Why do Spaniards dress for the season rather than the weather?

This year has been very warm across much of the country and even in late October it’s been over 20C with bright sunshine. Yet locals are already dressing for autumn with jackets and even scarves in some cases.

It’s not uncommon to even see tourists sunbathing on the beaches or swimming in the sea in October, while locals walk around in jumpers and coats.

The same happens in winter too, in some places in Spain, particularly in the south of the country and in the Canaries, it can be around 18-20C in the middle of the day, even in January, warm enough for just a t-shirt, yet locals will often be in full winter clothes.

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When we asked our readers on Facebook if it was true that Spaniards dressed for the season rather than the weather, almost all completely agreed, and many had experienced feeling like an outsider when it comes to cold weather attire. 

One reader wrote: “My first day in Spain was January 6th 2004. It was 26C so I left my Madrid hotel in shorts and T-shirt and went to enjoy a cold beer at a café in El Retiro. I was surrounded by Madrileños in fur coats, hats, scarves and gloves all looking at me as if I was the crazy one”. 

Another had a similar experience saying “April, sunny, 20C plus probably. In the bread shop an elderly man, in his winter country cords, check shirt, body warmer, boots, scarf, pointed at my feet and shouted “LOOK AT HER”, then proceeded to laugh his head off”. 

So, what’s the theory behind this? Do Spaniards simply enjoy sweating in a big coat when it’s hot outside or is there another reason?

READ ALSO: Where are the rainiest places in Spain? 

There are several different theories as to why, although there is no one single reason. The first one is that summer lasts a long time in much of Spain and it gets very hot, over 40C in some areas, so by the time autumn comes people are simply ready for the cool weather and sick of summer and the heat. Subconsciously maybe, they’re trying to get the colder weather to come faster by dressing for it. 

One Spaniard on Reddit says that his friends and family “Dress in winter coats and even scarves at Christmas even if its 25C all because it’s winter and freak out about the lack of clothes” even if it’s warm.

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A reader of The Local Spain echoed this theory by saying “I met a Catalan friend this morning, she had winter coat and jumper on, I had three quarter length sleeve cheesecloth shirt on….she complained about it being summer”. 

It is in fact common to see parents bundle their kids up in warm winter clothes, while the children squirm and consistently complain that they’re too hot, tantrums ensuing.

But, it’s not just about what you wear of course, it’s about how you feel. Spaniards are used to hot balmy temperatures and having grown up with them most of their lives, they do tend to feel the cold more than northern Europeans. The same goes for foreigners who have lived here many years. 

As one reader pointed out “Your body adjusts to the climate where you live, if only on holiday you don’t have time to adjust”. 

Another agreed saying “When we live here in a hot climate, 16C to 20C feels cold. I wear a jacket too, plus in Fuerteventura we get a chilly wind in December and January”. 

A third pointed out that “20C is only 2C above 18C and in the UK we’re mostly in jackets by then. They’re acclimatised to high heat so it’s natural. I love putting my winter gear on in January/Feb when I’m there. After 21 years of Spanish summers I feel acclimatised to it anyway, so definitely not warm, especially in the shade”. 

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This brings us on to our next point which is that the weather in Spain, particularly in spring, autumn and winter can be very variable. 

Mornings can be extremely chilly, while afternoon temperatures can rise to around 20C and then at night it’s back down to 15C or less again. This means that jackets and jumpers need to be taken out with you, even if you’re only going to be wearing them for a few hours a day. 

In fact, in northern Spain temperatures can plummet by 18C in just one hour. This is known as a galerna, a meteorological phenomenon characterised by sudden stormy conditions with strong winds that cause temperatures to drop dramatically. They often happen in northern coastal areas of Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. 

Galerna: When temperatures plummet by 18C in an hour in northern Spain

One reader adds that “Spanish winter clothes are not as warm as north European ones” and agrees that one of the reasons is that “mornings and evenings are colder than in the daytime”. 

Another good point to add to this is that Spanish homes are often very cold and so you can actually be surprised by how warm it is outside, even though you were wearing a jumper inside. One read agreed with this point writing “In autumn and spring when it’s colder inside the house than outside, I often get caught out with clothes which are too warm as soon as you are in a bit of sun”. 

READ ALSO: Why are Spanish homes so cold?

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Another reason is that most Spaniards in fact have two complete different wardrobes – one for summer and another for winter. At some point in autumn, the summer clothes get put away and the winter ones come out. Some people even have a specific day of the year when this happens, regardless of what the weather is like. 

Another commenter on Reddit says “When it’s winter I put all my summer clothes away in boxes. We don’t have big houses in Spain, so not all our clothes are on full display during the year”.

It’s very common to put your clothes away in the loft or a big trunk so you can’t access them, because you know you simply won’t need them.

In summer for example, it’s guaranteed that you won’t need your coat, jacket or jumpers, until at least another few months, so why have them taking up more space in your wardrobe? You might as well put them away.

This does mean though that sometimes the winter wardrobe is brought out too quickly and so people are stuck with all their heavy clothing when it’s not yet cold enough.

It’s true that when the colder seasons start, warmer clothes are all you can buy too, even if it’s still warm. One reader commented “In Tenerife woolly jumpers and boots are already in the shops and no sleeveless tops or shorts to be found even though it’s still hot and sunny”. 

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The last reason is that Spaniards actually love autumn – there are autumn festivals, streets fill with chestnut roasters, people go mushroom hunting in the forests and in the big cities signs are advertising hot chocolates and carajillos (coffee with a shot of liquor).

It simply doesn’t make sense to be eating roast chestnuts and sweet potatoes when it’s hot, so by wrapping up, the season feels more appropriate. They want hot drinks, falling leaves and to be wrapped up in a cosy jumper, even though it’s still balmy and sunny.

And it seems that many foreigners in Spain have embraced this attitude too. “Have always said, on October the first, it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing, the Bubble coats, jeans, solid footwear come out,” one wrote. 

Another said: “I do the same. Jeans and boots and a top. It’s winter!”.