DON’T LET WEATHER RAIN ON YOUR PARADE
RAIN PRACTICALLY RUNS THROUGH IRISH BLOOD, so we ought to know a thing or two about dressing for it. Blending high fashion with the elements this week, however, proved difficult. After a painful fall in the icy renmants of Storm Emma, Mother Nature forced me into ridicuously practical footwear with a firm, steady grip: an old battered pair of hiking boots. Not my proudest fashion moment.
The uplifting whimiscal mood of an expected spring has, of course, only heightened the severity of the weather. A fortnight ago we were contemplating floral prints and pastels again, now we’re trying to get from A to B in rainproof armour with an oversized umbrella. I don’t know about you but I’ve spent much of my week wondering how to look vaguely decent in an oversized vinyl raincoat.
Those not sartorially challenged by the cold may find dressing for miserable bouts of rain relatively easy. For the rest of us – who are a lot more sensitive to what going on outside – it’s more of a minefield. It’s impossible to dress up when sporadic showers make roads and pavements already coated in melted sleet more slippery. Functional footwear like heavy boots or ankle length wellies with chunky socks are essential. Leather is normally resistant but any other fabric-based shoe – satin or suede, for example – will get destroyed in the rain.
Clothes-wise I suggest utilising the sleek separates in your wardrobe: chunky knits and woolly accessories. Big, blanket, patterned scarves are always clever as they pop with darker outfits, and are cosy and versatile – if you’ve forgotten your umbrella, wrap it around your neck and head. Slick long vinyl raincoats, upscale anoraks and layered trench coats all compliment slouchy knitwear, midi skirts teamed with tights or a skinny/cropped leg pant so you can tuck them into your footwear.
The showerproof macs that I’ve fallen in love with this season come big, belted, double-breasted with puffed sleeves, in beige at Marks and Spencer (€125), in khaki at Zara (€69.95) and dark navy blue from The Kooples in BT (€235).
If it’s more downpour than drizzle, rule out demin staples – dresses or boyfriend jeans tend to be heavy, tough to dry and uncomfortable to wear if you do get considerably wet so lightweight high-waist trousers and skirts are a better idea. If you do need to amp up your trench with jazzier attire for a night out or, indeed, dinner tomorrow to ring in Mother’s Day, try a fluted midi dress (Finery, Mango, Ganni in Arnotts, Reiss) or a skirt and cosy knit/blouse combination with over-the-knee boots. To top it off, a bubble umbrella that will cocoon you or a cheap €2 patterned pocket size one from Penneys or Dealz if there’s a good chance that you’ll leave it behind you – the story of my life.
“WE’RE TRYING TO GET FROM A TO B IN RAINPROOF ARMOUR WITH AN OVERSIZED UMBRELLA”