Does no one wear a coat any more? – have you noticed this too?

[clary]

So I am really not a big coat person. Apart from a short waterproof badged with my club that I wear when my summer officiating role includes a rainy day, I own one coat – a 5yo Seasalt rainproof coat with a hood and a cosy lining.

The main times I am outdoors tbh in cold or rain are a) watching DS play his sport or b) when I am out at an event (Christmas craft fair, trip to concert or theatre) or on a winter city break where I use public transport. Otherwise I drive to work (not accessible any other way unless you live close enough to walk).

Maybe that's it. I mean I think of myself as a coat refuser but even I wore one to work yesterday – it’s almost November, chilly and possibly rainy. But when I put it on the coat stand and then took it off at the end of the day, there was only one other coat there.

So do Gen Zs and Millennials (I am neither but there are lots at my work) just not wear coats any more? Any thoughts?

City folk use public transport, hence feel the cold waiting on buses.

My initial answer was cars, and I do think that has a lot to do with it. Going to the office I'll use a light fleece or jacket rather than a big coat. More comfy but I do have a big coat in the boot for emergencies, massive fear of breaking down on motorway with no coat.

But going to the shops I want my big coat.

My youngest just runs hot never has liked coats.

I have quite a few coats but prefer a fleece with a hood for day to day as coats are often too bulky.

I have a coat and a fleece in the car in case it gets cold unexpectedly. It was pretty mild yesterday so didn't need a coat.

I need a coat as I use public transport a lot, so would freeze while waiting for the bus. Also for walks.

Dd came home from uni this weekend and didn't bring a coat. She was cold when we visited Highgate Cemetery. I was warm in a coat. She does own coats though.

love a anorak too!

I'm Scotland and thats the rules here.

Different schools, have Different rules but the blazers ones are crazy, blazers are a piece of nonsense, too hot in summer and neither warm or waterproof for winter.
And no consideration that some kids feel hotter/ colder than others.

I'm mid 30s and definitely wear a coat throughout autumn and winter. I'd be cold without one, plus when it's raining I like having a hood. I've definitely seen more Gen Z not wear coats, but millennials are 30-45, and typically I see this age group wearing coats outdoors.

I wear a waterproof coat if it's wet, and have one lightweight and one heavy one. I don't put it on a coat stand though, so you wouldn't necessarily notice! It just goes on the back of my chair. So maybe your office mates are the same.

But if I were parking immediately outside my office, I probably wouldn't bother. I'd keep it in the boot in case of emergencies but not take it in the building.

I was in Stirling recently for 'Bloody Scotland', on the train, I did layers especially a hooded cardi. I admit I was lucky with the weather, no space for a coat though.

Team Coat all the way, mainly due to living in a cold place and having a medical condition that has caused me to feel cold all the time and have not much body hair. I grew up in London and it’s just nowhere near as cold or wet as other places in the country. Also, the public transport is much better so although far more people use it for work and wait at bus stops and for trains/tubes, it tends to come on time, without a lengthy wait. I have many coats, including last year’s lovely floor-length wool overcoat.

My DCs (mid-older teens) don't wear them. They stopped when they started secondary school. Wearing a coat in the corridor resulted in detention so they stopped taking it because it was just another thing to carry around and I guess that just became the norm for them and they stopped bothering outside of school too
I don't think it's all that cold yet anyway. I've been out for a walk to and around the garden centre this morning with no coat. It's usually around bonfire night that I start needing a coat.

I don’t own a lot of knitwear because I find that hot & uncomfortable with the various temperatures I can experience in a day. Much prefer a sweatshirt.

I mostly wear barn jackets or blazers. I only wear a coat if its really freezing or raining hard.

This is weird. Me and DH have at least 100 coats between us!

@Newname26yes, I do think blazer rules can be stupid. My dcs school let them not wear them during the hottest days this summer.

I think in London and maybe big cities in general it’s different bc you are likely to be walking to the tube or bus so yes, surely then you would wear a coat.

I guess it varies. I don't think my colleagues hang coats on their chairs tho – as I say, the coat stand used to be super full.

I hope no one thinks I am being ageist with my generational comments btw. A lot of my colleagues are aged approx 23-40 so I do sometimes feel that I might be a kind of survival with my packed lunch and my grey hairs and remembering floppy disks haha.

OMG what? 100 between you? how is this even possible? I know I am coat-lite with just one and a short waterproof but unless you are counting zip-up hoodies and summer jackets then how?

I’m Gen X and I own a midi-length navy wool coat, a knee length Lululemon waterproof with a hood that is big enough to go over jumpers when it’s cold as well as wet. And a shiny puffa thing that I bought in Leclerc for €9 which I put on over my pjs when the dog needs to go out overnight. I am not against having more coats, but CBA to shop for them and then the coat cupboard is already full with DH’s coats and jackets and DS (Gen Z) who loves a coat and is not afraid of dropping quite a lot of money on them.

My millennial colleagues and myself do packed lunches most days!

I love a coat, but find myself with diminishing opportunities to wear one outside of walking the dogs.

I have 3 levels of dog walking coat - cold but dry, cold but wet, and FREEZING cold and wet. The last one is for Arctic conditions and doesn't seem to get much action any more.

And two full length coats - one a tailored belted cashmere trench coat, one a mannish oversized less formal affair. I love wearing both, there's just not much occasion to. It's cars, isn't it?

I’m in Scotland so I have multiple coats and even though I drive to work and can park near the door at work, I would still take a coat with me in winter.

That said, I realised when I was packing away coats in the spring that I hadn’t worn my ‘big coat’ (thick warm waterproof) which is reserved for ‘full on Baltic’ weather all winter.

Me too! And I also have grey hairs and remember floppy disks 😆

Same!

I own a lot of jackets & have just purchased a nice red puffer from Arket. It’s the one item I’m in a fair amount & I think people overlook them & treat it as an afterthought to the main outfit you are covering up. My biggest pet hate is people not having smarter jackets/dress coats for special occasions & invariably you get the tatty anorak over a lovely dress at a wedding.

@Macinaeyep! We aren’t actually that young 😆

I don’t think it’s really been cold enough to wear coats yet. I’ve worn mine about 3 times in last few months. Today I’ve been out in just a hoodie (West Yorkshire)