Rainy day dressing

[Pumpernickelbrakes]

Visiting UK next week for a month. What would you personally wear for walking round a city in the rain/intermittent showers? A dress, cardigan raincoat and tennis shoes? Yoga wear, sneakers and waterproof hoody? Loose/wide legged pants and a blouse and coat?

Please can you recommend footwear - do people wear Crocs in summer rain? White tennis shoes look like they’d be ruined.

what sort of raincoat is good - preferably that I can order from a supermarket?

thanks

Which city are you visiting?

I'd bring an umbrella and wear leather footwear (like docs if you like them). Raincoats can be a bit sweaty in the summer

Norwich, Cambridge, London mostly.
I don’t own any leather shoes (live in tropics). I only have Birkenstocks, Crocs and work out sneakers. I was going to buy a pair of white tennis shoes that can be worn with dresses and pants and yoga wear when I get to UK -

but it looks like it’s going to rain most days.

Hard no to crocs! They're only for gardening, not to be seen out.

Converse or something similar would be fine.

The temperature looks like it will be 11-14 c
which is going to feel cold for me, it’s normally 30-31c so need to think about that as well. Do people wear boots in summer with dresses and cardigans/hoodies? What sort of cardigans/cover ups/ jackets work for cool wet summer days?
thanks

I've been wearing Gola grandslams and I just put a protective spray on them (I did it twice) and that works well in the rain!

I wear DMs or dunks when it's wet. Hate having wet feet. Agree no to the raincoat and yes to an umbrella.

A dress with a jumper over it and jacket works well

I wouldn't tend to wear boots in the height of summer and I am in Scotland! But tourists from warmer places probably would

It can be strange trying to dress for UK weather as a foreigner. I have walked around in jumpers and fleecy pants while everyone around me was in Tshirts. My go to combination which takes me from cold to less cold weather is any type of sneaker with socks, jeans that cover the ankle, a thin, long sleeved top and a warm jacket that looks nice left open but can also zip or button up all the way to the chin. I also wear a pashmina or light scarf or some sort so I can wrap it around my neck or shoulders for extra warmth but also pretend it’s just a fashion accessory and I’m not actually freezing in 25 degrees 🤣

Thanks for replies. What about a trench coat or parka?

I'd go light jumper and trench coat.

Layers basically, so you can take off as needed. Also, the weather forecast is often very wrong. The number of days I've delayed doing washing as it said rain, then it was fine and vice versa this summer....

It's likely to be warmer than that, 18-22 is typical temperatures. I wear leather white trainers or sandals in summer here

"The temperature looks like it will be 11-14 c"

Really, that cold?

In any case, I don't think you have to worry about the raincoat making you sweaty as it won't be that warm and in the UK it usually get colder as a shower is approaching. If it's actually warm you can get a packamack that is very lightweight and scrunches up to fit in your pocket.

It's around 50 degrees where I am and will be around 20 when I arrive in the UK on Saturday. In my suitcase I have... trusty jeans, T-shirts, a couple of longer sleeve though fairly lightweight tops, summer weight trousers and my denim jacket.
I'm only packing a pair of sandals and my fitflops though admittedly have heavier shoes, trainers and boots at my parents.
I never wear a rainmac, just use an umbrella.

It's hard to pack for a UK break as our weather is so changeable, the forecast is not reliable and could change before next week. Day time temperatures are normally higher than that though in the south of England at this time of the year, although it gets cooler in the evenings.

Just make sure you pack layers and you will be fine. Shoes wise, trainers or chunky sandals is what I would wear but I've seen people wearing chunky doc marten style boots. I don't like raincoats as they make me sweat, I'd rather take an umbrella!

Look at Sorrel trainers they're waterproof and go with most things, or so I think!

It's not going to be 11-14 degrees next week. More like 22-24, in those places (I live basically in the middle of them). Also doesn't look particularly rainy? I would check the forecast again, are those the nighttime temperatures?

Anyway. I would usually wear a summer dress and Birkenstocks or walking sandals as they dry out fairly easily if you do get wet. Jeans and a light top for cooler days (say 17 degrees or less). If it's really rainy then yes, boots, but I think they'll be too hot for a typical British summer day in London - it gets really humid. Denim jacket for the evening. Cardis. Definitely an umbrella - I would far rather have an umbrella than a raincoat, in summer.

Humidity is a very good point. I've been more comfortable in 45 degrees in the Sahara than in 32 in London.

Thanks for replies. Umbrella won’t work, I will be carrying shopping/grocery bags around. Humidity won’t be an issue, am used to 85% tropical humidity…I guess I can just get a pac-a-mac and carry it in my bag..

for cardigans - are people wearing those traditional lambs wool twinset type cardigans or chunky? Short or long?

I don’t even know where to start with jeans. 😵‍💫 I don’t own any that still fit and don’t wear them here. I guess I can still find cotton dresses in the shops? Last time I visited UK in August the stores were full of autumn winter things and the summer stuff was sad leftovers on sale racks, it was really hard to buy clothes to take back home

I have plain hip length mid weight cardies.

Bring what you have, and if it doesn't suit, go to primark for cheap stuff to top up if you won't wear it back at home.

I was in a tourist city today and it was 14 degrees , cloudy, spots of rain.
People mainly wore

1. cropped trousers and white trainers short jacket
2. Long wide trousers and jeans and things like converse platforms. Cropped sweatshirts.
3. long wide trousers and flip flops or ballet flats.

Some wore summer raincoats, some had long light macs, wide trousers and trainers.
Saw some shorts wearers too!
No one in skirts!

Mixed really like the weather - no one knows what to wear!

Didn't see anyone in cardigans at all though they could have been under raincoats.
Things like this popular. Most have had brollies in bag!

If you don't wear jeans OP, do you have workout leggings? You could wear these with a t-shirt, a workout top (like a sweatshirt) and then take a popover rain jacket, and wear a baseball cap. Add a denim jacket if you are cold. That was the look I saw last Summer in London on wet days. There is no point buying jeans if you don't wear them.