Indeed, a little rain never hurt anyone, but if you’re looking like a cupcake and your shoes are the frosting, wellies may not be the tastiest topping. Venture out on most rainy days in cities like London and you will see some women splashing out in wellies. Still, there are a bevy of style-conscious women who are brave enough to risk ruining a gorgeous pair of shoes to complete an outfit. Are they crazy?
“No because I look good!” Youlande Biosah says.
Hoofing it in a downpour in a pair of lovely shoes is not a big deal to Biosah, who is a salesperson at Faith shoe store on Oxford Street. She knows you can still look great without wearing the rubber. Biosah prefers leather. On a rainy day, she likes her feet to feel snug, comfortable, and stylish in a pair of trendy flat-heeled boots. She is particularly partial to Razor. They are versatile enough to wear with leggings or with jeans tucked inside the calf-high leg, and they’re sleek enough to wear with skirts. But if she’s out on the town and dressed to impress, a pair of pumps or heels are her preference. “The thing is, if you want to look nice, it actually doesn’t matter if you’re getting wet. So you can wear peep toes or leather pumps.” Stores like Faith have a variety of them and women flock to the stores every day of the week, which are dotted around the city.
Perhaps women in drier climes just don’t get all the fuss. After all, wellies are cool. Dargue agrees. But if you’re thinking wellies are hot, absolutely not. “If I’m going on a date and I’m channeling Dita Von Teese, Wellington boots are not going finish the look off, even if they are pink with flowers on them,” Dargue says.
Rain doesn’t bother some women, but it’s the unexpected nature of it that really grinds. Iola Smith agrees. “I don’t mind the rain, but I don’t like the rain over here [London] because it’s just horrible, whereas if you’re in a hotter climate, the rain will just come down in one go and then it’s gone. And everything just dries up as opposed to over here, where it’s in bits and bobs—that light rain, then really heavy and I just hate it,” Smith says. Smith, a cultural strategy consultant, says it also affects her mood and she tends to wear dark clothes when the weather is gloomy. But she still wouldn’t buy wellies. “I wouldn’t wear wellies, full stop. I wore them when I was in nursery and primary school and I don’t think I need to be wearing them anymore as an adult. Fashion can keep them,” she adds.
PREVIOUS PAGE
