To think a crowd of people all wearing black coats is depressing and dreary?

[PurpleParrotfish]

School Christmas concert this morning. Kids all in cheery Christmas jumpers. Parents looked like a funeral.
Why, nowadays does almost everyone wear black winter coats? It’s dreary enough in the dark days of winter, there’s no law against having a bit of colour.
In the row of 23 adults in front of me, I counted one cream / light beige coat, one brown, one emerald green, one dark khaki - and the rest all black, maybe with the odd dark navy among them. No cheery coloured scarves or anything like that.
Anyone else agree that it makes winter more depressing when commuters or even Christmas shopping crowds are wall to wall black (with occasional navy/dark grey if you’re lucky) and wish colourful coats were fashionable again?
Yes, I know, first world problems, bigger things to worry about etc…

Yes, I know, first world problems

Eh? This isn’t a problem at all? How is the colour of other people’s coats a problem?

I can honestly say I don’t think I’d have noticed the colour of other parents’ coats, and if I did I don’t think I’d have fretted about it, and if I did I definitely don’t think I’d have started a thread about it.

But I have a black coat that I love. A floor length puffa, the warmest fucking thing ever to have warmed.

What a strange thread.

I remember thinking how very chic everyone looked in the events during the mourning period for the Queen, rather like the famous 'black' Ascot of 1910 after the death of Edward VII.

Sorry OP. I love black.

I have multiple coats, mainly because I don't throw things away. My current is a bottle green swing coat and I love it. But if it gets really, really cold I default to the loden coat I inherited from my grandfather. It's almost 80 years old, still has the original zip and sorry, it's navy.

I used to have a yellow coat and it made me happy every time I wore it. I left it on a train unfortunately, and have never managed to replace it. I think I need to go on the hunt for another yellow coat now.

I've got a really big red cuddly coat and wear it mostly, although it doesn't keep the rain out so I have to dig out the big black waterproof coat.

@Sidking but in all your comments you are the one doing the most judging on appearance? The point of professional wear is you don’t really know anything about the personality of the person giving the advice, because it’s the advice that’s important not the person. Corporate is also a different thing to professional! Self professed zaniness bores me to tears though and screams I am an attention seeker to me. I wouldn’t not hire someone on the basis of a coat, especially someone starting out in their career, but I would note it

I never wear black because it makes me look like a corpse but I know I am very much in a minority in my black avoidance.
I think everyone should wear whatever makes sense to them.
I can’t imagine many people would wear my favourite coat it was a navy duffel about 40 years ago but it has so many different colour patches now you’d be excused for thinking Dolly Parton’s Mum made it!

See I wouldn't have noticed that there were so many black coats.
I must be so absorbed in my own private bubble.
Maybe if someone walked in dressed as Mickey Mouse it might get my attention, but other than that I just don't bat an eyelid.

To hide the plushie frog fur?

I have quite a few coats 😳. Some neutral: dark grey, navy and some coloured: purple, dark green, red. I agree that black/dark grey are easier to wear, as they go with everything. As we wear coats for a portion of the year, I do count them as part of the rest of my outfit.

I can not decided if this thread is strange or spiteful.

99% of my wardrobe is black, the other 1% is Khaki or navy. I don’t wear colours at all, even in the summer.

I couldn’t care less what someone is wearing and what colour it is, as long as the person is comfy that’s all that matters.

I feel the same about black umbrellas

I also think that colours look quite different in bright, summer sunlight than a grey, winter's day. The quality of light is very different, so very bright colours in hot countries have a different feel than in pale, winter light. Having said that, if I wear both neutrals and colours, depending on how I feel.

How am I judging? All I've said is a funky coat would get my attention, give me a conversation starter and therefore make me feel a bit more confident in the conversation. I'm not great in social situations (tend to overthink/waffle/stumble over words and forget what I was saying and just end up looking awkward as fuck) so when I notice things I think may be commonalities between me and the other person it puts me at ease - so if they have a piece of clothing, or shoes that I like I'll compliment them, ask them where they got it and be able to create a bit of common ground and ease into the conversation. I just happen to be drawn to colourful stuff. Why is that judging or zany?

Anaïs Nin!

Yes! Don’t know why it seems to be the rule that men can only have black umbrellas.

I always wear a lot of black, in fact I panic when attending a funeral where the instruction is to not wear black as I have that little colour in my wardrobe!

Don't worry @vitahelp it's perfectly acceptable despite the sneery tone of this thread. Black is fine!

I've got two coats I'm using at the moment. One is maroon, the other a forest green. I do have a black coat but I tend to wear that to work.

I agree with your OP, Purple.
I have no issue with any of the reasons given for buying a black coat.
But for the love of the wee man, wear a bright scarf or hat!

I never wear black grey or white
rainbow and bright colours only

Same - my heart sinks when I see the request to wear bright colours at a funeral. I always comply, of course, but I really wear very little colour and have had to borrow items in the past.

Maybe next year I will buy a brighter coat. I wear a lot of bright jumpers and shirts. But dark colours are slimming on my menopausal paunch.

Dark coats hide the dirt better, plus they go with everything. My coat is purple though!

I got put off light coloured coats when I lived in London... A week of travelling on the tube, and the cuffs were filthy! Just from holding the hand-rail! I'm not always very steady on my feet, so I need to hold on. There's always brushing against a muddy car or wall, or perching on a bench for a moment. Light coloured coats just don't stay looking good for long! Dark coats look better for longer!

I was eying this Monsoon coat. Love the colour. But not waterproof. www.monsoon.co.uk/opal-opera-coat-in-wool-blend-3451390222.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAv9ucBhBXEiwA6N8nYPDFbexj47dM4GZcYfCIf_vaAnMcAust61WFp1wyC1B44WzGnvT5ehoCTBcQAvD_BwE