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?

We normally have a good few hot days in the UK summer.

Probably not enough to justify owning an entire wardrobe of summer dresses, but it's certainly possible to wear them for a few weeks in the year at least.

I wear summer dresses from April to early October because I love them! I just put a cardigan over the top if it's coldish..

To all those who wear dresses from April to October. Don't your legs get cold? Surely a cardigan doesn't change the fact that your legs are chilly?

No. I'm a hot person. My legs are never cold. My ideal holiday temperature is 18/19 degrees. I sleep with a summer duvet and the window opened all year round.

I can have my legs out all year round, although I wear thin tights from autumn to spring. I can tell that my thighs are cold but it doesn't bother me.

I can't bear having my arms and shoulders uncovered though, unless it's literally roasting. I feel like I'm going to freeze to death if I'm not wrapped up.

So for me, it's like keeping one leg out of the duvet.

Userother,that's me! 4.5 tog duvet all year,windows open..Here the posties wear shorts all year, and a lot of other people do as well. I wonder if its because we're "outdoorsy", dogs, gardening,used to cycle all weathers (apart from ice) even today walking the doggies we both got so hot. I am actually wearing a shirt sleeve dress,V neck, because I had surgery on my chest to remove a lesion,2.5 weeks ago,it's very sore, and I can't have anything rubbing.

I'm with you OP, but then I do live in Scotland. I might wear a summer dress at home perhaps 2 days a year, that's it. Our house is quite cool, and it's often warmer outside... and if I go to work on a (relatively) warm day, you can guarantee someone will put the air con on....

No, they don't, or even if they are a bit cold I don't mind, I'd far rather be a bit cold than too hot. I don't wear coats unless it's raining, windy or below about 10°C outside either, just a jumper is enough a lot of the time apart from the depths of winter.

Same here, north & high in the hills. Hardly ever wear a dress. T shirt with a cardigan means high summer!

@JackOrMeryl, my Popsy nude opaques have arrived and I said I'd report back. The verdict is... a qualified yeah. They're perfectly ok, very comfortable, a bit pale but wearable. I'll definitely wear them, maybe in a long skirt/boot combo so as to show as little leg as possible!

You can put a full length slip under, with undershorts, a cardigan over, and socks inside your trainers/pumps... that's pretty warm on a chilly day!!

I don't wear summer dresses all year round and I'm by no means hardy but I do get my legs out at the first opportunity (usually around April). I'm a very cold person (Raynauds) but as long as my feet and my top half are warm (trainers and a warm cardi/jacket), having bare legs doesn't make me too cold.

Looks like the world divides into those who get cold legs and feet and those who don't. I guessed that from my friend who wears flip flops all winter, while I need two pairs of socks and sturdy boots!

Yes, I always keep a pair of Birkenstocks out all year round as they are handy to slip on to pop out to the car or whatever and if it’s mild (say above 8 or 9c and not windy) in winter and I’m not walking for hours I will go out in them too. I love having my toes out in the fresh air.

You don't run cold.

Wouldn't be enough for me. I'd need tights too.

Honestly, if I had to do all that I wouldn't bother with the summer dress, I'd just wear jeans and a warm top in the first place.

Revisiting this now - how many of you have been wearing summer dresses consistently for a few weeks? Today I'm wearing jeans and a fleece.

Completely pointless for me as I can’t have short sleeves etc due to recurring solar keratosis.

I only bought two this year, one being a jersey maxi dress which I have worn with a denim jacket on a couple of nights out. But most of the time I'm dressed in joggers and a sweatshirt.

As per a pp I did buy a couple of dresses last summer but both had long and 3/4 length sleeves.

I alternated what I wore with short sleeved or vest tops and jeans and skirts.

I’m in London though so it does get hot.

No. Not generally. In Saturday when I could’ve worn one it was cold and a bit rainy daytime.

I think I’ve had two days in a summer dress this year. Very glad they were just cheap Vinted ones, I’d be gutted if I’d shelled out on them. As it is I’m worried I won’t break my sandals in before my holiday!

I'm in Scotland, and summer dresses only really come out on holiday, if we do a hot holiday, which isn't always...

But I've barely even worn t-shirts with my jeans this year! Maybe about twice so far.

I'm wearing the exact same, but with a thin jumper under the fleece! On my feet, long socks and Arizonas. My feet are like blocks of ice, but even I balk at slipper boots in June.
When it gets a bit warmer I'm going to experiment with an Ichi slip under summer dresses. It's not grippy like shapewear, just kind of smoothes you out, and I think it'll be an ideal under layer for this (so far) grim summer.
https://www.ichi.biz/en-eu/black-slip-dress-20113667-194008