Why buy pretty summer dresses if we won't be able to wear them?

[JackOrMeryl]

I got a couple of emails from fashion brands today - so many pretty summer dresses. But I often find that our summers (bar a couple of weeks, usually) are not hot enough to wear short-sleeved or sleeveless dresses because I get cold. I WFH and unless I'm in the sun, the house is rarely baking hot.

Such a shame because whenever I go on holiday somewhere warm like the Mediterranean, it's so nice to wear dresses every day and every evening. And I can't just put a (denim) jacket on. To be warm I need something against my skin, like a long-sleeved tight/thermal t-shirt.

Anyone else?

Do you live very far north? I live in London and every summer we get several days that go over 35C, I'm sweltering, we had our abroad holiday in Norway this year to escape the heat for a few days.

If you get cold so easily it might be worth building some muscle to raise your metabolism. Also get your iron levels checked.

I sometimes wonder if I live in a parallel universe because my recollection was we’ve just had the hottest few summers ever and the Med was ravaged by wildfires. Did I dream that?

I can't help I'm afraid, as I get too hot in the summer in anything more than a vest top. Even if it's not sunny the humidity kills me. I don't put tights back on til October.

I live in my summer dresses throughout most of the warmer months. Maybe with a cardigan or a jacket at times.

From some fashion week photos I’ve seen, pop socks are making a comeback…..problem solved? 😳

I know what you mean OP. I try to choose my prints (nothing too tropical unless for holidays) and fits wisely so I can wear them in different seasons with say a long sleeved thin polo neck under them. I love billowy sleeves as I don’t like my arms so this works well. Looks quite stylish with a waist belt too or so I’ve been told. 😁 The good thing is that I have a holiday wardrobe which still looks brand new as I can’t wear any of it here.

Don't buy summer dressed then. It's not mandated by law or anything.

Sorry OP but I can’t relate either. I live in the dresses with sandals/trainers look usually from about April/May through summer and leave it as late as I can before digging out jeans or trousers again. If it’s a bit chilly I throw on a denim or canvas jacket. So easy and comfortable.

My legs seem to be immune from cold after years of going out year-round without tights in my teens / early 20s so a dress with a cardi or jacket is fine for me, especially with trainers so I can wear socks!

Depends where in UK - summer in Scotland last year was pretty meh with a handful of decent days… we had the bbq out 3 times all summer if that’s a measure 😂. We’d had a few decent ones before that though.

I’ve felt hot in the U.K. summer for years and I wear all my summer clothes. I think I’m lucky though as I have a warm house and garden - it’s small and open plan and gets the sun in the back all day and the sun in the front all evening.

I always feel the cold but do get wear out of my summer dresses - I'm in the SE. Leggings under a dress is a great tip for those pre-summer months when it's warm but not that warm, I hadn't thought of that. I don't like tights unless it's winter.

I agree with this, my holiday abroad dresses are not the same as my UK summer dresses. Our summers are so unpredictable, I tend to wear maxi dresses with cardigans and trainers. But saying that most of the summer I’m in cropped trousers and a t shirt.

No. As said I live in the south and I travel about a bit and into London often, so I’m surprised by these answers, in summer I defo don’t see folks walking around in coats cardigans and socks much. I mean there is the occasional one, but it’s not common.

however last summer was shite, lots of rain. But not cold. I understand fhe op feels the cold and can’t wear summer dresses due to it, or I assume T-shirts etc and other summer apparel. But I’m surprised she thinks everyone is in the same situation , you just need to look around to see that’s not the case for the majority.

Rained pretty much all of July and August here in Gloucestershire.

I'm the same, my compromise is jeans and a summery top.
As long as my legs are warm I can better handle a lighter weight top, like attached.
Then a bomber jacket/quilted jacket (denim jackets don't keep me warm) on top if required

Really? I was travelling between Scotland, NW England and London last summer for work and it pretty much rained all June, July, August.

I'm in the midlands, last summer we had a few nice days in June and July but then it rained pretty consistently. DD was at an outdoor pursuits holiday club last 2 weeks of July and most of August and she came home sopping wet and muddy pretty much every day. Total ball ache because it wasn't staying dry enough to keep up with getting the washing dry on the line. Temperature wise it wasn't cold so much as grey and wet.

So as you’ve all had me thinking I either live in the one tiny area of the U.K. that had a record hot year, or I’m losing my marbles, I’ve just looked it up. 2023 was very warm and very wet in keeping with the trend for the last 5-10 years. We had record heatwaves in June and September and the wettest July on record.

I'm in the NW of England and we certainly had a very hot dry spell in late May and June last year. We have a community event on the village green in June each year and in the photos from last year the grass is yellow with bare patches of cracked earth, which is kind of unusual as our area is known for being one of the wettest in England. The water levels in the local lakes and reservoirs were way down in early Summer too and we were being asked to be careful with water. I think people might have forgotten as it was before the main holiday season and the weather in the school holidays was indeed completely shit. But you're not losing your marbles, we did definitely have some periods of very hot weather last year.
And the year before was good too. I help run a kids sports club from about Easter to September and in 2022 we didn't cancel a single session for bad weather - first time anyone can remember that happening since the club was founded in the 1980s.

I’m with you, OP. I need it to be mid 20s to be comfortable with bare arms (eg jeans and a t shirt), and high 20s for bare legs under a dress or skirt. So I rarely get to wear my summer dresses in the UK.

I do get a lot of use out of linen trousers with linen tops and a light jumper. That way I can layer up in the shade / air con, and be cool enough in the sun.

Odd. I have photos of my child’s birthday last June and it’s roasting, the grass is dry and we are all in shorts and t shirfs

Yes June was lovely, but it was rapidly downhill after that. July was the wettest for years and August was basically like an early Autumn. So I don’t count one month as a “summer”.

Yes it was a rainy summer last year, I think we all established that?

Really? I wore lots of summer dresses last year and didn't wear a jacket all summer. I don't think it's unreasonable for companies to try and encourage people to shop for summer dresses just because you're a person that seems to be cold a lot of the time.