The British love affair with rain isn’t going so well, is it? If by “love affair” we mean: “something that’s constantly there but you’re too frustrated by it to break up.” I live in Manchester. I can hear thunderstorms coming.
I know the average rainfall down to the decimal. Heck, the rain is part of my personality. Rain doesn’t come in Manchester – it visits.
It feels special. And it won’t bloody leave me alone.
Our unnatural love for rain manifests itself in weird ways.
Weird-o-philiac-ally, I’ve spent years obsessed with finding the perfect rain jacket. Why? Partly for work.
Sure, I have to stay dry, but mostly I got tired of showing up to meetings spotting wet footprints all over my trousers. My childhood donnybrook with the elements began with an avalanche of yellow. This was my first real ‘rainproof’ jacket, handed down from God-knows-where by my mum.
It was yellow. It had toggles. It probably doubled as a child kidnapping helmet with its extravagant use of waterproof sealant.
Forget Hunter wellies – here I was, the lovechild of Gorton’s fisherman. But it did keep me dry. Boy, did it keep me dry.
Except for my social life. “Alright Captain Birdseye!” yelled my classmates. All year. Unlike Gordon gruesomatique, my waterproof vigilance has only increased with age.
If a deluge is threatening, chances are I’ve either got a jacket on or already know where to get one that won’t mock me for sporting literally-rain-jacket. How did we reach this point? Well, it’s mostly British, isn’t it?
When the Italians have rain they cure it in glorious pastels and call them umbrellas. Los Angeles has their drought. I grew up watching England vs. the elements and tried to pick both teams.
There’s serious tech at work in our rain obsession – but we’ve got to make it not look technical. Imagine spending your life running errands, going to restaurants, meeting clients… but knowing deep down you’d be a lot better off if you embraced your inner fisherman. Blame the hypocrisy on ancestry – some families have the Mayflower, mine had a duffle coat with a hood.
For years rainwear was a triple jeopardy of sub-optimal outcomes. You could wear full-on outdoor gear (bib style trousers? helloooo gauntlets? ), go full-Burberry with a waxed cotton jacket, or chuck on a mac and hope for the best. It seemed like you were either underdressed or declaring open season on your own masculinity.
Oh how far we’ve come, aquajacket enthusiasts. The technical prowess of your dependable fisherman jacket has finally been liberated from its functional origins to grace us mere mortals looking to not absolutely die at the next downpour. And still look like humans.
Cue violins. Let’s talk materials. Traditional waterproofing materials were waxed cotton, rubber, and vinyl.
Oh how they worked. They just didn’t ‘breathe.’ Wearing one of these coats was like standing outside in the rain while slowly roasting yourself from the inside. I once wore a rubber macintosh to go painting (oil paintings, not walls), and the combo of rubber and white wine left me gasping for air like a drowned sailor.
Good thing my pal had the presence of mind to guide me outside and watch me steam away like a cooked dim sum. Thankfully, new fabric technologies can repel water without trapping your sweat. Take Ventile, for example.
Popular in classic British raincoats, Ventile is a tightly woven cotton that becomes thicker when wet, creating a water-resistant barrier. Developed for British Airways pilots during WWII, Ventile has that solid gravy train heritage we can get behind and feels naturally breathable compared to other synthetics. Brands like Private White V.
C. are making some of the best Ventile jackets in Manchester. (Pro tip: They’re literally five minutes from me. Enough to question if I can see them make my coat from my kitchen window.) Speaking of_pipelineHtmladecimal… Nordic Rain is doing some serious business for the scoff-law fashion bro who refuses to accept that his Lifestyle Shoppe jacket might not keep him totally dry. They’re built with their Norse-inspired WATER SEAL technology, a slightly breathable material that still keeps you dry from external water.
Expensive? Hellz yeah. Will you wear it more than your friend who brags about how much cheaper his cost?
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You betcha. I splurged on the “Moscow” model last year and it’s now my go-to winter coat (read: raincoat). Even if it’s just drizzling, I look sharp enough to issue eviction notices at my local Starbucks.
But hey, who says you need to spend a month’s salary on a rain jacket? Brand Portland approves of rain-loving Danish brand Rains. Their clothes feature similar sleek looks that defy the visible tech usually required to make rainwear actually… keep you dry.
I own their long jacket in navy. It’s now my go-to whenever I need something more hefty than a hoodie but don’t want to cry rain tears myself. The granddaddy of them all though?
Our friends across the Pond have revamped the classic mac for 2022. Mackintosh has been making top-notch raincoats since 1830, and their know-how shows. The modernized cotton and slim cuts on their collection mean you won’t feel like you’re camping… unless you’re camping, in which you’ll want their waxed cotton jacket.
Mackintosh uses a unique bonded cotton that’s completely waterproof, but lacks the heavy stiffness of rubberized jackets from yesteryear. I bought their “Dunkeld” jacket four years ago and am STILL waiting for it to wear out. That, my friends, is a worthwhile investment.
Japan has been quietly dominating the technical wardrobe without looking like you’re headed for a football match. Nanamica is one of my favourite brands blending technical performance with minimalist style. Their GORE-TEX cruiser jacket is slim, waterproof, and doubles as a leather jacket you can wear in the rain.
Obsessed much? We Japanese-ize. How they manage to create cutting-edge technical wizardry while keeping things so damn sleek is a mystery Europe has been trying to solve since the throne was invented. (They haven’t.
Stop asking.) Unlikely heroes in the wake of our fisherman jacket renaissance? High street brands like Uniqlo. Their blocktech line has some seriously waterproof jackets that can stand up to downpours without screaming “HEY LOOK AT ME I MIGHT BE RAIN COAT.” I keep their packable lightweight jacket at work for emergencies.
Best $30 I never knew I spent. Here’s the thing about urban rain jackets that I’ve learned over the years of trial, error, and public ridicule: Colour: Save the bright yellows and oranges for flotation devices. Solid navy, charcoal, olive, and black are your friends.
My Norwegian Rain coat is nearly black in low lighting. Trust. Fit: Rain jackets are usually oversized to allow for extra layering.
Unless you’re actually layering under your rain jacket (always layer), look for something more fitted through the body. You might have to size down, but it’s worth it. Details: Many rain jackets come with reflective details, elaborate adjustment options, and more pull-zippers than a Twitch streamer’s bed setup.
Look for jackets that keep those details to a minimum. The only visible detail on my Mackintosh is a small embossed button on the cuff. Length: Go with something that hits around your mid-thigh.
You want to cover enough of your body that your clothes won’t get wet (unlike those joke cropped rain jackets that make your legs a wick for rain to travel up). But you don’t want to look like you’re trying to arrest Matrix villains. Lesson 1: Never trust a “waterproof” bomber jacket.
Staying dry thanks to a magical magical jacket I bought online can sometimes lead me to forget about rain entirely. Like that time I wore what I thought was a waterproof bomber jacket and sat through an entire dinner soaked to the bone. Thank God I ordered the leatherone.
Lesson 2: Remember the Trooping of the Tin Trousers. Okay, so you won’t actually be see-through, but water-resistant trousers are a lie. Light showers?
Fine. Getters get much worse and suddenly your “water-resistant” jacket is powerless. Invest in a good pair of waterproof trousers.
Trust me, we’ve all been there.
Buy a new pair of trousers I don’t need. Lesson 3: Ponchos should only be worn for funeral ceremonies or on Splash Mountain.
I’m lookin’ at you, Spring/Summer 2018. What were we thinking? I can still hear the chuckles from my friends.
To this day. Want to dip your toe into the water? Below are a few jackets that have earned their rotation in my wardrobe.
Trust. You’ll want to invest in at least one. Rain Jacket Palooza “The Moscow” – Norwegian Rain “The Dryfinder” – Mackintosh. “GORE-TEX Cruiser Jacket” – Nanamica
