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??

Oh yes, I went Germany in November ( have been before in late October so knew the score) and felt everyone was so over dressed inasdivw scarves hats thick coats when it was around 10-15 degrees.

Even on warm trains everyone has massive scarves wrapped round their necks twice

I actually got told off on the street as I was going to a gig and had a hoodie on. I did get second looks at a few places.

I just st spent my time wondering what they did when the weather was actually cold

I am with you OP.

When I lived in London I was always puzzled to see so many young women wearing just short dresses, high heel sandals and fake tan instead of tights walking around at night in the middle of winter or drinking outside clubs and pubs. To me it looked a bit desperate and tacky...

I live by the sea in Kent and now see men everyday who wear shorts and tee shirts in the winter.

I think it's because a lot of people live predominantly indoors, so don't think about it for the trips between car and door.
I work outdoors a lot, or in an unheated work room so am used to it. does annoy me when people are creeping about whining about how awful the weather is when they are wearing about 4 layers less than me!
I think they are the same people who think a house is too cold if you can't wear a t-shirt.

To add, if I'm working then I often get told (mostly by old ladies) 'gosh you must be feeezing' if I have bare arms.
I'm not judging the people who aren't feeling the cold for whatever reason, I AM judging the ones who say how awful the weather is when the weather is fine, they are just dressed poorly.

I thing posts of "why do X always Y" are a bit silly.

It's bitter here but saw a bloke this morning painting a wall wearing shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops. I was wearing a polonecked jersey, flannel shirt, fleece, long woollen scarf, outer fleece, warm trousers and walking boots.

In Italy from November people bundle up in puffer jackets, woolly hats and Lumberjack boots no matter the temperature, not to mention fur coats on ladies of a certain social group.
They’re trying to avoid catching a chill (the infamous “colpo d’aria”) and babies especially need wool/cotton underwear under their snow suit to go out in the stroller.
I did buy into that (we lived at 550m altitude when DC1 was a baby) and when I saw kids in the UK with bare tummies between trousers and tshirts and legs blue with cold, my inner Italian mamma shouted “put a vest on that child!”

Personally, even in NE Italy I rarely wear wool and my normal coat is a 3in1 rain jacket with detachable liner.

I was out wearing a thermal long sleeved vest, a wool lined hoody and a thermal ski coat today so can't relate to your OP.

Where are you seeing these people? Are they shivering?

I wouldn't put on layers or even a coat to go into tesco quickly.. or to walk around shops if I would mostly be indoors.

If you're seeing people out hiking dressed badly I suppose that's different

I live in Lancashire, most people seem to dress appropriately for the occasion and weather around here as far as I can see. We’ve been up to Sizergh today, walked up the fell behind -people generally in sensible outdoor clothes, woolly hats, boots or other sensible footwear.

Posties otoh - we walked past a group of them by their office in lancaster yesterday, they were nearly all in shorts. Is it actually a job requirement?

Ooo know the answer to this. It’s because if your trousers get wet they are cold and claggy on your legs. Worse than having bare ones. Apparently 🤷🏼‍♀️

That’s true and I’d agree in summer but at this time of year I’d have thought Goretex trousers would be the solution.

Agree, if it gets below -10 we may relace our t-shirt with the long-sleeved version.

Oh yes, I went Germany in November ( have been before in late October so knew the score) and felt everyone was so over dressed inasdivw scarves hats thick coats when it was around 10-15 degrees.

When we lived in Germany for a few years our German friends couldn't understand why my OH, and other British men, didn't wear what we would call 'long johns', long thermal underwear was normal there, even for younger men.

I'm always mystified by these people who absolutely love very hot weather,complain when the temperature drops to around 16 degrees in autumn, saying it's freezing,then walk around wearing skimpy clothing when it DOES get really cold!

Brown fat is the fat that keeps you warm. Apparently thinner fitter people have more brown fat than fatter people. Was googling this morning. We are in Berlin and it is properly cold I think , it’s very rarely this cold in England.

Oh wow that is interesting! Actually I think the main reason I'm cold all the time is poor circulation - in spite of all the aerobic exercise I do. Apologies to anyone I offended with my comment. I don't underdress though.

I’m the opposite, always surprised to see people in those duvet coats, hats and scarves while I’m sweating in a jumper. This country is very humid which I think causes it to feel uncomfortably warm. I don’t even own a thick coat.

I’m BMI 21 before I get jumped on by the fattist commentator upthread.

Interesting thread. At a game of football recently (Tottenham vs Slavia Prague) at around halfway through the second half nearly all the away supporters took their white club t shirts off. Bare chests everywhere (except for around 6 women) and we were in duvet coats! So it’s not just the Brits! Newcastle fans have just worn t shirts all winter - famous for it.

What about the Scots with their kilts?

I think because the weather is quite variable in the uk and honestly it's hard to keep up and know what to wear. Also everywhere has central heating and people often drive so you might be cold but it's only for 5 minutes if that and then you're warm again and it saves you having to take so many layers on and off.

I remember seeing a video of a mainland Europe woman dressing her baby for a winter outing. The poor thing must have been absolutely boiling in multiple layers of clothes, all in one, socks, booties, gloves, hats (yes more than one), blankets etc. I want to break out in a sweat when I see people posting here about thermal under layers etc. I've never owned or used these. I get that they may be needed in some countries but not usually in the UK? I'm not some kind of outdoorsy hard case either and until recently used to run quite cold compared to a lot of other people.

It's just not that cold. We had that brief cold snap in November but since then it's been relatively mild. I hate being too warm.

We’ve only had a small handful of days where it’s been below 10 degrees here in Sussex. I’ve barely needed a coat! I often think people are OVER dressed if anything!

I seem to notice far more people who wear unsuitable clothes in warm weather. It can be really warm and sunny and loads of people wearing jumpers, big thick jackets, loads of layers etc