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?

As a boomer. Every time I’ve gone out walking I get too hot with my coat on. Maybe because I’m a fat one.

I haven't owned a coat since I was a teenager, just jackets of various weights and waterproofness for summer and winter. I did ride a motorbike for a few years and you really couldn't wear a coat so I think I got out of the habit and couldn't see the point of buying another one, many years ago now.

It could be to do with fatness (but more likely your coat is just too warm). I used to be very very fat and was always boiling. I've lost about 40% of my bodyweight and I am now permanently freezing. Enjoy being warm!

I'm in my 40s and live in Scotland and don't wear a coat until it actually gets cold or if its chucking it down. I've worn my coat once in the last 6 months and I've only just changed from wearing sandles to something more covering in this last month. I hate taking a coat with me unless I absolutely need it but I do tend to not feel the cold and haven't switched my heating on yet. I feel it's still really mild just now for this time of year.

Surely coats are weather and activity dependent.

Like saying 'I never see anyone wearing coats' while at the swimming pool in summer... or 'no one wears flip slops anymore' while hiking snowdonia in winter!

There was a metal bit you could pull to one side and what was behind that was very floppy

Ok I can't find a pic showing this but I promise it's so

I mean millennials are up to about age 456now so hardly "the youth!"

It seems separated by sex to me - agree often see younger men without coat (it was chucking it down yesterday and one was wandering around in t shirt and shorts). However most younger women seem over-coated in that they wear those hideous gigantic puffy neck to ankle coats from September to May!

You did get larger ones for the likes of BBC computers that didn't have the hard outer shell and were floppy.

Depends on the temperature and weather conditions. I do carriage driving with horses, so I do wear a proper jacket in winter, however the temperatures so far in autumn have been really warm, and sometimes once I've been moving around the yard it warms me up. I've been in a green fleece jacket, T-shirt underneath and a light waterproof jacket in case of rain showers.

Yeh maybe it is simply a function of the fact that although it is almost November, it’s not actually that cold. We had our heating on the other week but then I turned it off as it was a bit much.

I'll reassess the matter at the end of Dec :)

I keep Oodies, blankets and umbrellas in the car for that possibility, well any reason for getting stuck with the car really in Scotland @KnitOneSlipOneKnitOnePassSlippedStitchOver

I have multiple coats, very rarely wear one. Even before I could drive, I used public transport without a coat. There is a foldaway, shower proof jacket in the car now. Scottish millennial. Elder Gen Z partner wears a North Face wind/waterproof jacket only but doesn't wear it to work.

14°C here today and I had a vest top on under my mandatory branded off site work waterproof coat while it was still dark this morning. I was roasting. Thankfully required to wear this very, very rarely. It also lives in the car.

The first floppy disks were 5 inch and had a sort of card cover
The second lot of floppy disks where 3.5inchs. They were in a plastic casing and looked like this emoji 💾 , yes the silver bit was aluminium and could be pulled to the side, it was spring loaded

I just bought a third coat from vinted, a tan wool one, I have two others, one cream one black but not loving them, and realised I need one if I’m out and about ie in London for the day /evening etc and will be walking outside,

I think a winter coat is a necessity but can be impractical if just driving and into an office. But if I’m out side for any length of time I think they are still worn as peooke want to keep their legs warm too,

my daughter is in her late 20s and she always wears a full length coat in winter for work, and also for leisure if very cold,

so I don’t think people stopped wearing them no,

I have a huge black waterproof, a slightly lighter raincoat (for showers rather than downpour and hoodies and a bomber jacket. I’m often in the car and if I’m walking I get too hot in anything too heavy

I think I have about 30 jackets and coats. I am a big outdoorsy person who sometimes has to go to London so I feel I need all bases covered. I admit I might also have a bit of a problem!
I’d say my two twenty something children have followed in my stead.

@Newname26the 2nd ones are the ones I remember

If only I could find a coat that doesn't look like a sack of potatoes tied up with string on me.

I haven’t worn a coat yet this autumn except in the rain because it’s not cold enough here. My boyfriend was in shorts yesterday when we were discussing how it’s mild for nearly November. When I’m outside I’m walking so would sweat with a coat. But I’ve seen lots of people in padded coats and knitted hats so far this autumn.

I do think the first post was right that lots of people get out of a car and go straight into a building. I have a friend who doesn’t own a coat and wears sandals in the winter because she never walks further than a supermarket car park

I wouldn't wear mine past February, but I have one of those long puffy coats and while they're not the prettiest coat they are so practical. If you get a good quality one you will never feel cold wearing one even when the temperature is below freezing!

This. Maybe it's colder where I live.

I walk everywhere so yes I own multiple big winter coats! I don't think people go out much anymore and when they do they use cars all the time.

I’m 45 and was a teenager in 1995- why wouldn’t I remember floppy disks? You remember stuff from when you were a teenager surely 😂.

I just don’t think it’s been cold enough yet. We’ve had a very mild autumn so far, even in the North it’s only been actually cold for about 3 days!

DP wears shorts loads, especially walking in rain. He says legs are easier and quicker to dry than trousers. Think that’s the motto to post men too!

I have lots of coats.
I walk to work though.
In my younger days I never wore a coat, except to travel to work in.
Now I like to feel warm, and dry.

@clary - I was wondering this too, definitely my experience. Now I just see people in jackets and in colder weather, those long down/faux down shapeless ‘coats’ that look like sleeping bags. I don’t know whether if I started going to the opera etc coats would be more prevalent - but I don’t see them around much.

I can’t pinpoint the change but wonder whether it’s tied to when the City became less suited & booted.