According to the public, if you were a dryrobe in Tesco you’re ‘insufferable’

Do Brits consider dryrobes to be the most controversial piece of clothing out there? (Getty/ Metro) As I write this article, the Facebook group ‘Proud to be a Dryrobe wanker’ has over 3,600 dedicated members. A cheerful, outdoorsy bunch of Brits who love a cold-water dip, a hot chocolate in December, and describe themselves as ‘like-minded people who love wearing dryrobes’ — all in all, you’d think they were a pretty harmless community, right? Well, according some online, it’s actually more like ‘a cult’. First gaining traction in the UK in 2010, dryrobes were originally designed to keep surfers warm and dry while changing out of their wetsuits. Today, however, they’re worn by thousands looking to stay cosy after a chilly dip, on a rainy dog walk, or even, while browsing the freezer section during the weekly food shop. Dryrobes are no longer confined to the beach, a reality some people find so ‘insufferable’ that an entire online campaign has sprung up against so-called ‘dry robe wankers’ or DRWs. Dryrobes might be totally acceptable at the beach, but make sure to leave it in the car before heading into Tesco (Picture: Getty Images) The war against these thermal coats has been alive and well for a number of years now. While the exact origins of the phrase ‘dryrobe wanker’ remain unclear, it first began cropping up on social media in late 2021, more than a decade after the flagship brand Dryrobe launched its first products in the UK. And pretty soon, DRWs became public enemy number one. Wearing a dryrobe is like driving a Land Rover Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Typically associated with middle-class white British women, dryrobe wearers are often portrayed on social media as obnoxious or prone to attention-seeking. One Redditor, @eat-think-swim, branded them as an example of ‘conspicuous wealth’, the kind of attire seen ‘at school football matches’. While there are now dozens of dupes on the market, an official Dryrobe will set you back £175 a pop. However, it’s not just the price tag that seems to ‘infuriate’ certain members of the public. I will immediately lose respect for you On Reddit and TikTok, the main issue users claim to have is when people continue to wear their dryrobe after they’ve dumped their wet swimming costume in the boot, and driven away from the beach. Discussing how ‘ridiculous’ it is that some people wear their dryrobes to the shops @Simdagger1976 wrote: ‘They’re meant to be worn for the two minutes it takes to get out of your wetsuit and into your dry clothes on a cold wet day. Not on a dog walk or a stroll down to the cafe.’ ‘It’s not a coat. It’s a changing robe,’ @spank86 added. Keen to jump on the band wagon, @dieonthefirstfloor compared this ‘annoying’ habit to ‘wearing a dressing gown to the supermarket’. The freezer aisle is incredibly cold, I honestly don’t blame people for keeping their dryrobes on (Picture: Getty Images) Unsurprisingly, users over on TikTok have been equally judgemental. After spotting one woman in a dryrobe shopping in Aldi, @harrytafota jokingly exclaimed: ‘She must be expecting rain inside!’ Jessica Corrigan, 27, tells Metro that if you live in Cornwall or Brighton, shesees no real issue with you wearing your dryrobe to the shops. If you’re a Londoner, however, it’s a totally different story. ‘If you live in London, or really any city, and I see you rocking a dryrobe, I immediately lose some respect for you,’ she shares. ‘The entire purpose is for them to be used when you’ve been in a body of water. I don’t care if it’s raining in London, put a waterproof on. If you live in a landlocked city, what’s the thought process? Put some thermals on and snap out of it!’ Technically London has the river Thames…? Does that count? (Picture: Getty Images) I wear my dryrobe everywhere — I love it! The DRWs have been fighting back, sharing videos of them proudly wearing their dryrobes in the shops. One particularly vocal advocate, @life_by_adam, has criticised others for shaming dryrobe wearers, arguing that ‘taking photos of strangers in supermarkets’ is surely far stranger than wearing a thermal coat to Lidl? Earlier this year, 63% of Brits revealed that they regularly wear activewear beyond the gym. So, is it that unreasonable to want to keep your dryrobe on whilst picking out your 3pm sweet treat? Camilla Collins, 39, has zero intention of ditching her beloved dryrobe. The entrepreneur lives in London and regularly wears her jacket to ‘walk the dogs, pop into shops, go to the pub and even nip to the gym’. Describing it as ‘one of the most useful things [she] owns,’ she tells Metro that while she originally bought her dryrobe specifically for dog walks, it’s become a staple in her wardrobe when it’s chilly. She continues: ‘It’s warm, windproof, enormous pockets and perfect for throwing on over absolutely anything.’ Camilla often wears her dryrobe on daily errands and to the pub (Picture: Camilla Collins) That said, Camilla acknowledges that the popularity of the ‘activewear trend’ may have made some Brits ‘a bit lazy’ about getting dressed. ‘I feel like gym leggings have somehow become acceptable attire for almost every occasion (and I’m guilty of that too!),’ she shares. ‘Do I think dryrobes are particularly stylish?’ Camilla muses, ‘definitely not. ‘Do I think we should all be wandering around town in them? It doesn’t look great… But, will I be giving mine up anytime soon? Nope!’