In 50 degree weather, about 10 degrees Celsius, wear a long-sleeve top with a jacket you can carry. A denim jacket, a blazer, a leather jacket or a light trench over a knit, with full-length trousers and closed shoes. Fifty is the carry temperature: warm enough that you will take the jacket off by lunchtime, cold enough that leaving without one is a mistake.
At fifty, the top under the jacket is seen for half the day, so it has to look finished alone. Our Wdrobe app can pair a jacket and top from your closet for the weather that day.
Fifty is a bag problem, not a warmth problem
At 40 degrees the coat stays on. At 60 you probably do not need one. Fifty is the only temperature where you will genuinely wear a layer for half the day and hold it for the other half, which changes what you should pick.
The jacket needs to be:
- Light enough to carry over an arm or stuffed into a bag without creasing into a rag.
- Good enough to be seen in while it is on, because it is on for the walk and every arrival.
- Not precious. It will end up on the back of a chair, on a floor, in a car.
That rules out a wool overcoat, which is too bulky to carry, and rules in denim, leather, a blazer, a shirt jacket and a light trench.
The jackets that work at 50
| Jacket | Best for | Carries well |
|---|---|---|
| Denim jacket | Dry, mild, casual | Yes |
| Blazer | Work, dinner | Yes |
| Leather or faux leather | Evening, wind | Yes, heavy on the arm |
| Shirt jacket | Weekend, layering over a knit | Very well |
| Light trench | Rain, wind | Yes, best of the lot |
| Wool overcoat | Not at 50 | No |
Trench coat outfits and denim jacket outfits cover what goes underneath each of those.
Five outfits for 50 degree weather
1. Denim jacket, fine knit, straight jeans, trainers
The most common 50-degree outfit in the world, and it works. Keep the knit thin so the jacket is the warmth rather than an extra.
2. Blazer, silk or cotton shell, wide-leg trousers, loafers
The office version. The blazer can come off indoors without the outfit collapsing, which is the whole test at this temperature.
3. Light trench, polo neck, midi skirt, ankle boots
For a windy, grey 50, which feels several degrees colder than a still one. Tights optional, and a good marker of whether the day is at the top or the bottom of this range.
4. Shirt jacket over a knit, cords, flat boots
The weekend one. A shirt jacket is genuinely a mid layer pretending to be outerwear, so this handles a morning that starts at 45 and ends at 58.
5. Leather jacket, slip dress, opaque tights, boots
The evening one. A slip dress is viable at 50 the moment tights and a jacket are involved, and the leather stops it reading as summer.
By lunchtime the top is the outfit. At fifty the jacket comes off as soon as the sun comes out, so a top that only works covered up lets the whole thing down at two in the afternoon. Check each top still works without its jacket.
The morning trap
Fifty at eight in the morning and fifty at two in the afternoon are different experiences, because of sun. A clear 50 with sun on you feels like 60. A grey, still 50 feels exactly like 50. A grey 50 with wind feels like 42.
The practical rule: dress for the shade. If the sun is out, you will be comfortable anyway, and if it is not you have not made a mistake.
What goes wrong at 50
Too much under the jacket. People wear a thick jumper under a denim jacket, then have to carry both. One thin layer plus the jacket beats two thick ones.
Bare ankles. The single most underestimated part of this temperature. Cropped trousers with no socks is a 60-degree outfit, and at 50 it is the reason you feel cold all day when the rest of the outfit is fine.
Summer fabrics. Linen and thin cotton at 50 will not keep you warm regardless of how many of them you put on. Wool, cotton jersey, denim and knit fabrics do the job.
Frequently asked questions
What should you wear in 50 degree weather?
A long-sleeve knit with a light jacket you can carry, full-length trousers and closed shoes. A denim jacket, blazer, shirt jacket or light trench all work; a wool overcoat is too much at this temperature.
What should ladies wear in 50 degree weather?
A midi skirt or dress with a polo neck, ankle boots and a light trench, or a knit with straight jeans and a denim jacket. Opaque tights let a dress work comfortably on the colder, greyer version of this temperature.
Is 50 degrees jacket weather?
Yes, but a light one. Fifty degrees Fahrenheit is around 10 Celsius, which is the temperature most people wear a jacket to and then carry home. Choose a jacket that looks fine folded over an arm.
Can you wear a dress in 50 degree weather?
Comfortably, with opaque tights and boots, plus a jacket. A midi or knee length works better than a mini at this temperature, and a knit fabric beats a thin woven one.
If the forecast drops further, what to wear in 40 degree weather picks up where this leaves off, and what to wear in 60 degree weather is the milder end.
The formula is simple. Remembering which jacket you own that is light enough to carry, and what actually goes under it, is the part you do badly at 7.40 in the morning. Wdrobe keeps your jackets and knitwear on your phone so you can put the pairing together the night before. Stop carrying the wrong coat.
