There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think the rainy season – that is, April to October are filled with rainbows – the sweet smell of the earth and dancing in the rain. And those who think those months are filled with dark clouds, muddy shoes, a runny nose and traffic.
Unfortunately, I belong to the latter group. Which often means I have to be prepared well in advance for the hassles of the rainy season.
Without further ado, here are a few ways I like to stay prepared.
An umbrella in your car
If you drive, this must have happened to you. You get into your car and drive to your office(or wherever else) and it starts to rain. If there’s no umbrella in your car, you’re going to have to walk from your car into the building. Those few seconds/minutes are very precious and you can end up drenched. Nobody wants to come into that meeting or date looking like a cat caught in the rain. Literally.
A transparent umbrella
It’s raining…but make it Fashion! Transparent umbrellas are so in and chic right now. They have been spotted on runways and they should be spotted with you too. If you can’t find transparent umbrellas, then, by all means, stick to plain, dark-coloured umbrellas that would not clash with your outfit. Black, grey, blue are colours of umbrellas you can get. Please ditch the promo umbrellas with the name of your favourite instant powdered milk brand splashed all over it.
I know the umbrella was gotten for free, but…Ugh!
Jellies or trekkers
The thing I love most about fashion is how the most random things from the past come back in vogue. It’s even better when it is functional. Rubber trekkers and Jellies are a way to spice up your look and also simultaneously walk in the rain without getting your shoes soiled. Thankfully, we don’t have to buy $590 Prada trekkers because we have them in abundance everywhere else.
To take it up a notch, (and if you’re daring enough for these Nigerian Fashion Streets) you can add fashionable rubber boots to your closet.
If you live in the tropics, you know how inconsistent and unpredictable the weather can be during the rainy season. Putting an outfit together and wearing the heavy, comfy drapery when it is cold and raining can be great. Until you leave your house and the sun starts to shine again. And then you go from “hey, it’s fashion” to “this heat will soon kill me”.
The key to avoiding this is to layer your clothing. This way, you can easily take off the extra sweater when the temperature rises again.
Breathable, dark coloured clothes
Wear breathable and not overbearing fabrics so that you don’t look too bulky just because it’s raining. It also helps you not to sweat in your clothes.
Dark coloured clothes (especially in the lower half of your outfits) are a safe bet because, with them, you don’t have to worry about muddy track marks or wetness. For whites, these marks show up more easily.
The weather app
Were you expecting this one? I bet you were not. It may not be the most accurate thing on planet Earth but it does make a difference. With this app, you have a general idea of the weather for the day/week and plan your outfits around that.
These are my tops for remaining stylish even in the rain. Because fashion has no days of. Don’t you agree?