Mothers who wear dry coats during school runs are lazy and have no fashion sense
While picking up my kids from school last Friday, I noticed one of my mom friends wearing a worrying new trend: the dreaded Dryrobe.
I'm sure she can't swim, so she had hardly come straight from a dip in the local lake – and it certainly wasn't raining.
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When I asked why she was wearing it, her only explanation was that it was warm.
But so did my jacket.
You no longer only see these beautiful fleeces during a trip to the coast or at swimming ponds.
They are also visible during dog walks, at football matches, in the supermarket and even in the pub.
It seems the Dryrobe has become the nation's favorite coat, with sightings everywhere from the Cotswolds to London's Oxford Street.
And it makes me feel the same anger I once had for Ugg boots in their heyday.
Originally invented for surfers and swimmers, the Dryrobe is a waterproof garment up to €165, ankle length, designed to get you dry quickly after a cold dip.
It is an expensive set that is too big so you can change clothes underneath.
You pull your arms in to take off swimwear without giving anyone a glance.
If you're one of Britain's boomers army of cold water swimmers, then a Dryrobe is certainly useful.
But they must stay on the beach or on the shore of the lake.
Ugly and unflattering
Carrying it elsewhere is a worrying habit that has emerged from the kind of people who go to Tesco in their pajamas and pink soft slippers.
These garments are ugly and unflattering, and if all you need is something to keep you dry and warm, there's a jacket for that. A jacket is also a lot cheaper.
Wearing a dryrobe makes you look a little lazy, like you haven't had time to think about what to wear when you run out the door.
Despite shouting 'no fashion sense', these ridiculously expensive towels have clearly become a status symbol.
People wear them to stand out.
Perhaps they want to give the impression that they are active and outdoorsy, when in fact they have only put one on to get a bottle of wine and a packet of crisps from the corner shop.
Fashion magazine Grazia has labeled them 'the must-have coat for the whole season', while celebrities such as Harry Styles, Davina McCall and Emma Corrin from The Crown have all been seen in one, further increasing the Dryrobe's popularity.
You can get them in blue, black, red and purple, but the most popular is a camouflage number with a bright pink fluffy interior.
Over the past week I've seen them on the London Underground, in the supermarket and in Next's flagship store on Oxford Street.
I even saw a woman walk into her office in one.
On a recent family trip to Margate in Kent it was harder to find people on the beach who weren't wearing one.
It's a similar scene in Brighton, where you can barely move without brushing past it. I have nothing against people wearing them for what they are intended for.
But I do worry about this growing epidemic – and I'm not alone. A Facebook group “Dryrobe w***ers” has more than 57,000 members and users share photos of them being worn when their owners are not swimming.
The must-have jacket for the whole season
Grazia
There's a woman at the top of The Shard in one, another in the theater and a man at Cardiff City Stadium wearing a dryrobe while eating McDonald's.
Charity worker Christopher Sloman posts photos of them on Insta account @dry_robe_count. Next to a photo of a woman wearing hers in Pret A Manger, he says: “She was like, wanted to go for a swim, I'll have a sandwich instead.”
Even Mumsnet has been offended by it, with one user posting: “I saw someone wearing one in my office in central London yesterday. I understand they are warm, but they just look so huge.
“They're designed for changing on the beach, right?” But they look a bit strange when you're not outside.”
It's like wearing your wetsuit to dinner or taking walking sticks to Asda. There is a time and a place.
We must act now to stem the seemingly unstoppable rise of the Dryrobe – otherwise entire families could soon be wearing them.
And which teenager should you see in the same coat as their 60-year-old grandmother?
This epidemic will only get worse.
There are dog versions available for £45.
Please, Dryrobe fans, save them for the seaside.
Or better yet, the comfort of your own home, where they won't offend my eyes.
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LOUD AND PROUD IN MY DRYROBE
FABULOUS fashion director Tracey Lea Sayer, 52, says:
“So, it turns out there is a 'Dryrobe type' – and that's me.
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I'm in exalted company, as the other members of this oft-sniggered group also include Hollywood A-listers and pop stars.
I had my camo Dryrobe with fluorescent material pink Been lining for four years and love it.
Singer Rita Ora has the same one as me, while Harry Styles and Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke both have sleek black Dryrobes with bright linings.
Yes, I heard about the Facebook group that has the audacity to call us “Dryrobe w***ers.”
Well, guess what? The best thing about getting older is that I don't care what other people think about how I dress.
Whether it's a sharp-tongued columnist who thinks dryrobes are a “disturbing trend” or someone who snickers behind my back at the supermarket – I wear mine loud and proud.
Why? Because I firmly believe in brands that do one thing and one thing only very well.
Despite there often being cheaper dupes from major labels such as the Dryrobe rivals pictured here, Ugg, Crocs and Birkenstock all get my custom as I expect a level of quality you can only get from the original specialist brand that dominates the market. And I'm not the only one. Dryrobes have been extremely popular since their commercial debut in 2010.
And I'm not the only one. Dryrobes have been extremely popular since their commercial debut in 2010.
There was a boom during and after the pandemic as we all took to the outdoors.
I bought mine for wild swimming, but quickly realized it was far too useful to wear alone on seaside holidays.
Besides feeling super stylish, I also wear mine oversized and pair it with a large sweater, leggings, Grenson boots and a large pom-pom hat.
It is perfect for walking dogs on wet and windy days. It keeps the cold out when I do burpees during boot camp in the park on Saturday. And yes, I fancy a crazy drive through Sainsbury's.
Oh, and did I mention that it's ideal to take off your wet cossie on an icy beach without showing your butt to the world?
It was invented after a mother made her teenage son – an avid surfer – a homemade diaper jacket from some towels and an old tent.
Fast forward 40 years and that son, Gideon Bright, is 56 and runs his Dryrobe business with a turnover of £16.6 million.
I think he has the last laugh – and I do.
At £165 it may be expensive, but my Dryrobe is worth every penny.
I know I will wear this jacket for the rest of my life.”
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