Oh, rain. I love rain, and as a Texan in the middle of a drought I don’t see nearly enough of it. So when I am lucky enough to see it, I want to wallow in it. Sit inside my house with a cup of tea, curled up on the couch looking out the window.  But sometimes you have to go to work. Boo. And other times, the place where it’s raining isn’t your place–it’s somewhere you’ve traveled a long distance to, just to go to work. That was my trip this week.  Three rainy days in New York.

When I looked at the weather forecast and realized how much rain was expected I panicked just a tiny bit. In Texas, like many places, you just run from your house out to your car and then run in to the office. You open your umbrella if it’s raining hard enough, but mostly you just try to be fast. In New York there are cabs to hail, trains to catch, and blocks to walk.

So how do you navigate rainy cities without arriving at work drenched? Here is my strategy.

Have good gear. Make sure you always have an umbrella with you!  Obviously this is especially important during rainy season. If you know it’s going to rain, I also recommend a good, packable raincoat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boots are key. If you’re going to be sloshing around puddles you can’t do it in ballet flats! Rain boots are great, and you can pack your regular shoes to change into when you arrive. I will often just wear my regular boots that have been waterproofed if it’s not a torrential downpour. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dresses. In my experience, it’s easier to maintain a professional look through rain in a dress. If your legs or tights get splattered they will dry faster than slacks.

Simple hair. If you’re lucky enough to have hair that looks great in the rain, you can skip this section (and I’m jealous). Last week I did my hair at the hotel, and I thought it looked very nice. Then I had to run through the rain to get into the office. When I went to the ladies room I almost didn’t recognize myself because my hair had literally doubled in size. Scary. So moving forward if there is even a hint of rain I will put my hair up (check out some of my favorite travel hairstyles here).

There you have it! It’s not always easy to look professional during rainy weather, but with a little planning it’s certainly possible.

Readers, how do navigate rainy weather on business trips?

Be sure to check out my page with products I recommend for travel!

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