Another rainy day in Washington. When we get a string of rainy days I’m usually living in slim cut jeans and my beloved Hunter rain boots. But after too many days in a row, my already low tolerance for skinny jeans runs out and I’m longing to wear a more comfortable trouser, like the cropped wide leg pant. This incredibly chic and classic silhouette pant is a year-round versatile wardrobe staple, but the one item it definitely does not go with is a tall boot. Enter the chelsea rain boot. I wear my Hunters to death, but last summer I stumbled upon this pair of chelsea rain boots when I was looking for a suitcase friendly rubber shoe to take on a trip to London, and they have been a favorite ever since. Cropped pants are a very flattering style pant for pretty much every body shape, and a low chelsea boot is the perfect partner for your favorite ankle skimming trouser.
No groundbreaking sartorial revelations here, just some inspiration for a rainy day. I’m a big fan of wearing and loving your go-to basics, but it’s always good to have a bit of variety in your repertoire. Adding variety to your wardrobe doesn’t mean buying something new, in fact the most fun I have getting dressed is when I wear older things in a different way that makes them feel fresh and new. For me, getting creative with color pairings and silhouettes are the best way to freshen up your existing wardrobe. I’ve been wearing a lot of brown and black and navy and black lately for just this reason. These pairings sounds quite dull, but in the right hues of brown and navy they can be quite crisp and charming when paired with black.
In my early 20’s I was of the mind set that a good wardrobe consisted of many, many options. After a number of moves over the last few years I took a hard look at why and how I shop and have developed a much harsher axe for items I don’t really need or wear. It was with this anti-excess, purposeful shopping perspective that I struggled over buying a second pair of rain boots, but at such a low price point in the past six months alone the cost per wear for these boots is pretty good already. While I still tend to wear Hunter boots on most really wet and rainy days, I enjoy these chelsea boots for lighter rainfall or in the days following a big downpour when there are puddles and mud all over. As an added side note for moms, these are my go to shoes for the playground or park with the boys, regardless of rain or puddles. Sometimes I’ll just wear these for a walk or trip to the park so I can run around with the dog and the boys and not be concerned about dirtying my shoes. This particular pair is currently on sale, so they’re even more of a steal now.
Lastly, for a brief hair and beauty bit. Pony tails and half-knots are my favorite for most days, but particularly rainy ones. You don’t have to worry about looking like a wet cat, and with a half-knot even if your hair gets a bit damp, if you let it dry in the knot it will have a relaxed bend to it once you let it out. Minimal effort, maximum rewards. On wet days I stick to a red lip and leave my eyes bare. My eyes are normally hidden under a hood or umbrella so no sense in spending time there, not to mention no risk of black splotches around the eyes, which is always a plus.
