Wet weather dressing
How to weather-proof your office wardrobe
After the sunshine comes the rain. Those of you reading this in Europe right now probably can’t wait for that. I expect the heat seems endless right now but, having lived in Australia for more than 15 years now there’s one thing I can tell you for sure: the rain will come eventually. Climate change doesn’t just mean more hot days, it also means more unsettled, wild weather – and that means more rain and storms. Not the ‘little bit of cooling drizzle’ kind, the ‘horizontal rain and roads as rivers’ kind.
Of all the weathers, rain is the most restrictive to dress for. You may be lucky enough to have one of those executive jobs that includes an underground designated parking spot, in which case this article isn’t for you. I have never been in this position. I am in the position of guaranteed exposure to the elements unless I’m WFH. And when it rains here in Australia, the rain is so torrential you think you might need to start buying wood by the cubit. There have been days in the last few years when I’ve considered wearing galoshes to work.
To survive driving wind and howling rain without serious all-day physical discomfort, or without the need to spend the first hour of your office day under the hand dryer, you need some significant wardrobe modifications. And you need a proper umbrella. One that won’t snap like a twig two minutes after leaving the house.
I can’t vouch for your makeup, but the clothes and accessories below will do their level best to help you arrive at the office dry and in one piece.
WithPockets X
Still from Pride and Prejudice
© Joe Wright / Working Title / Studio Canal
Waterproof shoes
Your normal shoes are not cut out for this. In particular, anything fabric, suede or nubuck will have you squelching around all day. And don’t think that the answer is to wear those sandals your use at the pool instead because they’ll dry quickly. They will indeed dry quickly, but your feet will be dirtier than a Victorian street urchin by the time you arrive at the office because the rain may be clean on the way down, but the spray from the road and the pavement is anything but. Keep it close-toed and remember, Gore-Tex is your friend.
American brand Sorel is well-known for ski boots, but they also do waterproof boots and shoes. You can buy them direct online and in-store through Anthropologie. On sale at the moment is the Joan Rhapsody Chelsea Wedge, which has the grace of a very hip office boot but is completely waterproof. They also do waterproof sneakers, which go surprisingly well with a suit.
You also can’t go wrong with Ecco, who have a very wide range of waterproof and Gore-Tex shoes, sneakers and boots. The Soft Zero, seen below, is more ‘urban’ than ‘hiking’ and won’t look out of place in the workplace.
Jacket
If it’s both hot and wet, you want a light-weight shell jacket that will keep the rain off and pack down tiny enough to keep in your carry-on. I have the Torrentshell by Patagonia, which has seen me around Europe and to the office.
British brand Barbour is famously the stockist of the kind of waxed riding jackets beloved by aristocratic women who like to shoot all day in the Scottish Highlands. But if those women can weather all-day rain (with the aid of a hip flask full of brandy) in a Bedale jacket, you can survive the wait for the commuter train.
The Barbour Fia Cape waterproof coat would be particularly good if you like pissing off your fellow commuters by holding on to the pole and dripping on anyone within in a metre blast radius. It’s what the Queen would have done.
A fraction of the price of a Burberry trench coat, Jaegar do a waterproof jacket that is functional and beautiful (although too substantial to be Summer-worthy).
Quick-drying trousers or skirt
There are a few rules for trousers and skirts if you don’t want to arrive at the office looking like Ms Eliza Bennett after an afternoon stroll through the wet fields.
Ankle cut or pencil skirt, not wide leg or maxi. Anything that kicks out will get wet, the more fabric the wetter.
Dark fabrics. Think: pavement splashback. No one wants to look like a Jackson Pollock.
Quick-drying. Thick fabrics take forever to dry and that’s particularly unpleasant in an air-conditioned office.
American brand MM La Fleur does a range of clothes called ‘Origami-Tech’ that are machine washable, anti-crease and quick drying. They are pretty much ideal for regular travellers.
If you’re someone who needs to be outside on site a lot (looking at you my architect and surveyor friends), these waterproof Stormwear trousers (which sounds a bit Third Reich but it’s not…) from Marks and Spencer can just about pass for officewear.
Waterproof bag
It’s great when you have an umbrella. But unless you have a golfing umbrella (in which case, no one likes you), it’s going to be a struggle to keep everything underneath it at once. Particularly your bag. There’s nothing more annoying than surviving the commute seemingly unscathed by the rain, only to discover your laptop and notepad is soggy.
You need a bag made of vegan leather or waxed canvas.
My darling husband bought me a vegan leather NorthFace backpack that is so waterproof you could go kayaking with it. I very much dislike that it advertises NorthFace so brazenly across the entirety of the bag but my God it keeps your stuff dry. Sadly, they have stopped doing it – so here are some alternatives.
Crumpler is an Australian brand that do work bags of all shapes and sizes, but particularly good for bad weather is their Ornamental Pond backpack.
Trakke is a Scottish brand that make waxed canvas backpacks that are unbelievably durable for travel. I’m highly embarrassed that I missed them off the list for the bags article earlier in the year.
I also have a Gaston Luga laptop bag. It’s basically the kind of laptop bag James Bond would use if he was scuba diving to an island to play roulette.
A proper umbrella
Finally, we’ve all seen – and owned - these pretty foldable umbrellas that last about two minutes in the wind. I use the Blunt Metro umbrella. It’s not cheap but it works in a gale and I’ve had it for 8 years so far. If you’re not someone who leaves your umbrella on the bus every week, I highly recommend it.