Style Scenario: Well Dressed on a Gray Rainy Day

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. April Showers bring May flowers. But what about March? March is just a mess. Rain, hail, lots of mud. It’s generally miserable weather for in the northern hemisphere. Two keys to dressing well when the weather is wet and miserable:

1. Wear machine washable pants instead of dry-clean only suit pants or trousers (in case some of the slop splashes/splatters up on your legs).
2. Favor versatile, weather resistant shoes or boots with a subtle rubber sole.

The Sportcoat: Bonobos Italian Wool Sportcoat in Grey – $400. An investment that you can wear with just about anything. Looks great with jeans, cords, chinos, and even lightweight trousers in the dead of summer… it does it all.

The Shirt: Brooks Brothers Stretch Regent Regular-Fit Dress Shirt Light Blue Gingham – $44.99 ($128) Adding a little  spring-y color on a day that’ll have decidedly anything but. Part of their current extra 25% off sale items deal.

The Raincoat: Old Navy Cotton/Nylon Mac Jacket – $52.49 ($74.99). A dead simple, navy mac jacket is outrageously versatile. And it looks grown-up and classy thanks to it purposefully having no bells or whistles. Simplicity is in short supply these days, so you’ll stand out quietly. Wear it with everything from joggers and sneakers to a suit and dress shoes. 66% cotton, 34% nylon water resistant exterior. Pro Tip: Get it tailored. You don’t want it too tight though. Wear a suit or an outfit with layers to your tailor when you get it dialed in. It needs to go on easily. You don’t want to look like a trash bag, but you don’t want to get in a fight with it every time you try to put it on either.

The Watch: Orient Bambino Small Seconds in Champagne – $215. Anyone else notice that Orient Bambinos have gone up in price on Amazon? Therefor we go direct through the brand this time since that’ll save you a buck or two. (same watch is $217 on Amazon at post time)

The Pants: Old Navy Slim Ultimate Tech Built-In Flex Chino Pants for Men – $38.49 ($54.99). Back to Old Navy for their 60% cotton / 40% Poly super-affordable tech-pants. Machine washable, which is key in case a cab or uber hits that curb puddle just right and you end up with muddy water all over your trouser legs.

The Umbrella: Totes “Gentleman’s” Wood Handle Umbrella – $23. Twenty three bucks. A classic that provides good coverage but isn’t as large (or as obnoxious) as a monster golf umbrella. The hooked handle allows you to sling it over your arm/wrist when you need that hand to open a door/grab your phone/smash Ned Ryerson in the face.

The Socks: Banana Republic “Breathe” Merino Blend Dress Socks – $25. Some contrast with your socks will look good with a business casual outfit like this. And the merino wool blend should help keep your feet comfortable.

The Belt: Nordstrom Newman Reversible Leather Belt – $49.50. A basic, reversible, do-anything dress belt. Ships and returns for free.

The Shoes: Anthony Veer Wilson Chukka Boot – $139.99 w/ HELLOSPRING ($199.99). Goodyear welted to a rubber studded sole. They’re like a cheaper version of the Sanders Chesham. Be aware that our shoe expert Adam got a look at some Anthony Veer oxfords… and he wasn’t impressed. But with the sixty dollar off code HELLOSPRING, these chukkas might be worth a shot for some. Sold/Shipped by DSW. Code expires today, 3/20/23.

The Suede Waterproofer: Saphir Super Invulner Suede Protector – $28. Noticeably more expensive than cheaper competitors, but Saphir has a real reputation for quality in the shoe care business. And this stuff is more gentle on your shoes, thanks to being silicone-free.