Are rain coats and thermals not a thing

[rainraingoaways]

I often meet up with my friends and there children or just friends and I’m amazed at how many people don’t have appropriate winter clothing or check the weather. The amount of times I’ve met up with friends and it’s rained or raining and they don’t have a rain coat or umbrella. Recently during a cold spell after Christmas one of my friends mentioned how cold she was but she had ankle length jeans with trainers thin top and light coat. I also had another experience recently of meeting friends for lunch on Tuesday and then popping off to an animal farm after if time allowed. after lunch I put my toddler in a puddle suit and wellies she asked if it was muddy. I did state it’s a farm and we’ve had non stop rain all week it’s most likely going to be muddy so she didn’t come as the child only had leather shoes and thin coat. Friends will also arrange to meet up in town for coffee but last minute suggest re arranging as it’s raining. When the weather is cold enough I always wear a thermal vest I keep a rain jacket in the bottom of my buggy with gloves and I check the weather in the morning. It’s rained so much where we live recently that I’ve been wearing wellies when out with my toddler as the parks are so muddy and wet. I have a decent cheapish pair of warm shoes for when cold. For 99percent of my friends money isn’t an issue they could afford a vest or rain coat and one friend has recently bought a rain coat to match mine after getting wet while I didn’t. Is it that they are trying to be fashionable still

Tbh I have wet weather gear and thermals but I'm not choosing to go out in the pouring rain unless I have to. Cold fine, but wet and cold no thanks. Even with proper raincoat and wellies it's not fun, my face gets wet and cold. I do enjoy a thermal vest and thick fluffy socks under boots.

I’ve noticed the opposite! Everyone is trussed up to go on a climbing expedition - and we live in London!

I think some people just don’t spend much time outside in inclement weather, so don’t have the right gear.

I have dogs, so I have a whole wardrobe for all seasons and locations. If I have to go out in the rain, snow and mud, sure as hell I am going to be comfy, warm and dry. Been in wellies for months now.

I used to find, when I worked in an office, the other women would be wearing cheap polyester trousers & blouses. They were always freezing & wanted the heating up full blast. It was an old, period building. I invested in wool suits, leather boots, etc that I wore every winter. And wore a vest / 100 denier tights. They just didn’t get the connection between clothing & warmth… The men wore nice sweaters with their suits.

Often I find people who drive everywhere don’t really consider the weather.
Saying that I haven’t worn thermals in the UK since I was a child and my Mum enforced vests.

People don’t have lots of money (or maybe they do) and prioritise spending on clothes that make them look and feel good/fashionable instead of thermals and raincoats. I used to be like this until I hit my forties. Now I am always dressed for the weather!

I had a vest on today. I hate raincoat style things though so if at all possible I wear a wool coat and take an umbrella. I walk a lot.
I will wear a raincoat if I absolutely have to and I've worn wellies most of the year so far.

I work with people who don't take coats to work in winter. They drive to work and take the internal lift up.
It's incredibly weird.
I don't like having to layer up all the time but I prefer walking and carrying stuff than sitting in traffic jams.

I have so many coats and layers I'm starting to worry my coat rack will fall off the wall.

I dress for the weather but I like being outside. I’ve got plenty of clothes for winter weather. I’ve got friends that don’t own wellies, they don’t need them as they don’t go out in the bad weather.
I've got a border collie, we’re always out wading through mud.
Your friends are probably not outdoor people

When I moved to my present home - a smallish town by the coast - it was noticeable to me how most people dress really appropriately for the weather. And I had to adapt my wardrobe to cater for a lot of walking in wet, windy, cold etc conditions.

Now when I revisit the city I used to live in - just a 40 minute journey away - I feel like a country bumpkin. Me dressed in my weather appropriate clothes whilst most of the people there dressed much more fashionably but definitely not equipped for the weather conditions.

I cycle everywhere or walk so I'm thermalled up to my eyeballs. Rain coat the full works. Rural lifestyle so I'm outside a lot.
So I can be outside for longer (raynauds sufferer) I have just got myself a ski suit! It's wonderful

I find people who drive from place to place warm building to warm building just don't need to think about thermals or wellies.

Half my family aren't British. At family gatherings half the small talk is about the weather and the other half about how shite the Brits are at dressing for the weather!

Until relatively recently (late 20s, early 30s), I didn't realise people owned/wore all this stuff (regularly in the UK).

We didn't have it growing up (parents never bought waterproof coats or thermals - just a top, jumper and duffle coat), and as a young adult my friends never talked about it. I just assumed other people were equally cold and/or wet (assuming no umbrella).

The idea of wearing 2 coats, for example, blew my mind.

Agree - and shops sell 'car coats'. Thin things that wouldn't keep a person warm ever!

No thermals since I changed jobs, I used to be outside all day. But - thermals never seemed to actually help much, just lots of layers, thick tights under my jeans and a decent coat. I always thought they were a bit of a gimmick.

I now have a puffa coat that goes past my knees, it's a game changer. It's so warm I've only had a vest underneath all winter. That, a pair of walking boots and a brolly - winter sorted.

Me neither, the thought makes me want to rip my skin off. Horrible sweaty, itchy things.

I think you are absolutely right @rainraingoaways

But be very careful. Keep your weather hardiness quiet. As your child grows, they might want to go to clubs such as Beavers. Then Cubs and Scouts. Or Brownies. Those volunteer leaders are going to sniff you out and spot you a mile off. You have got Parent Helper for camps and outdoor adventures written all over you.

Take it from someone who knows…they will find you and draw you in. Once they’ve got you, you can’t escape. One day you will be helping with the drinks and snacks. Then it is a slippery slope to building campfires, tents and singing songs around the campfire before making hot chocolate for 50 kids. You have been warned!

I love being prepared. I was at a very cold sports pitch for 2 hours last weekend. I had thermals, thick socks, boots, puffy gilet under my puffer coat and a dry robe over the top of everthing. I even had electric handwarmers in my gloves

I was like toast where everyone else froze around me.....

When I was younger I didn’t really dress for the weather either. I didn’t wear a coat to go on a night out, ever!
I also had to wear court shoes in 2 of my jobs, regardless of the weather.
Now I’m older and I walk a lot. I have a lot more weather appropriate clothes.

It's usually people who aren't very outdoorsy, maybe they are that way because they never learned that they can dress for the weather to make it more bearable or maybe they just prefer to be indoors.
I would say though that a parent should make the effort to get their children out in all weather's. We have a lot of rainy days in the UK, it's not fair on a child to keep them in when the weather isn't nice. A child not having wellies is quite surprising to me. Squelching in mud is a great sensory experience and most children love it.

Yes, people at their kids football matches wearing running trainers and long wide leg trousers. The wet just soaks into the trainers and slowly wicks from the grass up the baggy trouser legs.

I'm very outdoorsy, I virtually never wear thermals, I'd far rather be a bit cold outside than melting when I go into a shop/pub/cafe being hot is so unpleasant compared to cold. It has to be below about 8°C or raining to get me into a coat for the same reason. I do have a variety of coats but go without whenever I can, otherwise I end up carrying them around.

I hate wellies, they hurt my feet and ankles but I do own a very good pair of scarpa waterproof walking boots, pair them with a nice thick pair of walking socks and walking trousers with gaiters over them and my feet are lovely and warm

came in handy on a freezing cold Saturday morning standing on a cold football pitch.
I hate being cold and I do layer up but I seem to be the only person bar dd1 in my family that does. DDs 2 annd 3 are embarrassed by my warm gear but will go out in leggings, skimpy top and a thin coat, ankle socks and trainers or those wide leg trousers… and then whinge that they’re dithering. No sympathy

Brilliant @Ohcrap082024 😂