Women’s Raingear

Women’s raingear is a wardrobe essential. A woman needs to protect herself from the rain. You have your basic raincoat, rain poncho, or trenchcoat. Often overlooked is your footwear. of course, you can always take an umbrella…

Women’s raincoats

Women should choose a raincoat that is a size or two larger than your standard jackets. This is because you need it to cover all of your clothes. This includes lighter summer clothing and thicker layers of winter wear. Some manufacturers take this into consideration, and you should try on many raincoats by different brands to get a good idea of which sizes will work best for you and the clothing you will be wearing underneath. A poncho-style raincoat is also a good casual option, especially for the active women. You may want to look for a rain coat with a matching hat or a hood included. A good option for a hooded rain coat is one that has a detachable hood. You should also look for a rain coat that will be easy to wash. Outdoor clothing companies like Eddie Bauer, Marmot, Columbia Sportswear and L.L. Bean are a good place to start shopping.

Raincoat materials

The fiber of the rain coat matters. We have come a long way from the old plastic and rubber rain coats most had to wear as children. The best option for raincoats and all rain gear are modern man-made materials. Gore-Tex is a great, breatheable, waterproof material for raincoats. Microfibers are soft and silky but are much more water resistant and durable than real silk. These can make very pretty raincoats. Also worth considering is the Barbour style of waxed cotton jackets. Satin coats look great but they will need to be treated with a chemical to make them rainproof. Most will come already treated but this treatment could wear out over time and you will need to spray them at home. Leather raincoats look great and are good at keeping water out but they are heavy when wet, and they too will need additional protection if you want them to last.

Trenchcoats

Trenchcoats offer the most stylish options for rain coats. They look great while still keeping you dry. They come in classic styles as well as new hip patterns and colors. London Fog is known for their great trenchcoats. Trench coats come in single and double-breasted styles. Double breasted may offer a bit more protection from rain seeping in through the front.

Length of your raincoat

One more thing to consider is how long your raincoat should be. They can be waist length jackets but most come down past the hips to just above the knees. These are great for short spells outside but if you will be out long in adverse conditions you may want to consider an ankle length trenchcoat. There is one drawback to a long coat and that is that they may inhibit movement. If you will be doing hard work of some sort outside in the rain then you may be better off with a coat that stops just above the knee. If you will be working outside or hiking in inclement weather, then you may need gaiters or a rain suit complete with waterproof pants to cover everything.

Footwear

Footwear is one of the most important parts of women’s raingear. Even in warm weather you will need waterproof footwear to protect the feet even if you may not mind the rest of you getting wet in a warm summer rain. During the rainy season you will be walking through lots of water and mud. In the city there may be oil, gas or other chemicals in the water too. You risk ruining otherwise good shoes if you wear them during the rain or when it is wet outside. Walking around all day with wet feet is also not healthy and no fun. Regular shoes simply will not due during the rain. Some shoe color may even run and stain your feet if they get wet. Sandals and any flip-flops should be kept in the closet until the rain and wet conditions are gone. Suede shoes? It almost goes without saying that they should not get wet or even damp. Leather shoes can become discolored. If any of these shoes do get wet let them air dry out of direct sun. If you simply must wear your leather shoes or boots then make sure you polish them with wax to protect them from the water and mud. Choose waterproof man-made materials for the best rain gear. Rubber boots are an old standard but there are other options. If you must wear your best shoes, you could always wear galoshes or other pullover rain protection for your shoes. There are now some stylish rain shoes for women that you would have a hard time distinguishing from every day foot wear. Whether they are dress shoes, sneakers or boots the one thing they all have in common are being waterproof.