What to Wear on a Rainy Day
With the June gloom we’ve been experiencing across the US recently, I’ve received tons of emails from you guys wanting outfit ideas for rainy days.
It can definitely be tough to dress for a rainy day because there are so many things to consider. From what type of material you can wear (suede shoes are a no-go) to how to stay dry without sacrificing style, dressing well when it’s rainy out requires a little planning in advance.
Don’t worry, though! It’s easier than most people think to dress for a rainy day. Here are some rainy day fashion tips, as well as six outfit ideas for rainy days.
Rainy Day Fashion Tips
Add color! Don’t be scared to wear something bright and fun on a rainy day. Bad weather can be depressing, so why not go out of your way to wear something non-depressing and cute?
A cute umbrella can be an accessory. There are so many adorable and cheap umbrellas available at stores like Target, so there’s really no excuse to stick to basic black. Buy a couple in your favorite colors if you live in a really rainy area and use them to add color to your look.
Kids umbrellas are cheap, cute, and perfect for one person. I mentioned this in my article 25 Fashion & Style Tips to Brighten Your Day as well, and though I’d repeat the tip here. Why not save a little cash, have some fun, and buy a really ridiculous kids umbrella?
Don’t spend a lot on an umbrella. If you’re anything like me, you’ve lost more umbrellas than you care to remember. That’s why you should never spend much on them. Even if you aren’t prone to misplacing them, umbrellas still aren’t investment pieces – you don’t use them every day! So buy a cute one from Target and pleeeease skip the $250 Burberry version.
A classic trench coat is always perfect for rainy weather. There aren’t many inexpensive and cute trenches in stores right now as it’s summer, so I didn’t include many in the outfits below. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love them! The trench coat is SUCH a classic & essential piece that’s perfect for all occasions and especially rainy days.
Be careful of the materials you wear in rain. I’m sure you probably know this already, but just in case… Suede is off-limits in rain because water usually ruins it, and leather that hasn’t been treated with a protectant can easily be damaged by water as well. Don’t risk ruining your clothes – go with rubber, pleather, or protectant-treated leather shoes in rain and leave your favorite suede handbag at home.
At the same time, don’t worry too much about a 100% waterproof jacket. If you plan ahead and have your umbrella on hand, your jacket won’t get wet enough for waterproofing to matter.
Go crazy when it comes to rain boots. There are so many cute rain boots out there today to fit any sense of style – they literally come in every color under the sun. Have fun and find a pair you love! Much like umbrellas, you can go completely nuts with your rain boots and no one will mind.
6 Rainy Day Outfit Ideas
Outfit #1
When it rains in the summer, you can get away with rain boots paired with shorts, a tee, and cardigan. By forgoing jeans in favor of shorts, you avoid having soaked pants all day. In the outfit below, I added some color with a bright scarf.
Product Information: Cardigan – Forever 21, Tie-Dye Scarf – Aeropostale, Tee Shirt – American Eagle, Denim Cutoffs – Pacsun.com, Umbrella – Target, Rain Boots – Gabrielle Rocha, available at Zappos.com
Outfit #2
The inspiration for this look came about when I found the adorable umbrella with an NYC subway sign print and had to find a way to include it in an outfit! A plain black dress becomes more interesting layered under a mustard jacket (worn unzipped, of course), and pair of ultra trendy green Doc Martens.
Product Information: NYC Subway Sign Umbrella – Target, Dress and Jacket – Forever 21, Green Patent Doc Martens – Zappos.com
Outfit #3
This outfit would be perfect for a day when it’s REALLY raining. The jacket is a “Pac-a-Poncho” from TopShop, so it’s super waterproof. But unlike the typical ugly yellow poncho, this one actually has style. When paired with neutral grey rain boots and a bubble umbrella with a hint of pink, the overall look is functional and cute at the same time.
Product Information: Rain Boots – Target, Pac-a-Poncho – TopShop, Skinny Jeans – Charlotte Russe, Clear Bubble Umbrella – Target
Outfit #4
For those of you who love a classic trench coat, you can keep your rainy day outfit simple by pairing your trench with jeans, and bright rain boots of your choice. Honestly, that’s all you need. The heart shaped umbrella, of course, is a cute extra.
Product Information: Trench Coat – Miss Selfridge, Skinny Jeans – American Eagle, Heart Shaped Umbrella – Umbrellaheaven.com, Polka Dot Rain Boots – Target
Outfit #5
If you’re not the type to rock a typical rain boot, you can always wear regular boots with a bit of a heel. Layering a pretty, summery dress under a long-sleeved cardigan and 3/4 sleeve jacket will add dimension to your outfit as well as keep you dry. Add black tights and a simple umbrella and you’re set!
Product Information: Umbrella – TopShop, Jacket – Newlook.co.uk, Cardigan – TopShop, Boots – Nine West, available at Zappos.com, Dress – Pacsun.com, Footless Tights – TopShop
Outfit #6
Here’s a very simple outfit that you could throw on in 5 seconds and wear on a rainy summer day. A striped dress is a step above basic layered under a classic denim jacket. I added some cute pink rain boots, because, well, why not? If pink’s not your thing, you could always wear some basic black motorcycle boots instead. Oh, and how great is the cloud umbrella? Completely genius if you ask me.
Product Information: Denim Jacket – TopShop, Striped Tunic – TopShop, Umbrella – Target, Rain Boots – Tretorn Skerry, available at Zappos.com
What do you wear on rainy days?
Those are just some of my ideas for rainy day outfit possibilities. I’m sure you all have even better ideas for what to wear when the weather is bad!
So what do you usually wear on rainy days? Do you normally dress in dark colors or do you make an effort to brighten up the day with your outfit? Do you wear jeans or stick to skirts and shorts during the summer?
Posted on on June 24, 2009 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Boots, Ideas, Jackets, Outfits, Rain Boots, Rainy Day Fashion, Tips, Umbrellas, Weather
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Jennifer
Cute suggestions! I especially like that you added a sweater or jacket for everything, because I do find it can sometimes get pretty cold during the rain, even on a fairly warm day.
Jess
OMG. These outfits are really cute. I love the one with the yellow jacket.
Like you said, adding color is a must to me. When I add color to my rainy day outfit I don’t feel all gloomy and down. I love the rain and this a cute way to enjoy your day.
Natalie
Moving from Los Angeles to Portland threw me for a loop, so thank you for this post! I’m definitely not used to rain, especially driving in it or dressing for it, so this is a huge help. Luckily our rainy season is over for the few months.
Natalie
Natalie
Oh almost forgot, on rainy days I definitely punch up the colors! I still need to find some rainboots that I love, since the ones I have right now are brown and just downright ugly. That’s what happens when you wait until the day of a huge outdoor music festival to buy your rain boots. I got one of the last pairs in the whole city! LOL
emma
Wow I’m impressed with this post. Usually you go for more classic, tame outfits. I like to see this blog explore trendier and more fashion forward posts. Cudos!
Ava
I love these inspirational outfits!
la petite fashionista
i love all your post image headings, very stylish & professional looking!:)
also, I need to find a tiny umbrella to bring with me while I travel.. thanks for the tips!
Luinae
I love the outfit with the trench coat! But that’s sort of my style. Classic, functional, with a cute umbrella. Sounds boring, but I can totally pull it off! That’s just how I roll
Sarah
I love these suggestions! I live in Pittsburgh and will be going to Pitt in the fall, and I believe we’re very close to Seattle as far as the number of rainy days we have per year. Definitely a useful post! I’ll be passing this on.
OMG
I love the pac-a-poncho you featured! But on the site, it only has it in apricot. Where’d you find it in blue?
Ally
Ahhh cute heart shaped umbrella! I definitely want….
Tiffany
Awesome post! My fav outfit is the first one! LOVE the tie-dye scarf! I think it’s fun doing blah-colored outfits with just one pop of color!
Zephyr
Yay, glad you all like the post! :)
OMG – Ah, I checked the site and it must be sold out! Sometimes I do the outfits for these types of posts in advance, so it must have sold out of the blue in the few days in between when I picked the outfit and when I posted this. Sorry about that!
Jessica
Love this!!
Jill
I love, love, LOVE Outfit #4 but I can’t find the trench coat anywhere on the website! Help please!
Deja
I love this post! I go to school in GA so it rains ALot and I hate having to sacrifice style in order for me to not be soaked when walking to classes. Thank you!
Adriana neto
I LOVE outfit number 1, it’s so cute!
and outfit number 5 is perfect if you want to dress it up a little bit, or if your heading out on a date, and the weather decides to work against you…
Thanks<3
Bryannah
Oooh, I really love outfit 5! (: It’s simply adorable!
xooooxoxo
Birgit Bauer
Absolutely what i needed!! Thanx!
Nele
I always love to wear colours when it rains, and here in Hamburg (north of Germany) it is really necessary to possess rainproof clothes.
I have a cute raincoat, white with bright green apples on it and black white polka dot rainboots, I love them! Unfortunately the boots are old and used and I get wet feet when it rains a lot, so I’m looking for cute new ones.
Thanks for the post, great work!
Ivoire
This post is really awesome. Since it keeps raining these days where I live, I was truly glad to find this article. I think the fact that you actually put images with every outfit’s description makes this post even better. Thanks a lot !!
Sherin
I live in England, so we get A LOT of rain. This is a really useful article for me. I love outfit 4. Its so cool and casual
Sadie
When I lived in florida it was a big change for me since I like in the mexican desert, I used to wear shorts a tee and a hoodie or a cardigan with flip flops, since it usually rained for 20 minutes and the rest of the day it was way too hot! but always with a cute scarf or some cute accesories.. =)
Johanna
One more very important thing – don’t wear any wool!
Wet wool tends to smell pretty icky
Michelle
I absolutely love the first outfit with the scarf, shorts and rain boots. I live in Eugene, where when it rains, it can get VERY muggy, so that is a great outfit for warm rain! Thank you so much Zephyr
Nat
I’ll save this post, it rains a lot in my town! :)
Michelle
As much as I love this post, I was wondering if you had any ideas about shoes for rain that don’t include rainboots. I just don’t like the look of them very much, but it rains a lot on the campus I attend and I’d love for my feet to stay dry for a change!
Jackie
Great post! I love outfit #4!
Christina
Another tip about wool, it keeps you warm even when wet. Smells, but keeps you warm if you know you’re going to freeze.
I have to second Michelle, I hate the looks of rain boots, and wearing heels everytime it rains, with the amount of rain recently, is kind of tiring. Any other waterproof shoe suggestions that aren’t heeled or rain boots? Or really just boots?
Thanks!
Arielle
These outfits are adorable! I love every one!
Personally, I love to wear my polka dotted rainboots on rainy days! I also always make sure I have my purple umbrella which is a kid’s umbrella! It’s so cute and big enough for me. I’ve had it since I was in second grade!
Holly
thanks for this, i am from the UK and its always raining throughout the year and i love outfits 1 and 4 but perhaps outfit 1 is kind of impractical lol :)
I love your website and cant wait to visit NYC so i can hit these shops that you are always mentioning. I have a pretty preppy style so at least i have Topshop etc over here :)
Thanks Zephr i love your website!
- x Holly
Pandora
These clothes are so cute, especially the heart-shaped umbrella, and they are like my exact style! Spooky! I live in England too and when it rains it pours, so these outfit ideas will come in handy.
Thanks Zephyr
x
Maggie
Great, especially since Boston has been so miserable these past couple of days. <3 But how to deal with rainy and muggy weather? Tights are like impossibly hot on such days..
Lyz
I absolutely love every outfit you planned! I really want to go out and get them all. I always dress horribly on rainy days (like flip flops and shorts haha) so I recommend to all to download weather-channel apps, they’re lifesavers.
Anna
Very cute outfits!! But sometimes when it’s hot (that does happen sometimes, though it may not seem like it! lol), it sucks to have to wear rain boots. I found these cute Melissa shoes on Karmaloop.com for an article I was writing for Style Bakery about a month ago – they’re rubber heels and flats that are actually cute & come in fun colors!! And they’re ventilated so your feet won’t stink. LIFESAVERS!
naomi
I love the 2nd outfit (: I live in scotland and it rains loads so I’lll be trying to find similiar stuff in the uk cause we don’t have all the same shops here,i should be able to get the shoes though (:
Ella
i live in england, so the majority of the time, it’s raining.
i find topshop have some amazing coats in, and in this weather we need them :| i have no local topshop so i have to go on the website, which is good, and if you spend over £100 (is that $200) you get free p&p, which is always good. but, they have no catalogue, which isnt so good :(
but the ideas for rainy days are good :)
thanks :)
<3
Callie
Great post! I’ve really needed rainy day ideas lately.
Serena
I love the first outfit, I always wear shorts when it rains too because skin is easier to dry off than fabric! :-) I think hoodies are a must for rainy season so you can cover the hair. I live in Singapore, where it’s extremely humid and rains when you least expect it. The weather is a nightmare, as you might expect.
Zara
loving the trench coat look
nelly
OMG, I love this post, this is one of the best posts I have read on College Fashion. Loved it :)
Chih-Yung
This is perfect! Thank you so much! You’re a life saver!
Oregon is a tough place to be stylish…
katherine
i love these outfit ideas!!! its really hard to find a great outfit for a rainy day!!
liss
i love these outfits so awesome (and thats coming from a not so fashion dedicated german ;) )
i like outfit one and four the best #4s soo cute i gotta get red rainboots like that really like em
good job on this one!
Casey
great ideas you helped me find a out fit for school thanx
Fayfay
I loooooooooooooooove these outfits. So creative, & now I know where to get similar things. Gracias.
Drea
love the ideas! soooooo cute ! thanks! :)