I knew I had a problem when I arrived soaking wet at London Collections: Men four years ago, like many other over-confident-in-their-fashion-cleverness men before me, fully expecting that a) it would ease off before I reached my destination and b) if it didn’t, that Italian wool overcoat would totally be werk. Instead, it had developed a smell that could only be described as a cross between a wet sheep and a urinating bedbug, and I looked approximately halfway between Bill Nighy in Love Actually and Ron Weasley’s spirit in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The man whose clothes I had turned up to interview eyed me disdainfully as I silently cursed every dog I had ever owned before awkwardly sitting down. “You know umbrellas exist, right?” he said simply.
Do we ever. We British like to pretend that we’re the Italians of rain. We hate wearing the appropriate clothing, but will complain loudly when our Carmina Burana-esque dresses soak through and plaster themselves against our legs.
It’s worse if you actually care about your clothes. Fast-forward four years and few things are more detrimental to a slick look than a glorified puffa jacket.
You went from Fred Astaire to lost-boy-at-Midsomer-Murders in seconds flat.
So how do you stay dry without looking stupid? After years of sodden wandering up and down the streets of London like a spoiled child refusing to wear a raincoat, I’ve learned that it isn’t actually impossible to look nice in the rain. You just have to know where to look.
Natural is your friend – Most natural fibres are highly water-resistant. Wool, in particular, is incredibly resilient when faced with water. That’s why your granddad’s old shearling jacket probably still looks better than your closet.
Wool, especially if it’s densely woven – think heavy winter coats as opposed to linen shirts – can actually shed water fairly effectively and even when wet will retain heat. It’s all down to getting the weave right. Thick wool overcoats, given their weight and material, will usually withstand a heavy drizzle.
British wool weights like covert and cavalry twill were developed to counter our weather specifically. Your average hiker may not realise it, but the reason Royals and hunting enthusiasts have worn waxed cotton jackets and heavy tweeds for decades is because they bloody well work. Brands like Private White V.C. do some fantastic wax cotton raincoats that manage to look understated and stylish but are actually fully waterproof.
Their coats start at around £600, which isn’t something to just throw at an overcoat, but they are worthy of investigation if you’re looking for something hardwearing. Other UK brands like Crombie or even M&S tend to make wool overcoats that are thicker and more showerproof than their European equivalents. Speaking of wax cotton… Indoor boy jacket legends aside, wax cotton is king when it comes to staying dry.
Now I’m not suggesting you go full Beefceaser and invest in one of those enormous olive oil predators that Hull-House Fieldy insists on wearing every time he steps outside. What I am suggesting is that there’s a new, slimmed-down wax jacket market out there that can protect you from the rains. If you’re feeling nostalgic, Mackintosh obviously make some fantastic contemporary versions of their original jackets that work just as well with chinos and lace-ups as they do with bramble shoots and tweed jackets. brands like Universal Works do a sleek waxed cotton chore jacket that looks fantastic but will keep you dry during heavier showers.
The trick is opting for jackets that aren’t oversized – think Tailored Wool Jacket, not Border Terrier – in darker colours that won’t show rain droplets. Treatments – Obviously there are other treatments that can be applied to natural fabrics to increase water resistance. Outerwear experts Grenfell, who have been making clothing to tackle the British weather since 1923, still predominantly use densely woven cotton that actually repels water simply through its weave.
No additional chemicals or treatments required. There are also specialist treatment companies like British Millerain who produce waxed cottons and other water-resistant fabrics for everyone from luxury fashion designers to workwear specialists. Suits – As anyone who works in an office can attest, there’s nothing worse than rushing from meeting to meeting only for your seemingly dry suit to slowly soak through as you run.
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Again, this comes down to using the correct fabrics. Heavier British wool suits will withstand rain much better than a lightweight Italian super 150s wool suit. British wool mills like Fox Brothers in Somerset and Abraham Moon are still producing some of the best weather resistant wool fabrics around.
They won’t make your suit completely waterproof, but they’ll buy you those extra few minutes you need to make it to your trusty umbrella. Speaking of umbrellas, if you’re going to own one, own the right umbrella. An actual wooden-handle umbrella that opens up to full size rather than one of those pesky accordion-style collapsible umbrellas.
London’s finest umbrella shop James Smith & Sons has been providing quality umbrellas since 1830 and these guys aren’t going anywhere any time soon. They will set you back £100-150 depending on the model you go for but they’ll last you lifetimes. London Undercover also do some nice more modern alternatives if you can’t stomach a wood handle.
Shoes – Last but by no means least, we come onto the topic of shoes. Wet feet are the worst, but unless you work in the Great Outdoors you won’t want to wear wellies to the office. Like with suits, the secret is using traditional British shoe-making methods designed with our climate in mind.
Northampton-made shoes with something called storm welts, an extra layer of leather that provides a watertight seal between the upper and sole of the shoe, will keep your feet significantly drier for longer. Brands like Tricker’s, Crockett & Jones and Cheaney do fantastic examples. For something more casual, Sanders & Sanders do some amazing military inspired derbies with rubber soles that will keep the water at bay and look smart enough for 9-5 life.
Incidentally, leather shoes are naturally water-resistant, especially when polished. The polish isn’t just there for shine, it actually creates a water-resistant barrier between your shoe and the elements. Take my beloved pair of Crockett & Jones Conistons.
I’ve worn them for seven winters now and have never had wet feet thanks to the Holy Trinity of Shoe Maintenance: polish, polish and more polish. A damnbsite good polish.
Desert boots, despite popular belief, are actually ideal for wet weather provided you treat them with a suede protector like Liquiproof.
They might soak up rain water like a sponge at first, but with the right preparation they’ll soon bounce back. Tree them – Ok, so this isn’t about fabric or style, but if you’re going to spend any length of time outdoors in Britain you NEED a good wooden shoe tree for every pair of shoes. They extract moisture from wet shoes fourfold and help them retain their shape – seriously, do yourself a favour and buy some.
The same goes for good wool coats. Buy a clothes brush and run it through your coat once it’s dry. It’ll restore the nap and stop your coat looking sad and flattened.A heavy shower shouldn’t ruin your outfit or send you sprinting home at the first clap of thunder.
Take pride in your ability to face the elements in style. There’s no reason you should look like you just got caught in the rain five minutes ago. The right clothes will keep you as dry as possible, and, if they’re made of natural fibres, they’ll still look alive and warm even when they’re soaking wet.
Ignore me and you’ll end up a bedraggled, damp haired clown whose dapper-esque outfits will forever be destroyed by water. Listen and you might just enjoy Britain’s ample rainfall instead of cursing it every second of every day.
