Nancy, of our Thrifty 6 group, came up with the idea of “raining cats and dogs” for our March theme. I feel like you could have fun with this play on words in many ways. However, the three of us decided to think about what to pack for rainy weather.
Quote of the day: “You can either be a genius or you can be patient.” James Clear
Remember when you are packing, you are not given a prize for wearing everything you pack. Nor is there a reward for having the smallest suitcase. What is truly important is having the things you need when you need them.
So sometimes you pack for rainy weather and don’t need the items. Yet if you have them, you look like a genius. PLUS you can easily wear them even if it doesn’t rain.
The fact of the matter is that the three of us live in Arizona which is considered a desert. The definition of a desert is a place that gets less than 10 inches of rain a year. You may think that would mean we wouldn’t have any of the essentails for what to pack for rainy weather, but the truth is, we have a monsoon season.
So it’s good to be prepared whether we are at home or traveling to someplace wetter.
And these essentails are smart to peruse when we are thrifting, since they aren’t something we wear daily. Although I will point out in the list of essentials below, how they can be worn other times too.
If you want other ideas, we wore rainy day outfits in the past
The Essentials of What to Pack for Rainy Weather
You might think that bringing an umbrella would suffice for what to pack for rainy weather. And while I will say it’s smart to include a small umbrella in your suitcase, it’s not always the only thing you need. Because if it’s really raining, that can mean it’s windy too and you might want to be more covered.
The best thing is how all of these essentials can be picked up at your secondhand stores. The thing is you have to be patient to find the right pieces. So anytime you are out shopping, and find the perfect essential of what to pack for rainy weather, make sure to bring it home because there will be a rainy day sometime in the future.
1-Some kind of coat that will repel water. It doesn’t HAVE to be a slicker or trench coat. You just don’t want a knit or leather option if the forecast says rain.
Now these coats can be worn even when it’s not raining, so you don’t need 2 coats in your suitcase.
Insider tip: Wear your coat when traveling, so you don’t have to fit it in your suitcase.
2-Footwear. Rain boots or shoes are ideal not just for rain but also for snow and slush. I have also worn mine when tromping through an orchard because they protect your feet from critters. Don’t think you can’t wear them even on a sunny day. If you get a pair with good support, they are very functional.
Heck, the rain shoes also are fabulous gardening shoes, so grab yourself a pair.
However, as an alternative, if you don’t have rain boots, it’s good to include a pair of shoes that are lightweight and will dry out fast.
3-Hat, hood, or umbrella. The umbrellas will cover your head, but it’s not always convenient to have to hold the umbrella up throughout the day. That’s why many slickers have a hood attached. Otherwise, grab a hat to keep the rain off your head.
Even a rain hat can be the protection you need on a sunny day. Plus they are usually crushable.
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Lesley: Yellow Slicker and Polka Dot Rain Shoes
Lesley went with the classic yellow slicker with her jeans and rain shoes.
I love how she layered a pink shirt on top of a white shirt. You can easily layer 2 button ups this way (an idea we showed many years ago) for extra warmth.
She tied the pink and yellow colors together with her scarf which is a fabulous reason to wear it.
Accessories
Lesley adds a little whimsey to the overall look with rain boots that have polka dots on them.
And then wearing the scarf is her signature style.
Scarf details: This is a long rectangle scarf that she loosely rolled and then just wrapped around her cardigan and blouse on the outside. Think of the scarf as a fabric necklace. The ends are just hanging down the front.
The advantage of wearing a scarf for what to pack for rainy weather is you can always use it over your head too. Besides, a scarf is extremely versatile for any type of trip.
Charlotte: Reversible Slicker
Make sure you notice my mom’s coat in the photo of us all together vs these photos. Her slicker is reversible from green to blue. I’m such a fan of the reversible detail because it’s like a two for one.
Charlotte made sure to snap up the slicker since we are talking about what to pack for rainy weather. Of course, slickers tend to be warmer because they are made of a material that doesn’t breathe. So I think it’s important to make sure your outfit is cute under the slicker in case you need to unsnap it and/or take it off.
My mom wore her olive green pants for the day. Olive green is one of those colors you could almost call neutral since it pairs well with most colors.
Accessories
My mom wore a red/rust turtleneck under her jacket and then copied that color with her purse. When she originally showed up at my house, she happened to be wearing very dark shoes. Being the wonderful daughter that I am, I suggested (or twisted her arm) that she change out her shoes to a brighter pair.
Luckily I had this pair in my closet that I had thrifted a couple of years back. They are a half size too big for me, but because they are so lightweight and just the way they are made, they work.
Insider tip: Always matching your shoe color to your pants can give off a very matronly vibe. Change it up often with a bright-colored shoe.
Jodie: Faux Leather Shorts and Rain Boots
One of the things I think about is how the rain spatters up on the pants you are wearing. That’s why I love the tall rain boots.
In fact, I decided to wear my faux leather shorts and sheer fleece tights for that same reason.
My jacket is not a rain jacket per se, but it’s material that would repel the water if it was raining. This beauty was a steal from thredUp years ago.
Insider deal: For first-timers of thredUp, use this link to get $10 off your first order. I get a $10 credit also.
Lime green is a fabulous color for dreary rain days, and I went a step further by wearing a hot pink sweater under the jacket.
Accessories
Even though my hat isn’t waterproof, I thought this one went so well with the look. I have 3 different prints in this outfit: the hat, the jacket, and the boots. They all have a warm background, and I love how they play so well together.
I put my extensions in a ponytail with one of those scrunchies with a bow attached. Have you seen those? My mom used to make me scrunchies, and I don’t think it would be hard to make them with the extra material hanging down.
Scroll down to see what the other women in my group are styling!!
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Thrifty 6
We are a group of six international fashion and lifestyle bloggers and influencers called The Thrifty Six! You can call us international since we come from all over the world and span at least three different decades of life. We each have our own unique and individual style but share a passion for preloved clothing and second-hand shopping. Our goal is to share a variety of ways to be stylish while doing a little something good for the environment.
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this little group to focus on second-hand items. Every month we will choose a theme and share our styles with you to hopefully inspire you to shop more preloved and less fast fashion.
Insider tip: If there aren’t many wonderful secondhand shops near you, then I included a list of online shops that I love at the end of this post.
- Emma of Style Splash
- Grace of Graceful Rags
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie (and crew) of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Emma of Style Splash
“One thing we have no shortage of in the UK is rain. In fact, I had to do these photos in between torrential downpours. As a cat person (I do love dogs too though) I have plenty of feline-themed clothes and accessories. The cheetah print bomber jacket and velvet cat bag are both eBay purchases from a few years ago. I never really found a way to style the jacket in a way I liked until preparing for this post, when a frantic rummage in the clothes pile resulted in this outfit. The black and white cat shirt is a previously gifted item from Salamander Shirt from a couple of years ago.”
Grace of Graceful Rags
“Hm… raining cats and dogs… I struggled with this theme since I don’t have any thrifted rain jackets or boots, or anything cat/dog printed, so I decided to go with blue, like the rain. I wore this consigned blue dress to a wedding in Rhode Island last summer at a vineyard, where it drizzled right as the outdoor ceremony ended.”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade:
“Raining Cats & Dogs…
That’s the T6 theme this month and I’ve taken it very literally…
My glossy red tote bag with a big black cat…
My vintage Ted Baker jumper with a cute French Bulldog…
…and my transparent raincoat to keep me nice and dry.
I’m also having lots of fun with the current transparent trend.”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I buy preloved clothes from the brand I used to work for. It does not exist anymore and sometimes I spot some items that I already loved back then but never bought (which is really weird because I was the manager
and got a 50% discount on clothes, so you can imagine that I bought a lot!) This top is so cute as I adore cats. And I love the relaxed look of the sneakers with the satin skirt and the basic top underneath the cat top. Somehow sneakers like that and a long-sleeved tee under a short-sleeved one fits together.”
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“This theme gave me the idea to pair my thrifted satin blouse all covered in leopards with my preloved red raincoat. And then just as I expected, my secondhand black sequined leggings very much resemble raindrops when photographed. I added all sorts of cat things as well as some other thrifted pieces. I guess it only rains cats around here. Not so much dogs!”
Online Thrift Stores
These are the ones I’ve used more than once (except Swap, but it comes highly recommended by a friend)
thredUp—this link gives you $10 (and me in return).
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
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My Goal
Thank you for visiting my space on the internet. I like to showcase how it’s never too late to look great for women of any age, size, or working with any kind of budget.
I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us stress because we are worried about what others think.
My hope is that you get ideas and inspiration from Charlotte, Lesley, and myself. It’s not about copying what we wear, but about using what you already have and updating items along the way.
Most of all it’s getting us to think differently and dare I say, have fun.
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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
Find out more about all of us here. And make sure to join the email list where I include so much more.
