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Summer dressing

anchie

Veteran

I am honestly confused why most people here prefer winter dressing. I prefer summer dressing by lot. There is so much more variety in summer dressing - there are skirts, dresses, shorts, pants, blouses, sweaters, mules, sandals, sneakers, loafers, light jackets, linen blazers, summer scarves, and much more… And so much more colors. I have planned so many summer outfits to wear and will not have enough time to wear all before the fall. Winter dressing is so boring. It is sweater/pants/jeans and boots. And mostly dark neutrals. And hidden by big coat. I get tired of everything usually half way through.
Can someone enlighten me, why do you prefer winter dressing?

Dressing

65 replies

Latest reply was from anne

Bijou

Veteran

Anchie, I think dressing for any extreme weather is boring. I don't ever get extreme winter weather but I do experience extreme summer heat. My winters are actually comparable to London in May and June.

I too love summer dressing except in very hot weather. Where I live, there is an 8 week period that is super hot (mid to late Dec - through to Feb) - with temperatures reaching 40C or more over a period of 5 days in a row which we call a heatwave. The other days it drops down to between 30 - 40C max. The low 30's is fine but once we get over 36C I need to stay covered because out in the sun I can feel my skin burning and yet it is so hot that wearing anything feels like I am cooking. Dressing for these conditions is just an exercise in loose and light layers with sun protection. Staying cool and hydrated is my main concern and function trumps style.

anchie

Veteran

I had feeling that it could be climate related. I feel the same about winter- hate being cold and my first priority is warmth and function and not the style. But in summer because of AC everywhere, even in heatwave, climate doesn’t affect my dressing that much. Maybe also related to our own tolerance to heat and cold? Or to our need for variety and types of outfit formulas and uniforms we have for each season?

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I’m with you Anchi! In winter it feels like I wear the same thing for months: coat and boots

Star

Veteran

Spring and Autumn, both very short here, are my favourite periods for outfit making. Winter is a total bore - jeans/cords, polos and coats. Summer is not as boring as winter but not much room for creativity due to the heat, just loose clothing in natural fabrics. Summer nights are better for outfit making than the days. So to answer your question I do prefer Summer dressing over winter too.

lyn67

Veteran

Agree with Bijou! Love dressing for summer, but not extremely highs of temperatures & humidity or longer than few days of a heatwave-and...working in an office on the southern side of the building without a central AC is hard (have a mobile AC but ventilation is not the same!:-()

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Great question!

I like both. I’ve been happy to move back to a 4-season climate. By the end of the season, I’m always eager to move on to the next one’s styles, whether it’s pulling on my boots in winter or getting rid of the sartorial stack o stuff in the summer.

I grew up with the idea that winter was for jeans, cords, or other heavy pants with welted sweaters and boring boots, while bright colors were for summer. When I discovered the idea of boots + skirt of any length, it rocked my world. And sweaters can be cardigans, long or short. I enjoy all the textures and layers of winter dressing. I think winter color schemes might also be more rich, with less contrast and more frequent use of analogous colors.

Living in Florida for 8 years spoiled summer dressing for me. It was over 90 daily for over half the year, lows rarely dropping into the lower 70s, sometimes not even going below 80. Instead of going outside and playing in the sunshine, I stayed in the AC. This wreaked havoc with my normal tendency to lose weight in the summer, and also with what to wear. We’ve been back in a 4-season climate for nearly 3 years now, and I am just getting back in the groove of summer dressing. I like the carefree nature of it—getting dressed in summer is so much faster!—and the variety you mention.

I think what people who don’t like summer dressing dislike are the absence of layers to mix with each other and the visibility of the body in many summer styles. The latter isn’t a necessity, of course, but it if you don’t like flowing or architectural garments, I guess people will see the shape of your body, so if you don’t like that, you don’t like summer dressing. (I’m reminded of your comment on my swimsuit search that you’d never seen some of the items N American women use to camouflage bodies—swim skirts and tankinis, etc). I think some people also don’t like classic summer patterns whites and brights (though I’m wondering what classic summer patterns really are—I love summer dressing, but scarcely have stripes or plaid, only a few floral pieces, and no polka dots).

I’ll be watching replies to this post, sitting on my hands to keep from jumping in on them all. I’m trying to do dark summer dressing this week, and am wrestling with what makes it summery as opposed to warm autumn or winter.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Anchie, I suspect this has to do with 1) personal style and color preferences, and 2) climate differences.

1) I am more a fan of deep brights and dark neutrals, so fall/winter dressing appeals to me more. I like prints that are moodier florals and darker color mixes. Deep jewel tones and black, or even charcoal, chocolate brown, and cognac appeal to me more than light neutrals. In spring and summer, the stores seem to fill up with pastels, neons, and light-bright colors that I enjoy seeing but not wearing so much.

I also don't love baring arms and legs so much. And I'm not one of those people who can happily wear long sleeves when it's 90 degrees with 80% humidity, which is the norm here from June through August. It doesn't cool off much at night, and I don't spend my time in massively air conditioned locations, so layering just isn't much of a thing for me in summer. I find summer dressing rather boring: a dress, or a tee and skirt, or a shirt with shorts or crops. No layers, and accessorizing becomes simultaneously more important to add personality but also more minimal because I don't want to wear a lot of jewelry, etc., adding more stuff to contact my skin. In winter, I feel like I can play with silhouette a little more -- bootcut, boyfriend jeans, long over lean, fitted jacket or roomy sweater, layer a big vest over top, choices of long vs short coat or jacket, etc. Plus scarves, hats, and all that...feels like there are more choices. Winter lends itself to more textures in dressing too: leather, chunky or smooth knits, velvet, corduroy, nubby tweeds or wool jackets, etc.

2) I live in a four-season climate on the east coast of the US, but the transitional seasons are sadly short. Winters are getting milder, and summers hotter. It feels like summer drags on here, while winter goes rather quickly, weather-wise. Summers are not just hot but HUMID, and this makes a big difference in the feel of the air. Hot and sticky just makes me feel unattractive no matter what I wear. And there's only so much clothing you can remove when it's hot, you know? In the winter, when I'm cold, I can just put on another layer, or change into a warmer layer!

Anonymous

Totally with you! I have about 6 months to wear my summer clothes and it's just so easy. No layering, except in office a/c, and just skirts, sandals, and sleeveless- so No Fit Issues!

Winter is a Huge struggle, for many reasons. Fashion wise- pants, jackets, and closed shoes are incredibly hard to fit for me. Tights are a PITA but I never feel dressy enough in pants. Plus animal fibers make me itch, so I don't wear them, except coats which don't touch my skin. And I just feel a hot mess with so much going on.
Rant over

Janet

(website)

Veteran

LOL Suntiger and I live in the same area -- just goes to show you how much of this is personal preference!

anchie

Veteran

It seems that could be multiple reasons for this. Now I am getting suspicious that maybe my winter uniform is too basic and that I don’t have enough variety. Climate plays a big role too - winter here can drag for months and this year was especially bad. And maybe I have not experienced humid summers. Today is here is 90F/32C but humidity is 39% and I enjoy being out in the sun.

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Anonymous

Cold weather dresser.

I love wearing the cool weather colors, fabrics and styles, etc., but probably the main reason is that as lovely and joyful as spring and summer are, autumn and winter are just profoundly beautiful to me.

always trying

Veteran

with so much polyester in everything hot weather dressing is limited. Even linen and cotton have some of the stretch fabrics or poly in them. These make them awful for hot weather. You may think 10 percent doesn't matter, but it does.

RobinF

Veteran

I don't have a strong preference for either but I get bored by the end of a season. As winter approaches I enjoy getting out my sweaters and boots but I'm sick of them by spring. Same with summer, as it approaches I can't wait to transition to sandals and shorts. I have to say though, that I am never totally happy giving up my sandals...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Anchie, that (lack of) humidity sounds lovely. At just before 9am here, it was already 82 (28C) with 80% humidity, so the "real feel" is almost 90. The actual temp today will get into the low 90s today, but the humidity won't drop terribly, so it will feel more like 100 (38C). However, that's nothing compared to what our friends are dealing with in the Pacific Northwest, where they are getting temps of well over 100 and so few homes and businesses have air conditioning. I hope everyone is staying as safe and cool as possible!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

My move i recent years fro. the desert (where it was 100 degrees F =37 C for three straight months) to the beach (where we're still getting weather in the 70's in July), has changed my feelings about summer dressing. I am enjoying the cooler and more varied weather, and dressing is much easier.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

They say “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”, but 90% humidity at 70 degrees is not uncomfortable (for me). I don’t think it’s the heat or the humidity—it’s both!

bj1111

Veteran

May I introduce you to the joy of buying winter coats?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Some people tolerate heat and/or humidity better than others. Angie thrives in hot and humid weather; I wilt. I come alive in crisp cool weather!

Gail

Veteran

I much prefer fall, winter and spring dressing.
In theory I like summer dressing, nice thin, breezy, minimal covering outfits but the actual reality is different. When it comes down to it I hate the hot sticky and awful humidity we have in PA and I as I age I don't enjoy baring my arms and legs much. Additionally, my family has a bad relationship with skin and the sun and slathering sunscreen isn't high on my list of fun of things to do!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Gail, good point about skin protection. My family has the same history. I wear sunscreen on my face every day, year-round.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

BJ1111, YAS.

Jacketses! My happy thing. I need a climate in which I can wear ALL THE JACKETS. ALL YEAR.

Anonymous

But coats and other winter stuff take up sooo much space! Little summer clothes take almost no space
Yes I live in a little house with barely any storage...

anchie

Veteran

My problem with jackets is that I feel enough warm only in long puffer jackets, which don’t really score high style wise, and don’t provide that much variety.

Anonymous

And jackets dont play nicely under coats when one has wide shoulders :/ So I wear cardis, which feel sloppy. But I don't want to carry the jackets along with my computer, lunch, files, ....

anchie

Veteran

It is so individual with so many variables. But it is good to learn others people perspectives.

DiG

I love the variety of clothes that Spring and Autumn enable. For transitional seasons you can wear a dress and jacket, linen pants and light sweater, jeans and boots...love it!

cat2

Veteran

I don’t understand the difficulty folks express with maintaining their style during summer.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I grew up in Florida, and have almost always lived in the Southeastern US, with the exception of six years on tropical Okinawa. I thrive on heat and humidity, and I dislike the cold. I'm always thrilled at the advent of spring, and midsummer is hands-down my favorite time of year!

Summer is my favorite time of year to dress - not so much for the variety or style, but because I have other, summery things that draw my attention away from worrying over the minutiae of my outfits And I love the textiles: linen, lightweight cotton, loose silk blends, viscose.

I will allow that there is something wonderful about that first crisp feeling in the air, in the fall, and I do love me some holiday wardrobe planning. This is the year that I've been making a gradual shift away from black colors, and steadily moving towards creams, whites, and golds, which gives me something to look forward to when summer inevitably closes.

Minaminu

Veteran

Agree with Bijou and Janet, the type of weather and personal preferences are important. Weather here in the UK is quite unreliable with lots of rain. still I am relying on 1 trench as I don't want to give in to the weather!

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