Dressing For The Seasons

Down Under we often forget to dress for the seasons. Because winter is short lived and spring and autumn are so mild, we often find ourselves surprised that it's actually quite damn cold out there today. That's highlighted even more when you either a) find yourself in Canberra b) decide to check out the Snowy Mountains or c) go to the country for a winter weekend.

Because many of us who work in the city spend the majority of our day in controlled temperature environments between the office and the home, it's nice to brave the elements when you are in the country. It also gives you an opportunity to wear more robust clothing from heavier weave twills in patterns such as the check below, to blends in fibres such as wool and cotton. It's nice too to meet people in a different environment in clothes which  are more suitable for the landscape that surrounds you. It would seem odd wearing a sky blue twill shirt in the middle of a paddock or to wear a tie of brightly coloured silk to your local country bistro.

Below is an example of something I'd like to wear by a fire in a country hotel. I think's earthy and not too over the top. Sure, the toothless guys in reflective work wear at the end of the bar might still have a chuckle, and maybe there's no dirt under your finger nails.... But I guarantee you if you rise up on your stool and recite a bush ballad by Banjo Patterson, somebody will surely shout you a fresh schooner of beer before the end of the night and maybe even call you a 'champion'.