For some people the idea of a ‘stylish raincoat’ will sound like an oxymoron. After all, it’s an item of clothing that has been created to fulfil a functional, rather than fashionable, purpose. Yet, as I am faced with the prospect of a week’s glamping in summer 2021’s torrential downpours, I can’t help but cast my eye around for something a little more chic. I mean, I’m a fashion editor after all, it’s what we do.
Conveniently the whole ‘practical camper’ look (think fleeces, rubberised sandals, bucket hats et al) has been prevalent over the last year or so, so there is no shortage of waterproofing that ticks both the style and substance boxes. Just look at Barbour’s sell-out collabs with It-girl Alexa Chung, or Rains, the outwear brand making cagoules cool again. It also helps that the minimalist aesthetic is so popular right now as it means those traditional, clean-lined raincoat silhouettes can end up looking unexpectedly chic. Kin, Kassl Editions and Hunter are particularly good in this department. I also have to give a shout out to the pre-loved options out there as, if you’re a city-dweller like me, you may well be looking for a raincoat for a one-off occasion, so buying new might feel excessive. Vestiaire is great for hunting down designer iterations—I’ve got a number of Ganni raincoats in my saved items right now—while Depop has a host of both old high-street pieces, which are still in great condition, alongside fun, vintage ’80s and ’90s iterations. So yes, it is possible to buy a stylish raincoat, and these 16 buys prove it. Scroll down to see and shop my edit.
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