Jess Cartner-Morley
Associate fashion editor for the Guardian
There is a way to look chic in a downpour. Outside fancy hotels or swanky fashion parties they have men (not being sexist, it just is always men) whose job it is to greet you with an enormous umbrella as you step out of your Uber and provide shelter until you are safely inside. This is both effective and aesthetically pleasing.
Alas, not a practical everyday strategy. Look, I have thought about this a lot, because I have the kind of pathetic fine hair that is plastered forlornly to my head after 30 seconds in drizzle. Still, we want to be rain-ready without looking aggressively practical. A 50% chance of rain is not the apocalypse. And it’s a hard no to the umbrella alone: good ones are cumbersome; the flimsy kind that fit in a handbag are profoundly depressing – and either way those spikes are borderline sociopathic.
But hoods make coats look so juvenile! My solution is a hood that detaches, and bellow pockets so that the hood can be folded up within one of these except when it’s actually raining. I have a trusty old Barbour – similar to its current Carville style. Set an alarm on Vinted. You may want to be quite snappy about it: Claudia is wearing a v similar Barbour on Celebrity Traitors this season (the Marron), which means everyone will be after one.
Also, a sturdy boot. I choose a low block heel over a flat, because it keeps your jeans hem out of puddles, and a cleated sole rather than a flat one, for grip and durability. A pull-on M&S Chelsea bootworks with tights and skirts as well as with trousers.
If all else fails, stand outside Claridge’s looking helpless.
Aja Barber
Writer and sustainability consultant
I’m very unfussy and I don’t like my rainy-day aesthetic to look too different from my non-rainy-day aesthetic. But when it’s raining cats and dogs, I use my Ponch poncho – it’s recycled and colourful; rather joyful for a poncho. Or I’ll use my umbrella – I like the rainbow one from Roka. I enjoy an umbrella because you can share it and huddle together with a friend or a lover, laughing hysterically as you try not to get wet.
I often don’t bother with waterproof footwear, but again, if it’s really bad I go for the J Crew rubber Chelsea boot that I’ve had for decades (before I swore off all fast fashion). I tend to wear a lot of Egg baggy short trousers, but I mostly buy them secondhand because they’re expensive new.
Sometimes a downpour is unavoidable. When I moved to the UK, I decided no more blowouts and straighteners. That way I’m never upset. I recommend becoming low maintenance to anyone and everyone.
Luke Turner
Author and editor
What I wear to keep dry depends on where I am. If I’m on a proper walk in the countryside, I’ll wear my Berghaus waterproof Cornice jacket, which I’ve had for about 20 years (they still sell an updated version). It keeps me bone-dry and has good breathability, but it is pretty ugly.
In a city, I’ll wear my old rubberised-cotton black railway jacket from my favourite shop, Levisons. I love mine – it’s very solid and keeps me dry, but it is a bit like a portable sauna. I also have a compromise Barbour jacket, which I’ll wear if I’m going for a little walk in the forest. But prices have gone up a lot since I bought mine two years ago.
I don’t really bother with waterproof trousers. I do have a pair, also from Berghaus, but I always forget or don’t bother to put them on. It just starts raining and you think: “Sod it.”
I don’t worry too much about getting my head wet in the rain – it’s a good feeling, so even if I’m wearing my cagoule, I generally walk along with my hood off. And I honestly think umbrellas should be banned in city centres.
My feet are a different story. If I’m in the forest in winter I have a pair of good quality Le Chameau wellies. The amount of wellies I used to get through because they break … but these are amazing and have lasted ages. Otherwise, I wear leather walking boots from Scarpa. I always wear them to music festivals, because they’re so comfortable that I can yomp around in them for days. For rainy days in the city, I do Dr Martens 16-hole boots in soft leather. I’ve worn them since I was a teenage Suede fan. They’re so comfy – I’ve got bad knees, so the bouncy soles really help.
I like to think about shape when it comes to keeping stylish in the rain. I like 60s and 70s outdoor wear, in oranges and yellow, or muted olive greens. Rag Parade/Jojo’s General Store in Sheffield always seems to have the nicest pieces. The way that those things are cut is really nice compared with the super-scientifically designed garments of today.
Caryn Franklin
Fashion and identity commentator
I like simplicity when it comes to rainy-day dressing. I have a waterproof backpack by Rains, which I wear over a plain black coat. On my bottom half I like calf-length skirts; long trousers always gather water at the back and then the moisture creeps up the leg. Sometimes I’ll wear jeans rolled up or I pull in the strings of my khaki fatigues to look a bit, to my mind, Clockwork Orange.
On my feet, I wear vegan leather high-ankle boots with elastic sides from ethical footwear company Po-Zu, which is sadly now closed, although Matt & Nat has a good match – think rounded-toe Chelsea boots. The great thing about vegan leather is that it’s totally waterproof. And I like a thick, knee-length sock to protect against the cold. I buy black thermal knee-high ones from M&S.
If things are really bad – dog-walking paths in Suffolk can get very watery – I’ll wear a pair of waterproof trousers with an old military showerproof coat I bought secondhand (Etsy is good for army surplus). I tuck my trousers in my knee-high Frostline wellingtons by Grubs. The upper leg is made from neoprene and they are soft underfoot, like slippers.
Key for me in any wet weather situation is keeping my hair dry and under control. It’s long and grey and can turn into frizzy candyfloss in the rain, or even if there’s drizzly moisture in the air. One answer is to wear it back, which I do a lot. To control it, and minimise water and humidity damage, I use a Kiehl’s diluted texturising clay from the crown to the ponytail band, which keeps everything flat to my scalp. It’s now discontinued, but Salt Grooming’s Compound Clay is a good option and it’s paraben-free. The key is that it’s off-white in colour and that is good for my grey hair. I dilute it with water and smooth it over my hair. Then I plait the rest.
Another defence mechanism is my magic umbrella from Knirps. Sadly, it no longer makes the kind I have, which folds into a sturdy holder in my bag if it looks like rain, and can be put straight back in the holder – that way, I haven’t lost any umbrellas for a long time. But Anatole has one that’s made from recycled plastic bottles – it’s 100% rPET, has a wooden handle, a sustainable canopy and is only 17.5cm long.
Dal Chodha
Writer, editor and pathway leader at Central Saint Martins
I like to wear as few layers as possible – one or two, max – whether it’s raining or not. Just because it’s raining, it doesn’t mean that I change the fabrics I like to wear. That means I wouldn’t necessarily have anything that’s technically proficient in keeping me dry, but I did recently buy a cotton cape from a London-based brand called Sono. It’s based – I think – on an old 80s German cycling cagoule. It’s a rectangle of fabric with a hole in the middle and a hood, then two belt loops at the sides that keep it closer to your body. I don’t shop for clothes often, so when I add something to my wardrobe, it’s with the understanding that it’s going to be there a long time. If it’s cold and raining I will simply wear my cape with a jumper wrapped around my neck as a scarf.
I can get away with not wearing something more sturdy because I live in a city. You get splashed and then you dry off, especially if wearing natural fabrics.
On my feet, if it’s hot and it’s raining I will still wear sandals, but they’re rubber, from Vivobarefoot. When it’s raining raining, I wear a soft shoe, like a sneaker ballerina from a brand I love called Abra. And a few years ago I did buy a version of an Ugg boot, also from Abra – they’re waterproof, and slopping about in the rain in those feels heavenly.
I hate umbrellas. I’ve tried all manner but I loathe carrying them, so I prefer to let the rain ruin what mistakes God already made.
The one thing I do worry about is my bag. If you’ve got a semi-nice bag, or a leather bag, protect it from the rain. On a rainy day I’d go for a nylon or canvas bag instead – Tekla does a good one that is very thick, and Topologie does some nice nylon alternatives.
Also, not to be pretentious, but in some ways the jolt of being wet is a weirdly human experience. I’m a bit like Drew Barrymore when it rains.
15 of the best rainy-day clothes and accessories
Women’s jacket
Crossbody bag
Men’s clogs
Umbrella
Tote bag
Women’s raincoat
Men’s trousers
Wellies
Men’s windbreaker
Women’s trousers
Barbour ankle wellies
Waterproof cap
Barbour x APC hat
Backpack rain cover
Men’s jacket
