We Californians have no clue how to dress for DC weather. Our son will be included in the inaugural (outdoor)ceremonies and we'd like to help him get the clothing he needs to attend. Can anyone recommend appropriate clothing items/style for a young adult male?
(eg. long undergarment type? socks? shoes? coat/jacket? etc)??

You will have to check the forecast, obviously.

A winter coat if he will be outside all day long. Thick shoes, warm socks. Have you never been in winter weather?

When you say he will included in the ceremonies, do you mean he will be in some sort of part on behalf of an organization? Do they tell him what to wear?

Do you mean that your son will be up on the Capitol steps with the rest of the dignitaries? If so, then he must wear a business suit. I would pair it with long underwear if it is really cold (the ceremony lasts about 90 minutes depending on how long Obama's speech will be but you gotta get there early) as well as a long, wool jacket, scarf and gloves. You will see lots of fedoras up on the Capitol and hats for the ladies. You can't really wear a ski hat so there aren't a lot of options left.

If you mean he will get a pass but not be on the Capitol steps, then he can dress down unless he has events to go to immediately before or after that require more formal attire.

Remember, it will be COLD although not Minnesota cold. However, there will be a lot of time waiting and a lot of time walking very long distances.

taitai

don't forget warm socks and heavy soled shoes.
the cold can penetrate easily if standing for long periods on concrete.

Another vote for dressing warm. I spent two winters in DC and it gets really cold...I wouldn't care to be relatively immobile for any length of time outdoors.

Definitely get him long underwear with warm socks, hat, scarf and gloves. It seems that Inaugural day is always very cold in DC. Depending upon what his role in the ceremony is will determine what is appropriate for him to wear as far as outwear goes.

He will have to look business dressy. What type of long underwear do you recommend? eg. silk from LLBean or other? Just regular wool socks? Any particular type/brand of shoes? Long, wool overcoat? Or other? (We don't have this type of weather, and dressing for a trip to Sierra snow country calls for different-as in sports-attire). I imagine he will be standing for a long period.
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. (Also - where do we get these clothes? California stores do not cater to this).

taitai, thanks for the mention of the fedora. This type of specificity helps.
We have scarf and gloves covered, but where to get the long wool coat??

www.wintersilks.com has silk long underwear.

I used to live in southern California and remember how hard it was to find a winter coat for my daughter one year. I would try consignment shops or thrift shops for the overcoat; maybe Craigslist or something like that would work as well.

Lee Ann

In this case, Craigslist is too local; it probably won't have offerings of stuff that locals don't buy. It's so late in the season, I bet you can get good values through online retailers and gently-used stuff on eBay.

Do you have friends or relatives who live in cold parts of the country? It's common to have a little-used dressy black coat that's worn just a couple of times a year (sometimes called a funeral coat).

The best socks aren't necessarily wool, but high-performance meant for outdoor wear. Check with outfitters like REI.com; their item 728368 is suitable. Just get something in black and nobody will notice their thickness, except maybe to be jealous of them.

wintersilks.com is having a big sale right now

Not clothing per se, but I have a suggestion to keep him warm since if he has to be biz dressy, a bulky sweater or excessive layering won't be an aestetic option.

Buy hand warmers - they sell them in sports shops even online. There are lots of different types but he can slip them in his shoes and in the palm of his hand to keep his extremeties warm. They are activated by air or by pressing them, etc. and last for a long time (the ones I used for a NFL game were good for 6 hours). They are discrete, inexpensive and disposable.

Be sure to order a couple of extra so he can 'test' them before Inaug Day - make sure he finds a comfortable place for them in his shoes, etc.

This is in addition to the long underwear, etc. that PP have suggested.

Enjoy-la!

Thanks again for all the tips. It seems the most difficult will be the overcoat. I've been looking online and most seem to be sold out. We are also unsure of his size, so he'll need to try something on SOMEWHERE. Unfortunately, we have no relatives in the midwest or back east from whom to borrow. Still haven't found a fedora either. Macys and Nordstrom are sold out. Brooks Brothers is too expensive for a one-time use item.
Willing to hear all suggestions!
Thanks.

try overstock.com for a coat and maybe even a hat

And of course after all the preperation for cold weather it may be warm-not that unusual to have an unseasonably warm day in the middle of January-although cold is more likely!

Definitely wear the silk long underwear - that stuff is a godsend; lightweight but warm. Try any of the places already mentioned (isn't REI having a sale right now?); also LL Bean and Lands End.

First, you will need to check the weather a few days before. Our weather here (I live in Baltimore, 40 minutes away, but am in DC quite a bit) changes momentarily. Yesterday it was in the 60's and humid-very tropical. Today 50 and sunny.

How old is your son? I really don't know any men who wear fedoras. If it's cold, a cool set of 180s are better looking. A mid-length wool coat in black, navy or gray is better than a long coat. A handsome wool or cashmere scarf tied at the neck and leather gloves would complete the look. I guess I am assuming your son is younger. Black, navy or gray wool cuffed pants and nice shoes or ankle boots. And a cool pair of sunglasses. It will be sunny and beautiful on Obama Day!!!!

Have fun and enjoy our beautiful nation's capital.

You can also buy disposable toe warmers which are designed to be used under your toes and are much more comfortable than the hand warmers in your shoes. We use them all the time for skiing. Also, he should carry a couple extra hand warmers and use them if needed in shirt or pants pockets or even wrapped in a scarf around the neck. Whatever it takes!

In Walmart's sporting goods department you can buy foot and hand warmers for approximately $2. for the foot or hand warmers. Great price and will keep him warm!!

Is he in DC now? I just left the Capitol and the weather was pretty good but we never know what Inauguration Day will bring. Generally it's been COLD!! But it can change from year to year. If he is there now he might check the consignment shops and buy a topcoat there. I can't remember if the Junior League's shop includes mens clothing or not but the yellow pages will help on this.

Yes - long underwear

Yes - warm socks with the sock heaters.

Yes - warm boots

Yes - Overcoat

Yes - earmuffs or hat of some type.

Otherwise he might possibly wish he weren't there on such a great occasion!!