Shopping Challenge: Rainy Days and Mondays
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Time now for the rest of that half-baked post I so brutally thrust into the world on Monday. Or rather, time for a rough approximation of that half-baked post, since I panicked and deleted it in its entirety within about thirty seconds of accidentally hitting Publish.
(Incidentally, if you ever mistakenly publish a blog post, don't delete it (thanks Lyn). But if you already have, this post and this post were helpful, although seemingly not helpful enough since Google Reader is still clinging on for dear life. JUST GIVE IT UP, GOOGLE.)
Anyway. The purpose of the post was, firstly, to thank you for being so kind and supportive, and, secondly, to blatantly take advantage of your kindness and support for my own sartorial gain.
You see, one thing about my new position that I neglected to mention on Friday is that it's in Glasgow. I went to university in Glasgow, and it's a place very dear to my heart, especially when it comes to fashion. Edinburgh has a certain quiet style about it, I suppose, but Glasgow is a place that shamelessly struts its stuff and isn't afraid to embrace whatever trend happens to be passing through. The hair is big, the skin is (fake-)tanned, and more is definitely more. You can't turn up in Glasgow in a boring bloody Edinburgh quilted gilet with your eyebrows unplucked and your hair a hot mess. You just can't.
The dress code in my new office is somewhat more relaxed than my usual lawyer-chic-zzzzzzzz, so I'm planning on channelling a bit of Glasgow flair for the duration of the internship. As you can imagine, I'm almost as excited about all the new outfit options as I am about the job. That bit isn't the problem. The problem is The Rain.
When I first moved to Glasgow from the east coast, it rained every day for the first month. Not all day every day, but still. Every day. At the time, massive flared jeans and trainers were the fashion (or so I, in my innocence, believed) and I would arrive at my classes every morning with soggy feet, wet ankles and a tide mark of puddle water seeping up towards my knees.
At last, in my final year, wellies became borderline socially acceptable as everyday footwear. I picked up a polka dot pair from Asda for a tenner, and I am not overstating things when I say they changed my life. Dry feet! All day! Those wellies were worth every penny of that £10 and every minute of being mocked by random Glasgwegian builders (like I say, they were only borderline acceptable).
But you can't really wear wellies to work, can you? I'm going to be travelling on rush hour trains, so there's no way I'm carrying a change of shoes with me. And don't even get me started on the jacket situation. Why is every lightweight hooded jacket that is vaguely stylish made of non-waterproof material? WHY? Do I need to dress like a hillwalker if I want to be dry? Is that what you're trying to tell me, Topshop? Is it??
I'm throwing this one out to you guys. I need help.
What can a girl wear on her feet that will be classic, stylish and vaguely waterproof? I've heard Sno Seal can make decent leather shoes waterproof, but this could just be a cruel lie sold to desperate Scottish people.
Does a jacket exist in this world that can do for summer showers what my duffel coat did for winter ones? Something lightweight, stylish, preferably with a hood, and not made of 100% bloody cotton?
All suggestions will be gratefully received in the comments. Oh and don't forget the whole "unpaid" thing, which sadly puts that Frances May parka up there out of the running. Along with that pointy yellow number up the top. Which is a shame, because I think Glasgow would enjoy it.
Those of you who live in rainy climes, how do you keep yourself stylish but dry? Is there some trick that I'm missing? Should I just buy myself a massive umbrella and call it a day?
Images: 1. STREETFSN 2. Frances May
31 boats moored
Oh... if only you discover that secret please do say. The Netherlands is the same, rains all the time. I am thankful for umbrellas... but other than that waterproof outerwear is just ugly.
ReplyDeleteWindproof brolly. I'm still to sort out the footwear dilemma after being in Glasgow for 8 years. When I walked to work I used to just leave shoes underneath my desk and wear walking boots/wellies when it was wet. It wasn't a good look but it kept me dry!
ReplyDeleteI need to know these things too. I've got wellies and I'm not ashamed to wear them but I don't have a rain coat. & I"m going to live there for three months. I may have to resort to hill walking jackets. x
ReplyDeleteFirstly CONGRATULATIONS on your new and highly exciting life development! It is totally possible to live on no money by the way, if you need any hints on that you know where to come.
ReplyDeleteThe best waterproof shoes are a good quality pair of leather boots. I picked up some ankle boots at a clothes swap a few months ago that have stood me in good stead through our monsoon summer so far, and my BF always has a pair of knee-lengths on the go and never gets her feet wet. The vegans don't like it, but it's the only way forward!
Px
That parka is perfection. If you don't think you can get away with wearing the rainy weege (town) combo of wellies with short shorts then remember the other fashion pack - weege hipsters who tend to dress a little bit more appropriately.
ReplyDeleteI love this seafolly jacket and I think short waterproof boots (DMs?) might be the "summer" alternative to wellies sadly.
Also get yourself to primarni and buy a spare pair of shoes or two for the office.
(Broken link - this is the jacket Kiara was linking to)
DeleteAlso, I am a million percent certain I cannot get away with wearing wellies and short shorts. I'm about ten years too old for that (maybe 25 years).
DeleteWhat you need is some waterproofed knee boots, Tights and skirts, and a raincoat.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you have a desk at your office, I advise actually wearing wellies to commute and having a pair of flats in your drawer.
I come from the land of "no rain", but Etsy has some interesting choices. I searched for "raincoat", and all kinds of styles popped up. Yes, some are from the US, but even with shipping your almighty pound makes it pretty reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving raincoat advice, who knew. Haha.
Ooh, I hadn't thought of etsy for clothes - will take a look, thanks!
Delete(And the Sno Seal advice came from LA local east side bride - I'll take advice from anyone I can get!)
I've been wearing a pair of flat brown leather ankle boots from Timberland for the last 2 months. They've kept my feet dry and look fine with most of my work wardrobe. For the days when I have to wear something more formal I keep a pair of heels under my desk and then bring in some pumps in my handbag if I need to. The boots are nice enough to wear at the weekend and I think they're going to last for a while. I don't think anyone in my office has ever noticed that I sometimes change my shoes half way through the day if a client comes in!
ReplyDeleteRaincoat - the 'Jack in a Pack' from Millets in purple is what I've been rocking. Light enough to wear at the moment and they come in lots of colours. Not the most amazing jacket ever, but I'm not embarrassed to bring it out of my bag (it goes really small) when going around London with colleagues.
The trouble with wearing wellies to commute and keeping shoes under my desk is that when I get up in the morning in Edinburgh, it will generally be dry, so I'll (a) have no idea if it's going to be raining in Glasgow, and (b) look like a tit getting on the bus in a pair of wellies on a sunny day. Tricky.
ReplyDeleteKeep those suggestions coming!
My first suggestion, and how I handle London for 8 months of the year, minimum, is a combination of patent ballet flats (dry quick and the leather doesn't stain) and my incomparable leather Frye boots. I bought them for £120 (most ever spent by me on shoes) and have never looked back. Lifetime investment. They don't let a drop of water in and, in my eyes, go with just about everything. Link here but can be found for cheaper...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001A6JOAA/ref=asc_df_B001A6JOAA8696712/?tag=googlecouk06-21&creative=22134&creativeASIN=B001A6JOAA&linkCode=asn
As for the different shoes/wellies, if anyone who lives in the UK thinks your a tit for wearing wellies in the sun, *they* are in fact a tit for continuing to believe that the weather won't prove their sartorial choices wrong on a daily, relentless basis. I think it's fine - converse/boots plus pair of flats chucked in the bag for work is how I manage to wear most of my delicate ladylike shoes that were designed for land-dwelling mammals to wear and didn't take into account that those living in London are basically amphibian.
As for rainwear, ack. I have a nice purple trench from Gap and a VERY stylish umbrella. Silk scarves for the hair. It's not foolproof. My hair is mostly case of there but for the grace of god go I in terms of retaining a style in the face of overwhelming odds...
Good luck!
Being from Edinburgh, and having lived in Glasgow for 4 years, my comments are this:
ReplyDelete- Cath Kidson is very 'Edinburgh', as are gilets and Hunter wellies.
- Do not wear crocs in the rain (saw a lady doing this today so it's on my mind.)
- A good pair of leather boots will get you far. Little ankle boots would work well for office situations? (ASOS has a sale right now...)
- Glasgow weather can render any umbrella useless if it decides to. So, I carry a little knitted beanie hat with me whenever it looks like rain. I might look like an idiot out on the street but at least it saves my hair for the day when it's really windy.
- Carrying a little mac with you isn't that bad an idea - I sometimes see the slightly smug women who have managed to judge the weather correctly and have paired a raincoat with skinny jeans and boots...and they look miles better than the ones who just decided they would chance it and end up soaking!
- Welcome back to Glasgow!
I will try not to take offence that you felt the need to tell me not to wear crocs in the rain (or ever). AS IF! ;)
DeleteOh no, you never would. But no one ever should and it still happened!
DeleteI have the Crocs ballet flats and I wear them in the rain. They really aren't that bad, but if it's hot out my feet sweat and then blister, so leather with a good coating is better.
DeleteAlso, folding wellies! http://www.redfootshoes.com/Folding-RainBoot-c18/
So I have this problem, because it rains in Baltimore quite a bit, and I walk to work, and dry feet are awesome. First tip: stash a pair of shoes in your office. I refuse to carry a change of shoes with me, but I keep a single pair of neutral shoes that go with everything in my office. You can stash them somewhere. That way, even if you aren't wearing waterproof shoes, or you step in a puddle, you have dry shoes.
ReplyDeleteNow, for shoe recs - I have a pair of Ecco patent leather ballet flats (their bullion line) that are surprisingly good in the rain. I also love my Keen rainboots, which are just black and look sorta-professional. Rockport has also come out with a line of machine washable shoes, which presumably can stand up to the rain, though I don't know how quickly they dry. http://www.rockport.com/womens-shoes/flats/etty-plain-moc-flats/ettyplainmoc,default,pd.html?dwvar_ettyplainmoc_color=ettyplainmoc_darkbeige&start=2&cgid=womens-footwear-technology-washable&dyncatsale=null&dyncatnew=null
As for parkas, I have a Marmot PreCip jacket (http://marmot.com/products/wms_precip_jacket?p=168) is it stylish? Of course not! BUT!!! it folds up really tiny and fits in my purse and is incredibly lightweight with pitzips - I live in a city where it is simultaneously 90 degrees (I think 40 C?) and raining, so pitzips are a must. I used to have one from L.L.Bean - I think this one, or one of the pricier models bought at the outlet - http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68165?feat=610-GN1 - which was pretty nice. In black, it is definitely vaguely stylish.
I have a pair of Bass knee-high leather boots I love, but lately I've been into the shorter version (ankle? calf-height?) like these frye engineers
ReplyDeleteoh, and I live in Seattle so my daily uniform is a slim jean, t-shirt or tank top, and a lightweight cardigan of some sort. plus a north face rain shell bunched up in my bag for when it inevitably starts raining
ReplyDeleteDid I know you lived in Seattle? I don't know if I did. My cousin and his wife live there, it's definitely on my to-visit list - one day!
DeleteClarks leather and tweed brogues look good, as do the Toast rain coats (in the sale now, orange one sold out)
ReplyDeleteI actually have a pair of Clarks brogues! I wasn't sure if the little holes around the seams would let rain in though?? (I may have thought too much about this.)
DeleteOh man, those Toast jackets are lovely - it's probably just as well they're all sold out, otherwise I would be seriously considering dropping £150 on one of those bad boys.
DeleteWhen my sister moved to Glasgow it rained everyday for three months and she loved it there despite hating rain.
ReplyDeleteI am seconding the leather boots thing. I have a nice (but sadly now knackered) pair of brown leather boots that I call my wellies as that is how I use them. Very useful. Ankle boots do most things but knee high work well if you are likely to encounter serious puddles.
And, I've sent you it on twitter but as always there is the Yellow Submarine Mac on Asos and I have the red mac they featured on Domestic Sluts - it is super thin so easy to have in your bag for days like today was in London (serious warm sunshine followed by freezing downpour for twenty minutes then sun again). Handy as a back up but would not be my first choice for wind and rain and the wind blows the hood down depending on the direction it is blowing in (as I discovered on Leith Walk last week)
Does it really rain that much (the past two weeks excluded from that questions obs)?? Have I just filtered this issue out of my day to day life in Glasgow? Hmmm not sure I have any suggestions to help, I was going to suggest shoes under your desk but that's already been said. What about going down the Shuella route
ReplyDeleteOkay I tried to paste the link to Shuellas and I disappeared mid sentence...does your blog already. (sensibly) have a Shuella filter?!?
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha it doesn't, but it SHOULD! OMG.
DeleteI like this one. (I don't care for fancy links. Sorry.)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.petit-bateau.co.uk/e-shop/product/69232/68W/women-s-raincoat.html
I gave in and bought a proper raincoat, however, it is a North Face one so imo stylish. I love that blue rain coat, it would go perfectly with my Hunter wellies. However, I brave most days in black boots and an umbrella. I dig out the hard stuff for the days its raining even before i've left the front door.
ReplyDeleteI love these:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72457?feat=506697-CL2&attrValue_0=Dark%20Brown/Brick%20Red&productId=1207628
I need a rich American to pick me up some.
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