Must-have clothing items for Northern England?

[halfpintmama]

Hello! We’re relocating from the southern United States to Northern England in the next couple of months. The climate is obviously very different and I have no idea what we absolutely must have in the sense of clothes/shoes for the day to day in England. We are coming from a very warm climate ☀️ 🌵 and are so not use to cold and wet. Jackets, boots, etc are obvious needs, but what kind? What am I looking for?

GemmeFatal has it spot on. I'm in Yorkshire, about 30 mins away from Harrogate. Other than the odd heat wave, like last summer, it usually gets to about 20 to 23 celcius in summer. We usually have frosty mornings in November, December and January, but only about snow for about a week. And most of the time it's a couple of inches of snow, unless you're on the moors.
I really feel the cold and most days I wear a camisole t shirt and a tshirt under a sweater and jeans or dress and tights. On particularly cold days I add a knee length cardigan. For Harrogate, I'd agree w PP who said skinny jeans, sweater, decorative scarves and a wool coat. I wear Ugg biker boots (look like biker boots but with the warmth of Uggs), but I'd say main thing is to get a good pair of boots or something like Ash trainers. And lots of warm socks!

A pinny

I live in the North-East. Today am wearing leggings, tunic top and slippers. When we went out for a walk, I added wellies and a cordurouy coat and a scarf. I wore my pinny over the top.

Pinny. You also need a hairnet

If you're moving to Ilkley, on no account go on the moor bah' 't'at!

Where's that?

Are you renting and do you have good central heating? If you don't, you'll need good WOOL jumpers for around the house.

Loads of football/soccer teams but you’re unlikely to find a baseball team for your DS. We call it “rounders” and it’s a game for girls.

Fat face, white stuff, joules are more of the harrogate look. With a Barbour jacket or berghaus waterproof and hunter or joules wellies.

Rounders isn’t baseball! Football and soccer are the same game. Rounders and baseball are not!

Harrogate is nice.

I live just north of there, today I went out for a walk in the Lake District wearing trainers, skinny jeans, thin jumper and a big coat (parker).

Kids in similar but with wellies.

I did see a lady wearing diamanté flip flops... she was feeding some ducks, I was perplexed at her choice of footwear. Perhaps she's just emigrated from warmer climes but didn't do her research? Or maybe her ankles are swollen so she couldn't get her shoes on? Who knows.

This is what Yorkshire women wear

Op it’s not THAT cold. Look....

Big coat, flat cap, curlers to wear in Primark on a saturday.

Harrogate is very posh. Most ladies dress like this
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.pinterest.com/amp/pin/441704675931657363/

Knee high leather boots, Wellies (gumboots) and ankle boots for autumn (fall)/ winter and sketchers for summer, a wool coat for going out, padded waterproof coat for school run, then just jeans and cashmere jumpers/ long sleeve tops for under the coats. I would also get a hat if ( like me) you hate umbrellas. Keeps your head dry and won't blow inside out!

To help you prepare for your new life in Yorkshire you could read "The world of Hannah Hauxwell, Daughter of the Dales".

Have a look at Boden, Fat Face and Joules websites for inspiration

Oh god, please don’t! Unless you want to look middle aged and mumsy. Get yourself to H&M, Zara or Warehouse for a decent wool coat and a scarf. No anoraks and definitely no hoods!

padded waterproof coat for school run

No no no no... step away from the padded waterproof coat! Looking chic is much more important than being warm and dry. Especially in Harrogate.

several pairs of waterproof shoes
layering
coat with a hood
a really cosy scarf
I find leather gloves very good

OP you have just reminded me- I live in Lancashire (ie the correct side of the Pennines) and when a friend moved to our small university city she was astonished to observe how popular fell walking was amongst the locals - because they were always dressed in cagoules- realising a few weeks later that it was the only practical clothing for a place where it rains ALL THE TIME

My DDs are saying wellies (apparently called rainboots in the US) but you should buy Hunter ones to fit in in Harrogate but not patterned ones, as they are gauche.

There has just been a TV show on Harrogate set just before Christmas, this year, on channel 5. It was called 'A very Yorkshire Christmas'

Don't k ow if you'd be able to access it by googling it.

It was about window displays on the run up to Christmas but also gives the chance for a bit of people watching in Harrogate from various walks of life.

Welcome! I've lived in the North most of my life apart from a few years in a very hot US state, so can appreciate where you're coming from, literally!

For the UK in general, I'd recommend a decent waterproof coat, a warm, windproof coat, strong umbrella, wellies or waterproof boots, ankle walking boots, gloves, hats and scarves. Buy most of it in the US as outdoor brands are so much cheaper than in the UK.

We do get some warm Spring and hot summer days (but only a few at a time usually), so bring your everyday summer stuff for these times.

Not clothes, but if you have a grill, a ship it over, we use our Weber loads every summer, brought it from the US where it was half the price of the UK.

CountFosco is right - so much depends on your personal style, internal thermostat, lifestyle and budget and who you’re going to be hanging out with. You’ll have to get the essentials and play the rest by ear.
Essentials I’d say are a warm waterproof coat, or a waterproof coat and a lightweight down coat to layer under it, some boots and a few jumpers. After that just look at what everyone else is wearing.

www.mumsnet.com/swearsby/mumsnet-picks-best-raincoats is a useful start. Personally I hate the cold with a passion and rarely venture north of Birmingham (that’s Birmingham, England) so I’d start off with a North Face Brooklyn or similar, budget permitting.
www.thenorthface.co.uk/shop/en-gb/tnf-gb/women-jackets/brooklyn-parka-2-3bmy?variationId=H2G

Have a look at the winter stuff in the Sale section of the Boden website: it’s quite a good introduction to a certain sort of UK look worn by mums of a certain age and class. Other looks are very much available though.

If you are runners you will LOVE living in the UK, our weather is much better for running, you are going to get some PBs for sure .

You need to get down to the local park on the first Saturday you are there.

www.parkrun.org.uk/harrogate/

Meet the locals, check out the local running clubs.

And for running at parkrun you should wear shorts / capris and a short sleeved t shirt. If it’s below freezing then you might wear gloves.

See? I bet you are already fully equipped for running in Yorkshire