I own 2 dogs and therefore I am always walking in all weathers, come rain or shine we’re walking. So I wanted to share with you some options on how to dress for Autumn and Winter walking, and some of the clothing choices I have found to make them both practical and stylish.
It’s not bad weather, it’s bad clothing!
Me!
What Clothes To Wear For Autumn and Winter Walking
When it comes to the Autumn weather, it can be beautiful sunshine in the morning, but quite cold, the number of times I’ve headed off out with my big coat on as it’s cold, but after I’ve done a little walking I am so hot and don’t want to be wearing a coat anymore.
So start with a fleece during the Autumn, this is thick enough to keep you warm at the start of the walk, but very quickly you’ve heated up a little by walking, it will be the perfect temperature. I tried out this Women’s Midweight Fleece Top from Lands End that was perfect for this, with nice colour tones around the neckline, it was lovely and soft too.
Layering Up
As the cooler months come in, you want to layer up, adding in vests underneath your jumpers, bodysuits are a nice way to keep the layers tight to your skin, and no need to tuck loose T-Shirts in, or come loose and let in a breeze!
Adding layers on top of jumpers like a Gillet, gives you a thicker coat layer without the need for arms. I’ve found this Women’s Gillet from Lands End useful. It has a 75% down/25% feathers insulation inside which was so warm and cosy, to give me that extra warmth. However having my arms free of a coat allowed more freedom, not bulky and it allowed my body to cool down better whilst walking.
Warm and Waterproof Trousers
A few years ago I invested in some ACAI water-resistant fleece-lined walking trousers, and I’ve not looked back. They’re so comfortable, and practical, look lovely, have a great fit, and are so warm. They come in a range of colours and I am wearing the Navy version here. They are perfect for dog walking as you can keep your legs warm and dry, the mud brushes off them and then you can change out of them at home.
Practical Footwear
You need to plan your footwear for different places you walk, I have walking shoes, walking boots, long wellies, and short wellies. Supportive footwear is important on uneven ground, and dry cold frosty mornings. Walking shoes and boots that are waterproof are great for walking in damp areas where you need support. Then you come to wellies for really wet areas, but also the grass is always wet in the Autumn mornings and you don’t want your shoes to be letting in water to your socks. I like my short wellies for walks where I’m not wading through large puddles. Long wellies are great for beach walks where you can paddle through the small waves!
Suitable Coat For Colder Months
When the Winter months start kicking in, you will need to start your walks with a thick warm coat, still layer up using my tips above, but adding a warm coat like this Women’s insulated fleece lined coat from Lands End will keep you warm and cosy throughout your walk. This colour is Black Currant, but also comes in more colour choices.
Look into the waterproof and warmth ratings of each coat, and how windproof they are. This one is water-repellent, windproof and has a 100% recycled body insulation. This coat kept me really cosy on our beach walk, and I didn’t feel the cold at all.
Having a longer-length coat like this keeps your body warm and stops the wind from getting up underneath it. It is really lightweight to carry around and doesn’t feel bulky on.
Being able to zip the coat all the way up will keep your top half warmer, but you also have the option of keeping the zip open or even half open from the bottom to allow heat to escape.
Having a large hood that covers over your face well, stops the rain getting into your face so much. Test this out when trying it on, you don’t want to be getting a face full of rain! It’s also great when the wind gets up, keeping it out of your ears.
Practical Bag For Carrying Items
I found it hard to find good dog walking bags, but I do like my Cocopup large dog walking bag. It is the large version as I have 2 dogs, which allowed me to carry their dog balls, phone, wallet, poo bags, leads, treats, and water bottles and still have room. With clips on the edges for adding items and changeable straps you can mix and match your colour schemes!
I hope you liked the items I picked from Lands End, they will be great for taking me right through Autumn and Winter walking, and I hope it’s helped you with some ideas on how to dress for autumn and winter walking.