What to Wear on a Rainy Day: A Casual Menswear Guide
Sometimes I wake up, look outside, and realize it’s pouring, so the outfit I planned the night before won’t work. Situations like this can catch you unprepared and add a bit of unnecessary stress to your day. That’s why I thought it might be useful to share what I think are the best options for days when it’s pouring outside.
When it’s raining heavily, the first thing you think of is an umbrella, of course. And having a classic one that is made from natural materials and very elegant, instead of cheap plastic one, will compliment and elevate your outfit. And when it comes to getting dressed, the most important thing is to pick the right outerwear to protect your clothes and shoes to keep your feet dry; otherwise, your day might get off to a rough start.
On a rainy day you always choose a pair with a rubber sole. Not only is a leather sole more slippery when wet, but it also soaks up water. This can let water get inside the shoe and make the sole wear out faster. And yes, you can oil the leather sole and treat it with different products, but this can only marginally improve this. Cordovan should be fine, but I believe that best protection is prevention, so when it’s raining in the morning before you leave the house, I would always pick a pair with rubber soles so you have one less thing to worry about that day.
Barbour Bedale and a baseball cap
Indigo Jeans and Paraboot Villandry
Even thought you will almost certainly be carrying an umbrella on such day, you should take a jacket that will provide you some extra protection. A trench coat or a mac coat are the best options (check out the best ones here), since they are longer and will protect most of your trousers as well. Another option is a waxed jacket, like the classic Barbour jackets (check out the best alternatives here), but these will leave most of your trousers exposed. You shouldn’t be concerned about the layers you wear underneath the outerwear, they will be well protected. But you should think about trousers, since they will almost certainly catch some drops of water and possibly some dust, salt, sand or dirt with it. So if you don’t want to worry too much about stains, or looking dirty when they dry, I suggest picking dark trouser - so navy, dark grey, brown or olive. Indigo jeans is the best option if you want to go more casual.
Navy Mac Coat
Barbour Bedale
On very wet days, boots are the best choice to keep your feet and ankles dry. Another option is derbies, but in that case your ankles are still exposed, so if you don’t want your socks getting wet and stained, avoid them. And on these days, just forget that loafers exist.
Most people believe that suede will get ruined when wet, which might be true for cheap suede, but quality suede that is used for most hadmade shoes will be fine. And it’s actually one of the best options if you don’t want to worry about salt stains, which are usually a lot more visible on leather or cordovan. With suede you just let it dry and brush it.
Myrqvist Haga Brown Suede Chukka Boots
However, the best option for rain is cordovan, which isn’t regular grain leather. It’s made from a tight, fibrous membrane beneath the horsehide. That density makes it naturally more resistant to water penetration than standard calf, and cordovan is also heavily nourished with oils and waxes during tanning. Those oils help repel water and prevent the leather from drying out after getting wet. But cordovan is expensive, and some people don’t like to wear it in the rain because it is a magnet for water marks, even though you can easily remove them by polishing the shoes.
For those who don’t own any cordovan shoes, grain calf is a great option, not because it would be more water resistent, but because it’s not smooth, the texture hides the water and salt marks better.
So on a such day I usually put on the same shirt, jacket or sweater as I planed the day before, and then based on the color pallete and style of the outfit I choose between dark brown or navy trousers, or indigo jeans, and a mac coat or a Barbour waxed jacket. As for footwear, my usual go-to pair on a rainy day are dark brown suede chukkas (best options here) or a pair or cafe Paraboots. But if you ask me to pick just one pair that should work with basically every possible outfit, then I would go with black leather chukka boots or a pair of black leather derbies.
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