Waterproof Jacket: How to Stay Dry and Still Look Put Together

I am writing this with the windows streaked and the plane trees dropping leaves onto the pavement, which is my annual reminder that a good waterproof jacket does more work than any other thing in my wardrobe. The pieces I lean on are four: a long hooded raincoat, an oversized long puffer coat, a belted trench jacket, and a pair of waterproof knee-high boots.

Everything else is layering. I promise you one simple rule, and if you take nothing else from this, take that: the dry layer and the warm layer are two different jobs, and they should be two different garments.

The rule: the waterproof jacket keeps the rain out; the knit keeps you warm

Choose your outer layer for the weather and your inner layer for the temperature, and never ask one piece to do both.

When I got this wrong, I used to buy one enormous padded coat and then spend October either soaked or sweating. A smooth showerproof shell with a hood handles the wet. A knit, a fleece or a quilted layer underneath handles the cold. Put them together, and you can dress for a grey Tuesday and a bright Saturday from the same two hangers.

It also makes your outfits look considered rather than accidental. The shell reads as the frame, and what you wear underneath is the outfit. That is why the same hooded coat can sit over a knit set one day and over a tailored blazer the next, and look deliberate both times.

The hooded rain coat: the waterproof jacket I reach for first

This is the long hooded rain coat, cut oversized with a dropped shoulder, big pockets and a hem that falls well below the knee. It goes over absolutely everything, which is the whole point of it.

Three ways I wear it. Over a knit co-ord set with trainers for the school run and the supermarket. Over flared jeans and knee-high boots when I want the outfit to look done from the waist down. Over a blazer, belted at the waist for anything where I will be taking the coat off indoors.

One fit note: because the cut is roomy, take your usual size rather than going up. Beige and green are the easiest with brown boots, and black is the one to choose if most of your trousers are dark. It sits with the rest of the rain-ready outerwear in Jackets & Blazers.

Is a long puffer coat a weatherproof jacket?

Nearly, and for most British autumn days it is enough. Our long puffer coat is quilted in channels, with a generous hood and an oversized fit that lets a jumper live underneath it without squashing. It is the warm layer and the shell in one, which is the exception to my own rule, so I keep it for the cold, dry days and the light drizzle rather than a downpour.

Three ways to wear it. Worn open over a roomy knit and wide-leg trousers for travelling. Zipped with the hood up over jeans and boots when the wind comes round the corner. Over a midi dress and knee-high boots, which is the version I wear to anything mildly grown-up.

A contrast trim does a lot of quiet work: it breaks up the quilting and stops the coat looking like sports kit. You will find it in Jackets & Blazers.

The trench jacket: the smart women's jacket answer to drizzle

A trench jacket is the piece that makes a wet day look intentional. The long trench coat is double-breasted with a belted waist and a checked lining that shows when you push the sleeves back. There is also a cropped trench coat with a belted waist, for anyone who does not want length.

Three ways. Belted tight with tailored trousers and loafers for the office. Open over a jumper and dark jeans at the weekend. Cropped, over a dress with ankle boots, which is my favourite of the autumn outfits in this whole article.

Tie the belt rather than buckling it every time. The knot keeps the waist soft and stops the coat looking stiff. Both lengths sit in Jackets & Blazers.

Waterproof knee-high boots: what to wear with a rain jacket

Nothing ruins a good coat faster than wet feet. Our waterproof knee-high leather boots have a chunky non-slip lug sole that grips on wet paving and leaf mulch.

Three ways. Under the long raincoat with the shaft covered, so only the toe and sole show. With flared jeans worn over the boot for a cleaner line. With a midi dress, which is the one that makes a puffer coat look considered.

Brown pairs with beige, khaki and camel; black is the safer choice with grey and navy. Find them with the rest of the wet-weather footwear in Shoes.

Layering under a waterproof jacket without the bulk

Build it in three thin steps rather than two thick ones. A long-sleeved top, then a knit, then the shell. That is warmer than one heavy jumper and far easier to peel back when you get on a bus.

My reliable combinations: an oversized knit co-ord set under the rain coat, the double-breasted blazer with ribbed knit sleeves under the cropped trench, and a plush fleece hoodie under the long puffer coat when the temperature really drops. The knits I reach for are in Knitwear Women, and the tops that go underneath them are in Tops & Blouses.

One rule about length: keep the hem of your knit shorter than the hem of your coat. A jumper peeping out from under a waterproof shell soaks up the rain, and then you are carrying it all day.

Colour and texture: what still looks good wet

Wet fabric goes darker, and that changes how a colour reads. Smooth showerproof shells in beige and khaki deepen to a warm sand, which is flattering. Black stays black. A quilted puffer shows rain as a soft sheen on the quilting, which I actually like.

Texture is where the rain matters more. Corduroy, suede, and suedette drink water and dry slowly, so I keep suedette and corduroy jackets for bright, cold days and let the smooth shells take the wet ones. If you love the suede look in autumn, wear it under a shell rather than as the outer layer.

For a palette that always works: beige shell, brown boots, cream or camel knit. Three colours, nothing to think about at eight in the morning.

For him: a men's waterproof jacket that earns its hook

Now a short word for the men's half, because half of my readers are buying for someone. The men's waterproof jacket is hooded, with a soft fleece lining and a zip chest pocket. It is the honest everyday shell: dog walks, station platforms, football touchlines.

Two ways to wear it. Over a half-zip fleece with waterproof cargo trousers for anything outdoors. Over a button-up shirt with dark jeans and waterproof Chelsea boots for everything else. For smarter wet days, there is the single-breasted men's trench coat.

The fleece lining means he does not need a heavy jumper underneath, so keep the mid-layer thin. It all sits in Jackets, with the boots in Shoes.

Fit, care and the most common mistakes

The most common mistake is buying the shell in your jumper size. An oversized rain coat is already cut with room for a knit, so sizing up again gives you sleeves that swallow your hands and a hood that slides over your eyes. Take your usual size and try it on over your thickest jumper.

Fabric conditioner is the quiet killer of a waterproof jacket. It coats the face of the fabric and stops water from beading off it. Wash on a cool, gentle cycle with a small amount of plain detergent, nothing softening, and close the zips first.

Never dry a wet coat folded over a radiator or a chair back. It sets creases into the panels and traps damp in the lining. Hang it on a broad hanger, hood open, somewhere with moving air, and it will be ready by morning.

Wearing suede or suedette as your outer layer in real rain. It marks, it stiffens, and the colour goes patchy. Save it for dry, bright days and let the smooth shells do the wet work.

Forgetting the boots. A beautiful trench jacket with soaked trainers looks worse than a plain shell with proper waterproof boots. Sort your feet first, and everything above them looks better.

If you are starting from scratch, buy in this order: first the long hooded waterproof coat, because it goes over everything you already own; then the waterproof knee-high boots, because dry feet change your whole day; then the belted long trench coat for the smarter, drier days; and last the long puffer coat for when it turns properly cold. Those four cover an entire British autumn and winter between them, and you can see the whole range in Jackets & Blazers.