To think where you live dominates how you dress?

[lolliwillowes]

Not just the climate/weather, I mean the styles of the locals.
I lived in a really outdoorsy place for a decade, never thought about it much but tended to wear outdoorsy stuff, most of the shops sold it, and to some extent, most others had some semblance of similarity.

Then I moved to an urban area, no weather related stuff at all, most people hardly bothered to wear raincoats or weatherproofs in winter, and sportswear /leisure was the most common style such as basic leggings, jeans and tee, guys in footy garb, etc.

When I visit friends in my closest city it is quite different there too, obviously, but tons of dresses everywhere! Lots more colour and variation.

I also think we now have much longer summer months than we used to, and less rain. This will also affect how we dress too. As a nation we are usually so tied up with 'bad' weather and buying the perfect coat, etc, but maybe this will change from now on. Last summer seemed to last from march to november here!

So we like to think we are original to some extent with what we like to wear, but I strongly suspect where we live has a bigger influence than we are aware of.

I dress for the climate, and so does everyone else.

Summers here aren't any longer than they used to be. Last April was bright but cold. May was cold and grey. There are a lot of livery stables round here so I see a lot of women in riding clothes and boots (never men).

Skinny jeans rule here due to being more practical in wet weather than wide leg jeans (we get a lot of rain).

I never see anyone in a camel coat or a trench coat
Our train service is hourly and most people commute to other cities not easily accessible by public transport, so they drive, and don't wear aforesaid coats.

I live in what was a very rural area with nothing but field, sheep, shit, cows, horses, more shit and then fields. Stands to reason most people out and about generally sport wellies, walking boots, woollen hats and warm clothing but in the last few years we've seen literally thousands of new build properties pop up and decimate all the land down to one last patch of grass Redrow has just acquired.

People in the new build estates initially decked out in Hunters and Joules' gear seemingly for the novelty and during the first lockdown they even opted for typically country / working type dog breed puppies then ditched the wellies and country clothes for trainers and tracksuits. In many cases they either have now nightmare adult dogs or got rid of the lockdown puppy with the wellies when the novelty wore off.

I've always lived out in the sticks and can't walk or be comfortable in anything other than wellies, yard boots or a good bouncy pair of cross country trainers for long walks on the flat. I couldn't live in a busy built up area or city centre so it stands to reason that whilst I'm still able to remain a country bumpkin I'll be in country bumpkin attire.

Yes the skinny jeans and joules is what everyone wears where I live too.

I know what you mean. I struggle as where I live is not as stylish/hipster as “proper London” as I’m on the outskirts, but plenty of flat shoes and trainers. But not glam like northern cities or Essex. And definitely not a country/Surrey vibe. I suppose round here it’s casual but not scruffy. I only manage the scruffy look or feel overdressed, it’s a fine balance.

I dress practically. I grew up in countryside in middle of know where, if it started to rain you couldent just jump on bus or order taxi so practical to wear layers and have good water proof coat, you also needed decent water proof shoes. My husband comes from town and never thinks about it as if had rained he would just jump on bus and don't think her ever wore welly boots after being a toddler. My husband rarely takes a coat out where I always have mine in car or with me unless doing short distance or weather very warm so think you are correct in does effect how you dress.

Yes, of course. Raincoats and wellies are completely unnecessary if you are mostly based round Central London. I live in a small flat so I would not have the space to keep clothes suitable for the countryside, given that I would very rarely use them

I live in London so there's obviously lots of variety with millions of people. My local area is on the outskirts and quite mixed and I don't really notice a specific look here at all.

I often wear brands that are not that well known in the UK (I buy them online) and can't remember seeing anyone in London wearing a specific brand I love, ever. (It would be very recognisable to me because of the prints.) My username is a clue to one of their prints actually if anyone knows it. 😉

And I definitely need my Seasalt coat in London because I walk so much 😆

I remember my first work trip to London decades ago. All those beautiful wool coats and jackets - most of my colleagues had them. In my city the wind and rain means nothing that isn’t waterproof gets worn.

I’ve had the same heavy wool coat almost 40 years now, love it, and probably worn it 30 odd times.

Yes, my wool coat rarely gets worn. It is years old and still looks new. It isn't waterproof and isn't anything like as warm as my parka style coat, which is far more suited to the Pennine weather.

Yes.

I always sort of cared how I looked.

Most of the people where I’ve ended up living now seem to be happy to go out in pyjamas with a spliff in the corner of their mouth.

So now I will happily go into town or the supermarket looking like i’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards in old, ripped leggings. No one bats an eyelid.

I live in Italy and realise that I have changed my "style" over the years to blend in with the locals.

All the women here are either in Sweaty Betty, or those shapeless midi dresses with trainers.

I live/work n a village but work one day a week in London. In the winter, yes you are right. Totally different clothes.

In summer, less so. I spend my summer in cotton dresses and flats regardless of where I am, unless gardening or out in the evening.

Not sure about springs getting warmer though !

Yep, this is me. Northern rural area.

Yep. I live in Cornwall and every second middle aged / middle class woman wears Seasalt

Definitely. I moved from a big city in my 20s to a smaller more rural town and the style of dress is really different. The city is more formal and stylish, the things people wear here is what I would have seen in the city 3-5 years ago.

This may be true in US where there is a range of climates across the country. And a host of other variables. We are a tiny island with not many variables. Dressing is grouped by what socioeconomic background you come from. That’s about it.

One of the advantages of living somewhere that the shops are truly shit is that fashion/clothing varies HUGELY because people shop online and so are generally influenced by who they follow on social media and what suits their lifestyle!!

My wardrobe probably has at least one thing from each of the styles that every poster on this thread has mentioned

I live in London, in winter I wear a old fashioned wool coat that comes down below my knees, usually paired with boots that come up to where the coat ends. And a big windproof umbrella. I walk a lot and this keeps me warm and dry in the rain - no rain in my face, no damp jeans. But if I wear the same thing anywhere even semi-rural I feel like an out-of-place townie!

I live in a very rural area and also visit London and Brighton.

Totally different wardrobe for all 3.

I'm still glam in the country and wear bright lipstick. But the country requires flats and waterproofs and even different colours. All black works much better in a City.

Have a gorgeous grey cashmere coat that is London only. Another navy wool that is Brighton.

Toast as a brand works well in the country.

Yes this is so true, I live near the coast in a South West village and wear fat face; seasalt and various surf brands. I still loved these clothes but never wore them when I lived in a South East commuter town where everyone was in skinny jeans and joules.

This has always been a thing. Different clothes for ‘going up to town’.

Clothes are a class marker as well. The ‘right kit’ for countryside pursuits isn’t affordable for a lot of people, not when it would need to be in addition to their everyday wear (because they don’t need hiking boots and a decent waterproof everyday living in a city centre like you need them if you are rural) and that’s on top of if they have transport to and from said countryside pursuits etc. Leggings/casual sportswear is cheap and practical in a ‘town’ lifestyle.

My lovely SIL used to buy both me and the DC fashionable clothes like a nice wool poncho for me or those Ugg-type toddler boots in suede - very cute! But we didn’t drive, used public transport and spent a lot of time in parks and jumping in puddles. Those clothes worked for her life - you can wear a poncho & suede boots if you’re mostly driving to a shopping centre or an activity indoors - they were totally impractical in my life. We needed wellies and waterproofs.

Yep, I live in East London and realised I stick out like a sore thumb in glam Northern City where I also spend a lot of time.