Rain or shine: Flexible wardrobes for fickle weather

Have you ever left the house dressed for cold weather in a full-on wool sweater only to find that later on in the day, a sudden shift in temperature will have you sweating buckets instead? Or perhaps you’ve done the opposite and worn a cute summer top only to have the weather rain on your sun-tanning parade.

Wearing exactly the wrong kind of outfit is not only a major fashion faux pas; it’s also very inconvenient. No one likes a muddy pair of feet—not to mention a waterlogged leather shoe. Likewise, one can only endure so much heat before it becomes a genuine health hazard. It matters what you wear, especially in times like these.

Come rain, come shine, come weather-ready clothing

Unless you’re shooting a conceptual fashion photo, a light and breezy summer dress in the midst of a heavy downpour will not make the most harmonious of pictures. If it’s the sort of summer dress that falls all the way to the ground or leaves little to the imagination up top, it’s likely you won’t be feeling too pleasant either.

“One thing I wear in fickle weather is a mid-sleeve raglan shirt,” said laid-back working girl, Pauline. “It's still too hot to don long sleeves, but it's not so advisable for summer dresses anymore.”

“On sunny days that might turn rainy, I try not to wear jeans and I bring a jacket along just in case. I don't like it when my jeans get wet from the rain because it gets all heavy and soaked. Smells bad too. So it's either I'm in a bandage skirt or shorts,” said college student Kyle.

So remember:

• However tempting it is to wear skimpy tops that let your skin breathe under the heat of the sun, you will regret it if it starts to get chilly. The simplest compromise is to bring a jacket or cardigan which you can easily throw over your shoulders in case the rain comes a’ pouring. 
• Anything that goes below the knees is something you may just want to avoid for the time being. That part of your legs from ankle to knee is sure to get wet when you splash through puddles on the street.
• The most hassle-free kind of bottom ends above the knee or higher. If your legs get wet, you can easily wipe the water off without any lingering dampness on your clothes. But should you want to wear jeans or tights, a pair of high waterproof boots can keep your calves protected.

Balancing dressy with practical

“Usually, I spend my days at the office, so to be safe and aligned with the corporate attire dress code on sunny days that might turn to rainy days and the other way around, I normally wear a stylish blouse or sleeveless (in case its hot) along with a blazer (in case it rains),” said Kara, another working girl who has a strict dress code to deal with. “When I do wear long sleeves—in case it’s hot, which most of the time [it] is—I always match long sleeves with skirts so there’s a balance of showing a bit of skin.”

“On rainy days that may turn sunny… I wear a jacket over something nice (and light). I guess my mindset is that even when it's raining it's hot so I always dress for 'heat,'" said Kyle.

Her technique is to assume that it will always be more hot than cold, so even on a rainy day, she wears something that allows her skin to breathe. Her absolute must-have for this season is a cotton shirt.

A few tips:

• To make the daily grind a bit more bearable, try airing out those pretty skirts and dresses. It may not be summer anymore, but a bit of bright color in your outfit could add just the right amount of light to a dark and gloomy day. If you aren’t the dress-wearing type, a stylish top or jacket could also do the trick.
• For those with a more flexible dress code, shorts are a really wonderful option. They’re versatile, hardwearing, naturally flattering—and they go great with high boots.

Don’t let the weather get your fashion spirits down

Summer is definitely over, but it’s not quite the rainy season yet, either.

“Extreme heat or strong rains with thunder...it has been sticky and awful!” said Kyle, describing what these past few weeks have been like, weather-wise.

Just like the weather, your mood could also swing either way, affecting everything from how your day plays out to how well-put-together or how sloppy your outfit will be. Remember that bad weather is no excuse for a bad outfit.

Take it as a challenge to come up with more exciting and creative looks. Or you could just stick to the tried and tested—so long as you keep it stylish.    

Kara recommends using accessories to pull an outfit together.

“I can never go out without wearing a watch and any accessory such as a necklace or bracelets to match my attire… Most of the time I like wearing simple blouses or plain tops.  My accessories help style and balance what I wear,” she said.

Pauline likes to keep it simple and casual with no-fuss loose shirts—sleeves she can roll up when it’s hot and roll down when it gets chilly.

Her key pieces in weather like this are “sneakers that get better with dirt and age… and a good hoodie.”

Putting a little more thought into what you wear this season could save you from a lot of inconveniences, including the risk of exposure to the elements. Our clothes, after all, are there to keep us warm. But who says we can’t look good in them too?  — VC, GMA News