Why do people in the UK dress so gloomy?

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No-Republic3324@reddit

Yeah I was looking at myself today and my outfit , a Ben Davis coat with a black tee and some bleached baggy blue jeans with black and white Reeboks and wondered what people in the UK dress like. I didn’t like the coats they wear when I googled it since they remind me of what French and other Europeans wear , like yes they’re expensive but I like work coats better as a personal preference. I guess I was more curious as to what the younger folks my age wear .

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skybluepink77@reddit

There have been quite a few posts about this in recent weeks... I agree, everyone seems to be in monochrome...as if a grey British winter isn't depressing enough already. The shops are full of monochrome - particularly for men - and the idea that a bright puffa jacket might brighten our dull streets seems to have been lost. Young people want to fit in with the majority, so don't expect them to buck the trend. It's up to the over-25s to rebel and start sporting colourful coats, scarfs, beanies, and trousers/skirts/jumpers. I'm doing my bit by wearing a purple beanie. What is the rest of Reddit going to do about it? And OP, what are you doing to brighten the British fashion scene?! :)

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Chemical_Film5335@reddit

You seen the shops? It’s all just brown, black and grey shite. No idea what’s happened to H&M. When I was a teen that’s where you got all your bright coloured stuff. Now it’s like a black and white film

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Outrageous_Shirt_737@reddit

This. I tried to order but daughter a few new hoodies the other day and the options were black, grey, beige, or a different grey!

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Chemical_Film5335@reddit

I know it’s not H&Ms fault as they’re likely just going with whatever is the trend at the moment but didn’t H&M used to be all mustard flannel and red checkered stuff, some pink trousers and studded belts, all v neck T-shirts of every colour? Just the guys section I’m thinking of

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Outrageous_Shirt_737@reddit

How did you know it was H&M?! 😂 Yes, it all so drab. I tried the boys section and they were the same plus navy blue and dark green. They were £2 cheaper though! I’m struggling getting stuff for myself too. I’ve put some weight on so have had to buy some new things. I’ve basically got 3 sweatshirts - navy, black and grey (which looked awful on me so I died it) and some jeans and black jeggings. Next basic T-shirts come in lots of different colours but the selection in most shops is pretty limited.

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Single-Aardvark9330@reddit

Yeah teen/young adult fashion brands have become very Griege over the last few years

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AnonymousTimewaster@reddit

Because I don't want to stand out as the only remotely colourful thing amongst all the grey around us. Grey sky, grey buildings, grey road and pavement, grey cars...

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Linfords_lunchbox@reddit

Country pub on a Sunday in Hertfordshire or Cheshire, there's bound to be at least one pair of red trousers...

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risinghysteria@reddit

We're way less brash and loud than countries like the US, and that's reflected in the less show-y off-y dress sense too.

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malin7@reddit

Grey, stonewash and white is hardly adventurous either

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JoinMyPestoCult@reddit

I laughed at that.

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knight-under-stars@reddit

Why do you care what other people choose to wear? I am very much someone who values function far over looks for clothes, I find the entire idea of fashion pretty shallow and manipulative. And posts like yours only reinforce this.

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reddit_recluse@reddit

Because we're all fat and black is slimming

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LewisMileyCyrus@reddit

also its cold as fuck and black attracts the sun

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Striking_Smile6594@reddit

It's February. Who dresses in bright colours in winter?

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cgknight1@reddit

Me - it makes you easier to spot when drivers are texting or ordering a pizza as they drive directly over the crossing!

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Party_Broccoli_702@reddit

I’ll never forget the first day I wore my green V-neck jumper to work, I had five blokes around me making jokes, asking if was going on holidays, and making remarks about how unbritish that colour was, as it was much more Mediterranean. If I was of a different temperament I would have stopped wearing clothes like that, but as I know I dress better all of them put together I told them they were behaving like jealous little bitches. That’s why most people just wear black.

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cgknight1@reddit

>You rarely ever see people wearing light tones. Womens and girls are a bit better in this regard as they're generally more fashion conscious but the way most men dress is incredibly bleak, especially so in more deprived areas. This is an excellent question that I've pondered quite a bit. Even in the poorer areas - when I grew up - you would 'wear money' - so on a Friday and Saturday night people would be out and the clothes would have a bit of flair and far more colours than today. Now you can go out on a Saturday night and people look like they were handed clothes in a refugee center after a natural disaster. Also, you don't see the 'age gap' anymore - I went to a family party recently, and I was the only adult in his forties who was not in a dark hoodie and trainers.

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terryjuicelawson@reddit

>grey tshirt, stonewash jeans and white trainers Not exactly a riot of colour in itself is it. There is a trend of black on black at the moment and it is winter, that is all I can really suggest.

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Saintesky@reddit

Because the shops only seem to sell misery. Just been in Asda. Walked through the clothes section looking for my wife, and the sections tell their own story. The kids stuff, all bright and cheery stuff. Orange, Green, Reds and Yellow everywhere for boys stuff. Get to the men’s stuff, and you’ve just transported to the 1950s. Grey, Brown, Beige. It’s depression in an aisle.

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irisiane@reddit

Dark coats and trousers to hide the mud. If I'm outside, I'm probably walking my dogs.

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Significant_Return_2@reddit

I have light hair and a pale complexion. I look stupid in bright colours. Red makes me look as though I’m washed out. Dark or sombre colours suit me better.

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Significant_Return_2@reddit

I also don’t care about being fashionable. Style is more important than fashion.

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kestrelita@reddit

I'm loving the number of goths on this thread! I am currently wearing dark grey leggings, a dinosaur dress, light grey jumper. I'm pretty colourful though because my nails are green and my hair is lilac. I tend towards emo rather than goth, I think.

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filbert94@reddit

There was a study done a while ago which seemed to suggest that fashion becomes more muted in times of poorer economy. 80s boom you had pastel suits and New Romantics, vs 70s brown suits due to recession. Not an exact science but food for thought.

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secret_willy@reddit

I noticed this over winter too. Almost everyone has a black coat, usually those long puffer style ones too. On the same note, has anyone ever noticed how dull car colours are these days. Most cars seem to be either white, black or silver. (As I’m writing I just had a look at the small car park for my flats to confirm my observation. 15 cars, 2 of them aren’t white, black or sliver 😂)

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LittleSadRufus@reddit

Prince Albert died in 1861 and Queen Victoria declared a national state of mourning, and she remained in formal mourning into the following century. Fashion trends were heavily impacted, and this is why men stopped wearing colourful jackets and ties to formal events and adopted somber black-tie (tuxedo) clothing instead, with office wear also becoming much more drab and somber. For many years women also dressed far more drably, with dark and heavy fabrics being much more fashionable. The entire society also became obsessive about death. Although all that is over a hundred years ago now, as a society there is still a sense that colourful clothing is slightly outre, and the 'correct' way to dress is in very muted and simple colours.

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SilvioSilverGold@reddit

I wear light shirts and t-shirts but that’s only because I have scalp psoriasis and if I wear my preferred option of black, navy or dark green my shoulders fucking look like it’s been snowing.

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Plastic_Melodic@reddit

Hey, how do you know what colour my pants are?!

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Agitated_Ad_361@reddit

OP is a pervert.

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Agitated_Ad_361@reddit

Why are you looking at peoples pants?

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Klossomfawn@reddit

You can wear dark clothes with anything

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Drewski811@reddit

Light colours are a summer thing

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Viking793@reddit

I've noticed this to a point; always dark and dull colors in winter which I hate. The lighter, brighter colors are always found in spring and summer. It's a shame as winter NEEDS more color to off-set the gloom and grey of most British winter days. I wear bright colors and fun patterns as much as I can

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PM-ME-YOUR-DIGIMON@reddit

Im a goth lmao.

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vipros42@reddit

Because I'm basically a goth at heart

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joeblrock@reddit

I wear black on the outside........

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Significant_Return_2@reddit

Cos black is how you feel on the inside?

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nectarine_serene@reddit

Fairly sure this is just a winter thing, comes summer there is colour everywhere. However if you go to somewhere like Japan, it is also fairly monotone. I live in an arty city and you see more colour than you would if I went back to the midlands. Many colourful coats and patterns. Though I myself persistently wear black because prefer a a gothic vibe.

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glitterballxoxo@reddit

We dress to our surroundings. I'm not being a ray of sunshine in a shower of shite.

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damned-n-doomed@reddit

I’m a goth. Enough said.

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bedlam90@reddit

Cos we're miserable bastards leave us alone lol

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Own-Lecture251@reddit

Colourful clothing is the mark of a blackguard.

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JezzLandar@reddit

because I'm English not an exhibitionist? In all seriousness, when I was younger I used to get brilliant colourful shirts from Pringles. Just a block of bright colour, nothing fancy. The fashion today is fugly. Overly fussy and in an unflattering (to me) palette. Why on earth would I want to wear them?

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Streathamite@reddit

It’s winter. Everything is gloomy. I’m not going to wear colourful clothing and risk it getting splattered from a puddle and spend the rest of the day walking around in stained clothing. Once the weather brightens up so do people’s clothes.

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Guerrenow@reddit

To match the weather

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SamVimesBootTheory@reddit

There's been a general broad trend towards neutral colours for a long time. The amount , it's to the point I'm concerned which I realise it's peak irony considering I'm a goth who wears black 95 percent of the time but also I will argue that's slightly different.

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Duanedoberman@reddit

Amongst younger people on the edge of society, standing out is not a good thing. If you are with your peer group, even wearing a different label can cause you to be identified so they purposefully dress exactly the same. I agree about older men. It seems to be the fashion to wear different shades of grey clothing. I find it so frustrating when you go to a litres shop. Women's fashion takes up 3 floors whilst mens are 2 racks in the basement behind the towels.

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dm_me-your-butthole@reddit

cuz I like it. I dress for me and not for you

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Drath101@reddit

I see people in colours that aren't black every day, and I live and work in "deprived" areas. Bright white trainers are one of the more popular fashion trends I think

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