Dressing For The Rains

Monsoons are here, Mumbai!
It is a respite from the humid summers but a hassle for all the professionals who struggle in the peak hours to reach their offices and travel to meet clients and other important people. The concern is how to survive the downpour & maintain professional looks. ​

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Let’s start by listing down the top trouble-making elements:​

• Clothes & Shoes getting wet & soiled due to puddles & rain shower
• Excessive crowding of wet and sweating people in trains, metros, and other dry spots
• Head getting wet causing cold & related illness 
• City infrastructure that lacks smooth and wide footpaths, clean public toilets, etc., compounds the problems.

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Given all this, is there a way to manage our professional outlook as best as we do on a sunny January day in Mumbai?

​Here is what we suggest.
To remain dry and fresh, we need to maintain two profiles- One, while outside under the downcast sky, and two, while in the office or meeting space.
When outside, dress up to take the lashing rains head-on. When indoors, focus on your presentation without worrying about a wet shirt on your back.​

​If you are in a desk job, keep one or two nicely pressed shirts and trousers, a pair of dress shoes, a couple of dry socks, and a towel with a deodorant in the office. While commuting, wear rain shoes without socks and light clothes. Change to your formal attire as you reach the office. It will keep your day bright and happy.​

Duffel bags look more than acceptable if you have to travel for meetings. They look professional and have a lot of space for pack-able umbrellas, shoes, socks, deodorant, and a hand towel. 
Wear light rain shoes without socks and change into formal ones at the venue. Nowadays, all offices, hotels, cafes, and malls have a good utility infrastructure, so executing this strategy is easy.​

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​We strongly advice against the following:

Denim Apparel
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​Denim is not a good choice for the rainy season because it is heavy, difficult to clean, and hard-to-dry material. Pack your jeans away during monsoons.

Flip-Flops

​Though they seem to be the best footwear during rain, their being open-ended at the heel makes them prone to splatter water as one walks. It makes the trousers’ calf area wet and dirty. 
Use rubber or plastic sandals with a back strap. 

Leather shoes
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The leather has a natural oil that keeps it soft and supple. If it comes in contact with water, its oil mixes up with the water molecule. As the leather dries, the oils evaporate with the water molecules. Consequently, the leather loses its oils which causes the leather to become brittle and form cracks.
So keep your leather shoes well covered with humidity-absorbents and pack them away till the monsoon lasts.
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Avoid whites when outdoors. You cannot predict where the next stubborn stain riding the water drops will come from and deposit on your whites.​

Don’t wear socks when outdoors and when you are prone to walk in puddles and water.
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​We strongly advice the following:

​​Invest in a spacious duffel/sling bag made of nylon or synthetic material.​

Look for trousers in lighter material. Mumbai is a hot and humid city. These trousers will come in handy even outside the monsoon season.
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​Always carry a deodorant, a hand towel, and a plastic pouch case in your bag. Store your wallet, keys, or handkerchief in the pouch case. Empty trousers pockets look more stylish than the ones bulging with a wallet and handkerchief.​

Use your towel to wipe your feet dry when you reach indoors. It will prevent them from various infections and ensure general health and hygiene.​

​Umbrella has been a fashion accessory for long. Use the one that offers functionality with aesthetics. ​

While raincoats and trenchcoats are the usual garments people wear overseas, they are not the most suited for India for various reasons. Bikers in India do wear a plastic rain cover. There is nothing stylish about it, but it does the trick for them.​