Don’t ditch the Duffle just yet!

Take a look outside your window and you’re sure to be met with an unseasonably pleasant surprise. Who’d have thought we’d have bright blue skies, glorious sunshine and 20°C+ temperatures in March? It’s just what you need to put a spring in your step, but whilst it may be tempting to put away those winter clothes for good, don’t be too hasty just yet—not wanting to put a dampener on things, but we’ve all been burned in the past…

Just think of all those times when you’ve thought summer was on the way only for the grey, dark, cold weather to return a week or two later. The good old British weather is notoriously tricky (the current conditions being further proof of that) so it’s important to be prepared until you’ve got firm evidence that winter is well and truly behind you, and that means you should hang onto your trusty duffle coat for a little while longer. Just in case. A good rule of thumb is to remember the saying “Ne’er cast a clout till May be out”—in other words, don’t get rid of the winter clothes (at least until the end of May).

You’ll still need to be prepared with a good few layers because a cold snap could be just around the corner, and if you don’t want to freeze you’ll want to carry around a coat with you at all times. It’s even more important to remember in the evenings—it may be t-shirt weather during the day but if you’re caught out at night you’ll quickly feel the chill, so don’t ditch the duffle just yet. Keep hold of it for a few more weeks until you can be sure the warm weather is here to stay, and then you can treat it to a good old clean so it’ll be ready and waiting for you in the autumn.