Scott K

We are traveling to London in mid-late December, 1999. I have been in March but never in winter so.....how do we dress? We are from central Texas where "winter" is about 40 and rain on a cool day and it freezes maybe 10 days a year. Are long underwear needed? I thought we may get hot inside if we wore those but who knows? Also, are jeans acceptable or do they just point you out as "another Yank"? It's been awile since I've been. Thanks for all the help! <BR>

Jo

January is actually probably the coldest month, so you've missed out a little bit there! The only way to dress is many layers. It is cold outside. But the tube is hot, every shop, pub, museum are all hot. Jeans are fine - Londoners wear them all the time! Thermal socks help. What I find works best for me, is a short sleeved top underneith, a jersey/jumper over top, and a smart willen jacket. I also quite often find that black dress pants are a much more comfortable, practical and warmer alternative to jeans. Don't forget an umbrella. Hat, gloves and scarves are also an advantage. If you don't have suitable clothes, don't forget there are some wonderful clothes shops in London! <BR>

Ann

First time in London was early December and it was snowing (first time in many,many years) Hat, gloves and a warm winter jacket and sweaters was all needed. I walked all over the place and was fine. Long johns might be over doing it. Have a good time

Brian in Atlanta

Good thermal gloves are essential. It's hard to hold an umbrella if your hands are numb.

Nigel Doran

How to dress in this city, not for style but for comfort, is my personal bugbear. <BR>Even when it is cold outside, and it can get cold, it is sticky and humid in the Tube and on buses and in shops etc. <BR>The way around this is to wear layers, with cotton being the best bet I think. Expect temps to be anything around 5 - 12 C during the day and anything down to -5 C overnight. It might be dry and crisp, it could be foggy or it could be snowy, but damp will be probably the name of the game. <BR>Take a small, telescopic brolly too. <BR>Expect it to get dark at about 4 - 4 30 pm in the afternoon and not get light again till 8 am the next day.

sabrina

A warm coat is a given. Otherwise, two essentials: Hat and gloves. <BR> <BR>I was there for the first time in January and made the mistake of going for style over warmth. Thought a beautiful wool sweater coat with a silk scarf I had just bought the month before in Florence would suffice. Ha! I was even foolish enough to ride on the outside of the hop-on, hop-off bus -- for about 13 minutes. It didn't take me long to come to my senses -- I ditched cuteness for warmth and promptly bought a wool scarf, hat and gloves from a market near Piccadilly Circus. Much easier to concentrate on the wonders of London when your hands and head aren't half-frozen! <BR> <BR>Have fun!

Bob Brown

We were in London once in late December - early January and found that the sun came out only rarely. We live in north Georgia where winter temperatures are a lot like central Texas. In London I wore a down-filled jacket and was comfortable. <BR>The down garment was good because when I went inside where it was a lot warmer, the heavy layer came off, yet it was light in weight for carrying. I think these new Polarfleece garments should be good also. <BR> <BR>I found a hat and gloves to be essential, too, if you plan on being outside, like at Kew Gardens or Hampton Court gardens. <BR>I think an umbrella is handy because you can only carry so much in the way of bulky outer clothing. The problem with rain pants is what do you do with them inside? They are hard to get off unless they snap or zip all the way up, they are hot if you keep them on, they are somewhat bulky, and they are wet. <BR>In Paris, we quickly decided that we needed an umbrella. <BR>

lisa

Don't wear long underwear -- they're too hot when you're indoors! Keys to staying warm: <BR>If your head and feet are warm, the rest of you will be fine. This means keeping head and feet warm and dry. To keep head and feet warm and dry, you need comfortable waterproof footwear, good thick socks (I like the newer synthetic ones that wick moisture away from the feet), and an umbrella, and maybe a hat if you're the hat type (I'm not). And definitely layer. I think the layers that work best are silk and wool, because unlike cotton they retain heat even when wet. I like to wear a short-sleeved silk knit crew-neck or V-neck top, with a lightweight long-sleeved silk or wool or cashmere V-neck sweater over it, and sometimes if it's really cold, a wool blazer or jacket or heavier-weight wool cardigan on top -- you can take that off indoors if you get too hot. Then a scarf (large silk or lightweight wool) around my neck, and coat. I like a three-quarter length wool coat, long enough to wear over a blazer if I need to, rather than down jackets (most down coats are too bulky and/or too short). Leather or wool gloves.

Scott K

Thanks everyone! We leave 12/11/99 for 12 days-can't wait!