What to Wear to a Christmas Market: A Warm UK Outfit Guide

For a Christmas market in the UK, dress for two or three hours of standing still in the cold and, quite often, the rain. That means a thin base layer, a warm jumper or fleece you can take off indoors, and a hooded waterproof coat. Add leggings or thermals under your trousers, flat waterproof boots with grip and warm socks, a hat, a scarf and gloves you can use your phone in. Carry a small cross-body bag so your hands stay free for a hot drink.

The reason people get cold at a market is simple. You walk there and feel fine, then spend the evening queuing, browsing and standing about with a cup in your hand. This guide covers what to wear from head to toe, what to leave at home, how to dress children for a market trip and a few outfit ideas that look good in photos without leaving you shivering.

Why Christmas markets feel colder than you expect

Markets are mostly outdoors and mostly slow. You move a few steps, stop at a stall, queue for food, then stand to eat it. Your body makes far less heat when you are barely moving, so the cold catches up with you after an hour or so, even if the forecast did not look too bad.

Most visits also happen in the late afternoon and evening, once the lights come on. By then the temperature has dropped, the ground is damp, and the wind can funnel through squares and streets lined with stalls. Check the "feels like" figure on your weather app rather than the headline temperature before you choose your layers.

What to wear to a Christmas market, head to toe

1. A thin base layer

Start with a close-fitting long-sleeved top. A thermal, a merino top or a sports base layer all work. It adds warmth without bulk, which matters because you will probably go in and out of warm pubs, cafés and shops during the evening. Cotton is the weakest choice here, as it holds on to moisture and feels cold once it gets damp.

2. A warm mid layer you can take off

This is your main source of warmth and the part most people see in photos. A chunky knit, a fleece or a Christmas jumper all suit a market trip. Choose something you can remove easily, so you are not overheating when you stop indoors for a drink or a meal.

3. A hooded, waterproof coat

British Christmas markets are more often wet than snowy. A padded or quilted coat with a hood, or a waterproof shell over your jumper, will keep you warmer and drier than a smart wool coat, which soaks up drizzle. A hood is also more practical than an umbrella in a busy crowd, where it gets in other people's way and leaves you without a free hand.

If you do want to wear a favourite wool coat, keep it for drier evenings or plan to spend part of the night indoors.

4. Something warm under your trousers

Legs get cold quickly when you stand still, and jeans do little against wind. A pair of thermal long johns or thick, full-length knitted leggings under your trousers makes a noticeable difference. Our women's thick knitted leggings are full length and one size (UK 8 to 14), so they can go under jeans or be worn with a long jumper or jumper dress. Avoid wide-leg trousers or long skirts that drag through puddles.

5. Flat, waterproof boots with grip

Many UK markets are set up on paved squares, cobbled streets or grass, and all of them can be slippery when wet. Heels and smooth-soled shoes are best left at home. Flat waterproof boots with a chunky, grippy sole are the safest choice, worn with warm socks.

Make sure your boots have enough room for your socks. Tight boots squeeze your feet and make toes feel colder, not warmer. For more ideas, see our guide on how to keep your feet warm in boots.

6. Gloves you can use your phone in

You will want to take photos, check maps and pay at stalls, and gloves you keep taking off are easy to drop or lose. Touch screen gloves let you do most of this with your gloves on. Our black touch screen gloves have conductive fingertips for using a phone and a grippy palm, which helps when you are holding a hot cup and a paper plate at the same time.

Keep them a comfortable fit, though. Gloves that are too tight restrict blood flow to your fingers, a point Age UK makes in its advice on keeping hands and feet warm.

7. A hat and a scarf

A hat that covers your ears and a scarf or snood around your neck keep the wind off two of the places you feel it most. A snood is a good choice in a crowd, as there are no long ends to catch on stalls or get dipped in a drink. If you prefer a long scarf, wrap it twice and tuck the ends into your coat.

8. A small bag worn at the front

A cross-body bag or a coat with zipped pockets keeps your hands free and your phone and cards close. Busy markets can attract pickpockets, so avoid open tote bags or backpacks you cannot see. Bring a foldable shopping bag for anything you buy.

What not to wear to a Christmas market

• Heels or smooth soles: wet cobbles and crowded walkways make slips more likely.
• Your best pale coat: mulled wine, hot chocolate and greasy food in a crowd make spills very likely.
• One huge jumper with nothing underneath: you will be cold outside and too hot as soon as you step indoors.
• Jeans on their own on a very cold night: add a layer underneath or choose a warmer pair of trousers.
• Long trailing scarves or hems: they get stood on and dragged through puddles.

Dressing children for a Christmas market

Children often get cold faster than adults at a market, especially when they are in a pushchair or waiting in a queue for a ride. Dress them in layers you can adjust, with a warm hat that covers their ears, mittens or gloves and waterproof boots. Pack a spare pair of socks and gloves in your bag, because small hands and feet tend to find puddles.

Agree a meeting point before you set off in case anyone gets separated in the crowd, and plan a warm indoor stop so younger children can thaw out before they become miserable.

Christmas market outfit ideas

• Classic and cosy: a cream cable knit, dark jeans with leggings underneath, a hooded padded coat, brown waterproof boots and a tartan scarf.
• Festive: a Christmas jumper over a thermal top, black knitted leggings, a quilted coat, a bobble hat and touch screen gloves.
• Dinner afterwards: a jumper dress with thick tights, knee-high boots with a grippy sole, a warm coat and a snood you can take off at the table.
• Relaxed day trip: a fleece under a waterproof jacket, comfortable trousers with a warm layer underneath, walking boots and a beanie.

Christmas market checklist

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear to a Christmas market in the UK?

Wear a thin base layer, a warm jumper or fleece and a hooded waterproof coat. Add leggings or thermals under your trousers, flat waterproof boots with grip, warm socks, a hat, a scarf and gloves. A small cross-body bag keeps your hands free.

What shoes are best for a Christmas market?

Flat waterproof boots with a grippy sole. Market areas are often cobbled, crowded and wet, so heels and smooth-soled shoes are best avoided. Leave enough room in your boots for warm socks.

Can I wear a Christmas jumper to a Christmas market?

Yes, a market is an ideal place for one. Wear a thin layer underneath and a coat over the top, so you can take the coat off indoors without being too hot or too cold.

How do I keep warm at a Christmas market in the evening?

Wear more layers than you would for a walk, keep your head, neck, hands and feet covered, and keep moving between stalls rather than standing in one place. A hot drink and a short warm-up indoors every so often also help.

Final thoughts

The best Christmas market outfit is one you can stand around in for hours: thin layers under a hooded coat, something warm under your trousers, flat waterproof boots, and gloves you never need to take off. Sort those out before you go and you can enjoy the lights, the food and the shopping without watching the clock. If you need to fill a few gaps, you will find gloves, socks, leggings and hats in our winter collection.