Rain, Rain, Go Away...

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.

Langston Hughes

For those of us here at the University of North Texas it has been unusually cold this winter and the Dallas/Fort Worth area was able to garner record snowfalls; causing many of us to welcome the springtime with open arms. Yet, springtime often brings rainfall to North Texas, and according to my father (who is uncannily right about this sort of thing), we can expect a pretty wet spring and summer. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss of all things rainwear.


The first up is the classic trench coat.





Every gentlemen should own at least one trench coat. They are versatile, especially for attending academic conferences, and you can wear them with a suit or business casual. Moreover for those of us in North Texas used to bi-polar weather a little layering and a coat with a good liner and it really can be a multi-season outerwear.

When shopping for a trench coat look for something that fits 2-6 inches above the knee and is a snug fit. It is a very good idea to wear a sport coat or jacket when you shop for one so that you can see how it fits when wearing a coat. Here are some of the trench coats out there that I like and most are available in multiple colors.



This one is from J-Crew and is a beltless and sports hidden buttonholes to prevent it from blowing up on a windy day. I like it for its simple design yet classy look. Plus it falls approximately four inches above the knee. $158-198 www.jcrew.com.







Zara, seen here in black, manufactures this coat. The thing I like most about this coat is its versatility, its one you can wear with a suit to a conference or something casual like a v-neck sweater and jeans for a run over to the Union for coffee. Available at www.zara.com $89.



I will discuss rain accessories later, but for now dear reader, invest in a good trench coat. It’s versatility and function is hard to surpass.