Daniel RidingBeing British is usually associated with being traditional, and this can be a wonderful thing until you consider how traditional our British weather is right now. At this particular moment in time the weather is having what can only be described as a multitude of miserable personalities. It has been raining so heavily that swimming to work has almost become a possibility if most of us had room for water wings in our briefcases and man bags. The wind has been that strong that the temptation to open your umbrella and catch the wind to work in the manner of a dishevelled Mary Poppins has seemingly been a realistic alternative to your morning commutes. With this in mind here is a quick guide on how to survive and prepare for the unexpected wrath of British weather.
Upgrade Your Knitwear
When stuck in the depths of a frigid winter, there are fewer things more comforting than a warm layer of wool between you and your coat. So it’s time to re-evaluate your relationship with your wools and let’s be honest, all those festive knits left from Christmas may have diluted the appeal of the humble jumper. Chunky knits are here to stay and this does include the cable and fisherman variety. These are the more masculine of the knit world and when paired with a shirt, tie and suit can really add to your professional image.
One particular piece of knitwear that seems to be rising in popularity is the roll neck. This kind of jumper allows you to maintain the European smart vibe when worn with a suit, without the restriction of wearing a shirt and tie. The roll neck jumper itself should be of a good quality fine-knit as any lesser quality ones may lead to chaffing and irritation of the neck area.
Whatever style of knit you opt for, never neglect it. Increase the life span of your jumpers by hand washing and never dry cleaning as the chemicals can strip the yarn of its natural oils. Always dry naturally and fold away in a draw. Clothes hangers and jumpers are a poor choice of combination as this can lead to pulling in the shoulder area, and this damages your knitwear.
Take Your Quilt With You
Getting out of bed in the morning has become an increasingly difficult task when faced with the harsh cold that is waiting outside. If only there was a way to stay quilted on the way to work, well there is in the form of a quilted jacket or parka.
Quilting is the way forward when it comes to being on trend and maintaining a desirably warm body temperature. A quilted coat is stylish as well as practical and will do the job when trying to keep you warm.
This season’s must have outwear style is the trusty parka, also a trend that will carry on into AW13 thus allowing you to spend a bit more on the perfect item due to getting increased wear out of it.
These styles will help add a rugged, masculine element to your otherwise ‘stuffy’ work attire and is also versatile enough to transition into a casual weekend coat mixed with jeans or chinos.
Accessories
Here at MFM, we constantly reinforce the importance of accessorising to complete a look. When it comes to the weather and its mood swings, accessories can serve more of a practical use as well as being aesthetically appealing. However choosing the right accessories for yourself can be difficult so here are a few recommendations that will hopefully point you in the right direction.
Scarves
If when selecting your knitwear as mentioned before and you haven’t chosen to go with a roll neck jumper, then you are going to need a scarf. Scarves are fairly self-explanatory, and selecting something simple is going to be the most effective particularly when trying to remain smart. So if you select a scarf that is one on trend colour, then this is probably your best option.
Gloves
The hands are probably the part of the body that is most sensitive to the freezing temperatures, so it is definitely a good idea to purchase a decent pair of gloves. If possible try to avoid the cheap pairs that can be bought on the high street, as well as looking less than appealing these have proven not very effective against keeping out the cold. A leather pair looks sleek and sophisticated and when matched with the colour of your scarf can portray a high fashion metropolitan look. Also as most of us a part of the touch screen generation, you may need to shop around for a pair that has the capability to work seamlessly with your technology.
Umbrellas
Last but not least is the faithful umbrella. In order to avoid the torrential downpours that are inevitable at the moment, you are going to need something to shelter your style and maintain your professional appearance. We cannot stress the importance of investing in a decent umbrella rather than a cheap alternative found outside discount shops on the way to your office. A quality ‘brolly’ will stand the test of time and has the increased possibility of not falling apart the first time you open it. A full size gentlemen’s umbrella looks great and is my personal go to choice of something sturdy and weather-proof. Alternatively if you find this kind of umbrella difficult to manoeuvre, then may we suggest going for a more compact option that is easy to carry with you wherever you go.
Finally
As mentioned before, these kinds of purchases should be investment pieces because the longevity of bad British weather is inevitable at times, and survival is imperative. Not to sound too dramatic but complaining is a traditional British past time and using this winter survival guide may give us one less thing to complain about. Do you have any recommendations of your own on how to survive British weather? Please let us know what you think in the comments below.