Rain Gear For A Rainy Day

Rain, rain, come my way; I’m prepared for you any day; my rain gear will keep you away!

Finally! The summer sun has begun to lose the battle against the dark stormy clouds. Rains are now poised to take over, drench, quench and soak everything in its way. Well that will give us much needed respite from the heat, but are you outfitted for the rains? Or does ‘singing in the rains’ appeal more? As the skies prepare to empty gallons of water on us, the good old umbrellas and raincoats are back jostling for space on store shelves. But, the common, staid black umbrella and traditional khaki duck-back raincoats are now making room for trendy, cute and stylish protective rain gear.

Umbrellas now come in myriad of colours and themes with diverse mind-boggling designs; making them seem more like fashion accessories rather than ordinary utility items! (The latest in the children’s collections are cartoon character inspired ones with the character’s ears prominently standing up!) Aside from the basic ‘straight’ model, come the (single) folding type, the three-folder, and the 4- folder, which is compact enough to fit in any handbag or even a pocket when folded. Small and efficiently unfurls to full size when open!

But, practically speaking, while the umbrella is handy for mild showers or walks in the rain, for heavy downpours or for use while riding, the raincoat alias the mackintosh or the windcheater wins hands-down! When you do strut out in the rain, people see the coat and not the designer-wear inside, so girls; select a real trendy cute showstopper with a chic belt and deep pockets! Or pick out a transparent raincoat, which protects and displays your cool outfit within. There are many models which are basically transparent, but made stylish and colourful with trendy designs or flowers printed all over. While for boys, a cool windcheater/jacket (two-piece outfit with rain-coat pants) or a single knee/ankle length outfit with big lapels, a wide belt, and deep pockets look real suave! For schoolchildren, raincoats in varied hues and prints are now styled with added space for shielding the invariable schoolbag as well.

Make this monsoon an opportunity to make a bold fashion statement!! While the raincoat does cover all, the monsoon dress code generally involves cottons and blended or synthetic fabrics like cotton-rayon, silks, or nylons (fast-drying). Denims are out. Preferably opt for bold colours as pastels or lighter shades will show up even mild mud splatters. Add trendy sandals or matching boots (no leather or high-heels) to complete the look.