Why do British people always under-dress in winter??

[Newmeagain]

This has always puzzled me. I have lived in the UK for many years and so often in winter see people wearing inappropriate clothing and looking very cold - e.g. a thin raincoat, bare legs or uncovered shoes.

Was also just reading a thread where the OP was asking for recommendations for a short winter jacket to wear in Paris in January and lots of people were suggesting the kind of cotton jackets I wear on cooler summer days!

Why is this??

I think the opposite - so many people wander round in those gigantic puffy full length coats that look like they've belted a duvet around themselves, from September to April, despite it being comparatively mild over recent winters in most of the UK

Completely agree.

Ds3 and I went for a lovely walk along the seafront last week. It was blue skies, 12pm, 11 degrees, no wind, zero chance of rain. We both had joggers/ tshirt/ hoody on which was absolutely enough and no need for a coat on top.

The amount of people we passed who looked like they were dressed for a day at the North Pole was wild 😂 Full on hats, scarfs, gloves, floor length coats on top of jumpers. Madness.

British people do not underdress in winter, as a whole. SOME might, and a lot of them will be people for whom appearance is more important than comfort. Additionally, for most of us, Paris is somewhere to visit from March to October, when it's relatively mild.

Those of us who've been to Paris over winter know it's arsefreezing and take extra layers.

I don’t think it’s about “sensible clothing”, British people aren’t stupid, and each individual person (because you shouldn’t be tarnishing us all with the same brush, thank you) dresses to what THEY find appropriate.
For example, I get very warm when I’m on the move, and my boyfriend is always freezing. This morning we went for a two hour walk. I wore gym leggings and an oversized sweater and a woolly hat (which got whipped off after 10 minutes). I was fine, hot if anything. My boyfriend however wore jeans, a t shirt, thick sweater, coat, hat, scarf and gloves. And he was still cold. I was melting just looking at him!
So please stop implying we aren’t all sensible like you, and accept that everyone has different tolerances.

The eastern parts of England are not wet. Cambridge gets less rain than Jerusalem IIRC.

We are descended from Neanderthals and don't feel the cold

Are you kidding? When I lived in London I walked 10K steps daily, without difficulty. I was in zone 2 and six minutes' walk from the tube. So I walked to the tube, from the tube to my destination. If I had to change trains, there was a walk there. Then I'd have to retrace my steps. If I just wanted to go for a walk, there were a dozen interesting destinations within walking distance. I was talking to a health care professional recently and he said most people who live in cities get more exercise than people who live rurally because it's easy to step out of your front door and walk to a shop, for example. I live in a village where the nearest big supermarket is three miles away, so I take the bus.

@NewmeagainI was one of the posters on that thread.

I feel quite restricted in puffer/padded coats. And agree with some posters about the texture of a coat.
I do a lot of running and cycling and have a good selection of warm base layers, so often use them under what some would see as a lightweight coat/jacket.

So what may look underdressed to you, is right for the person wearing it.

I walk alot so I get hot looking like I am dressed for the Himalayas. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If I know I'll be standing about than a slightly warmer coat is required. I'm late 30s.

SE UK. I haven't worn my coat this year at all. A padded jacket twice recently while walking the dogs, because of the wind chill. Took them on the beach a couple of days ago. I did wear a hat it was windy and I get earache. Just walked to the top of the South Downs with them..I got so hot,my head was itchy.

Forgot to mention as well that some people may be wearing thermal undergarments, to help movement on their journey, rather than opting for huge padded restrictive outerwear.

I don’t possess a ‘big’ coat. The most wintry coat I own is one of those two parters/ a light puffa with a zip on outer waterproof layer. This even worked for me on a break to Iceland in winter. I wore many layers underneath plus waterproof over trousers, hats and gloves and was perfectly warm.

I hate being over warm- if I going for a local walk Iwill take a light extra layer that I can letter tie around my waist when I got hot. Our walks are up and down many hills , not a gentle stroll.

Due to the Gulf Stream the UK is often warmer in winter than mainland Europe. One time I visited Amsterdam in early April and packed y to what is wear at home in Yorkshire. I was freezing and had to buy an extra hoodie.

True! A lightweight thermal vest can make a huge difference

I was in London last weekend. IIRC it was about 12°C. I was wearing jersey trousers, a strappy vest, sweatshirt and a thin puffa jacket. Warm enough to sit outside for lunch like that. Started walking (South Bank to Barbican) and as soon as we were across the river the puffer had to come off (lucky they pack small into bags) as it was way too warm to wear. Didn't need it to walk back to the tube afterwards either in fact I could have managed without it entirely.

I have lived in multiple countries and you just acclimatise. Blood gets thinner or thicker

I think it just depends on how much you feel the cold. I really do feel it, so tend to wear my thick coat that’s apparently suitable for -20c when it’s 10-15c. And a hat and gloves! Then I’ll see others including my husband and kids very happy in just a jumper.

[blinky-eyed faux disingenuity] "But, but......why are British people LIKE this???!"

There are so many of these types of threads.

I dress appropriately for the weather. DB and DNephew don’t dress appropriately for the weather always in T-shirts or no jacket or jumper. I ordered DNephew some new jumpers off EBay and gave DB a new Fat Face jumper for Christmas.

Same here - outer SW London - many people in really long puffa coats, but invariably a few blokes in shorts!

I've noticed this on Instagram lifestyle pages. People in Copenhagen have really serious winter gear but the climate really isn't that different to Scottish cities when you compare temperatures/wind/rainfall.

'Sensible' is subjective though. There is plenty of dressing for the weather, but it depends on the setting. Some people prioritise style over warmth, even when out shopping, especially in the city. That doesn't mean they are not aware of warm clothes or wouldn't choose to wrap up warm on a country walk or outside doing the gardening etc. I was in town and in and out of packed, massively overheated shops yesterday. It was a relief to get out into the cold!

I do think we feel the cold less too. I'm always a bit surprised to see Italian, French or Spanish tourists bundled up in puffer jackets and scarves in April or May in the UK!

Tend to find London warmer than where we are - south wales - to point tend to find take clothes that are too much down. I assume it's the city island effect - few degrees warmer but also we are in and out of buildings/transport so not really in cold for that long - layers you can take on and off tend to be better.

I've lived much further north -and seen young women in January clubbing in light strappy dresses at night with frost on pavements which I could never do so I'm clearly not that impervious to cold.

My pet hates are people out on woodland winter walks in white trainers, and people wearing jeans on a day with constant rain forecast.

We all know there is no such thing as truly waterproof clothing, and that no matter what you do if you are properly moving on a properly wet day you will be getting wet. So I have to choose light layers that dry quickly.

I do try to take a coat when I go out but it often ends up being carried around and I can never keep track of gloves (need my hands) scarves (strangle me) hats (don’t like the feel) .

I do the type of walking that most people wouldn’t consider though.

It's -2 degrees here in the part of Scotland I'm currently in and nobody is under-dressed.

I don't drive, I walk or take the bus, and I'm always dressed for the weather. I've bought a faux fur muff with removable hand warmers this year. It's marvellous.

I would wear far fewer layers on a country walk than pootling round the shops.

Country walk at this time of year means a technical tee and leggings or walking trousers, wool socks, a spare set of clothes and a coat in the rucksack.

Shops means a long sleeve cotton top or lighter jumper and probably a lightish coat, a scarf if I’m feeling fancy.

It's rarely ever boiling hot or freezing cold here (London). For 300 days a year it's somewhere between pleasant to mildly cold. So lots of people can't be bothered to buy a very warm coat for one month of the year - so they just grin and bear it.