Just so long as my room doesn't flood again

Whoa. It just started pissing rain here. I like rain--I like the way it mutes the world, I like all the pretty tones of grey you can see in the clouds, I like the way that it makes the pine trees look bright green, and I love the smell, but rain still sort of poses a fashion dilemma. It smudges mascara, it makes hair get funky and curly, and it makes clothes stick to your body (actually, with a little creative rephrasing, that could sound quite good: smudgy eye makeup, tousled hair, clingy clothes--sexy. The problem is, it never looks as good as it sounds). No matter how much one enjoys it, we all must find ways to protect ourselves from the fashion perils of rain.

Whether you go with the $20 Target rain boots or the $1200 Burberry trench (both pictured), I think that creativity is key here. Matching black umbrellas and hooded slickers all look alike, so doing something differently is what will keep you stylish. That is, if you're willing to make the effort. When I go out tonight, I think I'm just going to swap my shoes (which, today, are pink suede ballet flats--I'm actually kind of sad not to be able to wear them. They don't get nearly enough play time) for my Chuck Taylors, and toss on my H&M trench. Actually, the H&M trench is quite stylish. At risk of sounding snobby, I'm really not sure how I made it through all those midwestern years without H&M.

I'm not sure if this entry is advice about dressing in the rain or an ode to H&M. But both are good things, right?