Sun is nearly universally appreciated, and plenty of sportsmen—skiers, snowboarders, etc.—live for the cold. Sailors, at least, love the wind, and there are even some oddballs who fancy a bit of fog (they’re called Londoners). But rain? At best, an excuse to curl up inside with a good book. There’s a reason the old schoolyard rhyme isn’t “Snow, snow, go away”: Nothing dampens the desire to be out and about quite like a downpour.
But a funny thing happened over the past decade or so: rain gear got good—really, really, fantastically good. Dry-under-a-waterfall good. Not just waterproof but lightweight and breathable; stuff you actually want to wear. And, even more recently, rain gear got not only good, but stylish. From bucket hats to biking kit, electric-green Thom Browne boots to Hermès umbrellas to the full bells-and-whistles classic trench from Ralph Lauren Purple Label, with this gear, you’ll never need to let the forecast get you down.
Dunhill is having a moment, and so are stomp-y, black lug-soled boots like these Chelseas from (you guessed it) Dunhill.
Dunhill leather Chelsea boots, $950.
High fashion is no stranger to foul-weather gear, but the good news is that brands from Hermès to Thom Browne to L.B.M. 1911 are leaning into the fun factor of a rainy day with rich jewel tones.
Hermès Pluie de H folding umbrella, $640; Thom Browne molded-rubber garden boots, $420; K-Way wool-and-nylon bucket hat, $245; L.B.M. 1911 recycled and water-resistant poly-techno-fabric blazer, $1,295.
High-end cycling brand Rapha is no stranger to water-resistance … or style, for that matter.
Rapha recycled-nylon Gore-Tex rain jacket, $360.
The best rain kit in the world won’t mean a thing if all your gear gets soaked. Here, a selection of weather-resistant totes, backpacks and duffels from the likes of Berluti, Loewe, Burberry and Sunspel.
Loewe nylon-and-leather backpack, $2,300; Berluti weekend bag in navy Scritto nylon, $2,860; Burberry thermoplastic-polyurethane and cotton tote, $1,550; Sunspel canvas tote with leather handles, $535.
Who else but the master, Ralph Lauren, could make the most traditional of trenches seem ever-so-much cooler? A trad tartan umbrella via Sir Paul Smith doesn’t hurt, either.
Ralph Lauren Purple Label cotton-twill water-repellent trench coat, $2,995; Paul Stuart umbrella, $250.