How To Actually Make Your Rain Coat Look Cute for Spring Showers
Styling tips straight from the runway so we can finally stop ruining our outfits with rain coats and parkas!
I am finally making sense of how to style the relaxed parka from Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo. Full look description below.
Not that it’s on purpose, but rain coats are rude. Unlike other functional clothing, which is often made from fabrics such as denim or canvas, water-resistant clothing often utilizes materials like nylon and rubber, which make them resistant to wind and rain. While windbreakers are magic, I have too often found myself building an entire outfit around one—making the entire look “sporty” in order to accommodate a single piece that will likely be removed as soon as I’m inside. In this way, we style-conscious people tend to find ourselves faced with choosing between a sporty, rain-friendly look, or carrying an umbrella. Now that’s a shame.
The first thing I do when I’m in a styling slump is turn to Vogue Runway. After combing through the latest shows, I broke it down to three key factors I believe make a water-resistant coat “work” within an entire look:
Slim shoes
Minimal color
Clear proportions
Let’s get into it.
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Here, Italian luxury brand Valentino shows an all-black, patent leather ensemble:
Look 24 at Valentino’s fall 2024 show. Image via Valentino.
Flat, slim shoes are the way out of the sporty abyss. Image via Valentino.
The slender, Mary-Jane style flats are what bring this together for me. Reaching for a more “dressed up” and sleek pair of shoes can create a very complimentary contrast with a structured coat like the one above.
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Accessories are your friend. New York luxury brand Tory Burch shows us how here:
It breaks my heart that this look was never produced! She lives on in the archives. Also, peep the slim, flat shoes. Image via Tory Burch.
The asymmetry trend continues with the two-color earrings above. Also, notice the proportions here. The jacket creates a round-ish shape that comes together at the hips. This draws the eyes down, so the entire outfit is easily appreciated, rather than it being all about the big coat. A sentiment shared in my story on styling blazers.
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Take a look at the parka from the opening look of Nicolas Ghesquière’s 10th-anniversary show with French luxury brand Louis Vuitton:
Hoyeon Jung opens Louis Vuitton’s fall 2024 show. Images via Louis Vuitton.
As this collection “bears witness to a decade of fashion,” features including the boots, headband, cinched waist and (almost) all-white honor what “still works” in fashion 10-years later. This look still reads as futuristic, however, as the parka blends with these elements effortlessly.
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Here, how I use color, proportions and slightly-unexpected slim shoes to create a full look with a rain-friendly coat:
In the off-white relaxed parka (on sale!) from Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo, a T-shirt from Odd Tape Duplication in Tokyo, Sunday Best skirt (on final sale), my favorite Rothy’s Mary-Janes and a Scanlan Theodore scarf to add some flavor.
Adding a little leg can’t hurt, but if bare legs aren’t your thing a pair of tights can add an extra layer of comfort without throwing off your silhouette. Tights are also helpful if you’re concerned about rain splashing onto your legs.
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Italian luxury brand Miu Miu shows how a puffer jacket can be styled with traditional business attire:
Kitten heels are paired with a puffer jacket at Miu Miu’s fall 2024 show. Images via Miu Miu.
I tried my own version of this look, here:
I threw this Babaton puffer coat (similar one) on my LouLou Studio blazer, a Mango button-down shirt (this one is nice too, and here’s an oversize one) and a Wilfred little black dress (here’s a cute crochet option). The “scarf” is actually a crepe knit belt from a Scanlan Theodore coat. The mules are from Everlane, available in a few different colorways.
Miu Miu juxtaposed a puffer, a garment originally created exclusively for function, with professional attire, which is mostly worn to convey a message rather than perform a practical function. This juxtaposition not only works, but it makes the entire look more modern without trying too hard.
Here is one more example of how a detail around the neck can make a functional coat look a bit more sexy and chic.
As you can see, I tried mixing and matching of few of the same pieces to play around with this concept.
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With that, thank you so much for being here! Are there any pieces you find yourself having trouble styling? Do you enjoy styling functional clothing like rain coats and performance wear, or do you find it challenging? I am always happy to hear your fashionable thoughts.
As always, I’ll be back next week. Until then, soak up some of these spontaneous spring showers!
Yours Truly,
Kyoko
I am not compensated for the features listed in All-Year Season. My sincerest thank you to Valentino, Tory Burch, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu for participating in the creation of this post.
