — rain goes straight through the open stitch
• An umbrella at the Gas Works Park finale — you need a hand for the flashlight