Puddle jumper

50 shades of Seattle grey

Shit, it’s raining image via Pinterest

I know rain very well. I was raised in Seattle and am writing this piece from my childhood home. Shocker, it is raining. You would think that with my NW upbringing I would own serious rain gear, but I don’t. It is precisely that growing up in Seattle made me eschew serious rain gear. I never saw any style inspiration that made me want to get up and go puddle jumping. Actually wait, during my senior year a new girl made an appearance for a quarter and we became friends. She had a sophisticated wardrobe that consisted of neutrals and always had a thermos of Starbucks (when Sbux was niche) in tow. She also brought cut up star fruit for lunch. Her level of coolness was not like anything I had seen before and I was taking notes. She was even cooler on rainy days as she casually took off her belted trench in homeroom, tousled her unfrizzy hair and poured her cup of coffee during the first bell. Her style imprint will forever live in my mental mood board. I can’t remember her name but I remember her game. She won rainy day recess.

Thankfully I know how to play that rain game now so don’t worry, I got you.

Drizzle Days

All day drizzle can make your hair frizzy, your wide-legged jeans damp and your clothes feel sticky. These are the days when I would stick to straight leg denim, light layers and a good hair oil to stave off frizz, plus a cute hat is mandatory.

Mid size rain

This rain is consistent and you know you can’t wear the shoes you want without damaging them but you still have to go to work and look professional, especially hard for the NYC girlies, like my daughters, that have to navigate subways and sidewalks. Stick to lightweight breathable layers underneath that trench and keep silhouettes thin, no need for a winged arm that could catch drops and rails.

Sideways windy rain

This rain is punishing and challenging to navigate without looking like a hot mess. The umbrella bends backwards, the rain hits your face and your pants cling to your legs. Ugly. This is when you keep your hair back and your makeup minimal. I suggest wearing darker shades because anything light gets ruined by walking through dirty rain water or you get sidewalk pummeled by a car.

In the trenches

Make the trench do all the hard work for your rainy day style, add small pops of color to make a splash.

L-R: La DoubleJ, Damson Madder, Barbour, Toteme, Ganni, Rains, Avec Les Filles

L-R: &Other Stories,Rains, Ganni, Damson Madder, Barbour, Rainkiss poncho, The Great

Slick Moves

The options are endless and so would my bank account be if I lived in the NW. I could never choose just one.

L - R: Bimba Y Lola, Rainkiss, Ganni, Varley, Loeffler Randall, Damson Madder, Stütterheim, Loeffler Randall, Stand Studio

Girls in the hood

Obsessed with these toppers. I say bring back the rain bonnet.

L-R: Maje, Kule, Rains, Bimbai Y Lola, Another Hat (Etsy), Stütterheim, Aigle x Rouje

Puddle jumpers

The Tibi ones would make me pray for rain.

Hunter, Aigle, Doc Martens, Tibi, Barbour x Farm Rio, Jimmy Choo, Barbour x Farm Rio, Gucci via TRR, Target, J.W. Anderson via TRR, Charlotte Stone

You can stand under my umbrella…ella, ella, eh, eh, eh

Ralphs Coffee, vintage Dior via TRR, Bimba Y Lola, Shedrain, Moschino, MOMA,

If you’d rather stay in, I suggest watching The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a favorite old film of mine starring Catherine Deneuve. I’m not crying, it’s just raining inside.

XO,

DK