Style Tips for Bad Weather

Although we are approaching summer a storm front occasionally rolls through surprising us with wind, rain, and other fashion killing elements. Regardless of the season a bad day is bound to happen sooner or later. You’d be dressing for work in the morning, and then you glance outside and notice that the world’s become gray and chilly. This is exactly what has happened here in San Francisco in the past few days. Our week long stretch of sunshine that spoiled us before was replaced by chilly, gold, and rainy days. This quick change in weather motivated us to write about men's bad weather fashion.

Practicality is one of the strengths of men’s fashion. Most pieces are styled in such a way that each and every design element serves some purpose. The only challenge for you is to find and pair the right pieces to create a look that’s both refined and ready for the rain.

Outerwear for Outside
Men’s fashion magazines often show glossy, airbrushed photos of outerwear from within buildings and studios, which can make them seem as if they’re only for layering. The real purpose of outerwear, however, is to give your outfit that primary layer of defense against snow, sleet, rain and any manner of precipitation that’s in the day’s weather forecast.

Even when you feel that you’re sufficiently prepared for the rain, such as with a car or an umbrella, it’s still a good idea to have outerwear directly over your clothes to protect your outfit. Also, you never know when circumstances will need you to take a quick or urgent walk through the elements. Your outerwear is essentially your go-to piece for whenever you have to face the rain – umbrella or no umbrella.

A good topcoat, such as a pea coat or trench coat in navy or khaki is a must-have if you live in an area that gets a significant amount of rain regularly – New England states are a prime candidate. Simpler styles are better because they’re a lot more versatile, and will go with your outfit whether or not you’re wearing a necktie for the day.

Prices and Precipitation
Do yourself a favor and avoid even considering those paper thin PVC raincoats on the cashier rack at the supermarket. Not only do they have next to no fashion merit, but it’s hard to respect even the highest ranking, tie-wearing executive who comes to the office wearing one. They might be tempting because of the price, but don’t give in.

It’s not like you’ll end up paying an arm and a leg for a real man’s topcoat anyway. There are countless pieces out there that go for less than $100, as long as you’re not looking at any of the premium or designer brands. It all depends on the materials you’re buying.

Waxed cotton and canvas are among some of the cheapest choices you’ll find out there. The materials are relatively inexpensive, and they can withstand about half an hour of walking in the rain. A similarly priced alternative is waterproof PVC coating, typically applied on top of some thicker material to give the garment heft.

Patented treatments, like the ones used by popular trench coat brands such as Burberry, tend to be considerably pricier. They are, however, much more dapper because of their sleeker, much more streamlined finishes. Additionally, they make much more formal and office-appropriate complements, and dress up your outfit even when you forgo a necktie.

Outerwear can be some of the most expensive items on the men’s fashion market, but only because so many processes go into their manufacture. With so much riding on them during rainy days, it’s a style investment that you should definitely consider making.