26 Rainy Day Outfit Ideas
It’s not April in the PNW without sharing some rainy day outfit inspiration! Here in Boise, we had a very dry March. It finally rained this past weekend, and it looks to be another wet one this upcoming weekend. Everything is looking so green; I love it!
My wet weather wardrobe is in a pretty good places as of now. I grew up constantly cycling through those cheap rain boots from Target that never lasted for longer than a year. I’ve since added a couple of pairs of Hunter boots, a pair of L.L.Bean duck boots, Blondo waterproof ankle boots, and Sperry rain boots to round out my wet weather shoe wardrobe. I also have a couple of rain jackets I wear regularly.
Below, I rounded up 26 rainy day outfits from my archives, and if you click on each photo you’ll be taken to the original post. I also shared a list of clothes to wear in the rain and included shopping widgets if you’re in the market to add any more wet weather attire to your wardrobe!
This post was updated and recirculated on April 10, 2026.
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26 Rainy Day Outfit Ideas
Clothes To Wear On A Rainy Day
Rain Jacket
A rain jacket is definitely a must for a true rainy day outfit. I often took mine off to take blog photos, but most of the time I needed one if I was out in the rain for an extended amount of time! I have two rain jackets I wear regularly, a long, unlined navy jacket by One/Third (RIP to this brand) and an insulated grey rain jacket by The North Face if I need extra warmth. I bought the latter for a trip to the Oregon coast and it was perfect!
Trench Coat
A trench coat is a classic, and it’s perfect to wear in rainy weather if you need to look put together for work, school, a conference, etc. Trench coats come in a variety of lengths; I’ve been partial to short trench coats because I’m short, but I also love the look of a long trench coat. So chic! They come in a variety of colors but can most often be found in tan, dark brown, olive green, navy, or white.
Garments That Can Handle Water
Whatever you do, make sure the clothes you DO wear on rainy days can handle getting wet. Think easy-to-clean garments and fabrics that don’t stain from water marks, like cotton. If I were to include a “clothes NOT wear in the rain” category it would include silk, velvet, faux fur, suede that has not been protected, and white jeans (or skirts or dresses).
Hunter Boots
I own two pairs of Hunter boots, packable tall boots in yellow and glossy chelsea boots in navy. Tall Hunter boots, especially the packable style, look like your classic rain boot. You can’t go wrong with those! The chelsea boots are shorter than the traditional Hunter tall boot and hit right around the ankle. I find their chelsea boots to be a bit too snug around the ankles, and they will rub bare skin.
Duck Boots
L.L.Bean boots are a classic boot for all kinds of weather! They’re great for rainy days; in my opinion, they’re not warm enough for snowy days (unless you have insoles). The boots are grippy on the bottom, which is great if you tend to slip. I added the Sperry Saltwater rain boots to my wardrobe because black goes with everything, and I like the short shaft on my short legs. I now wear these boots the most often out of all of my rain boots because they’re the easiest to slip on, and black coordinates easily with the rest of my wardrobe.
Blondo Waterproof Boots
Blondo ankle boots aren’t inherently rain boots, but I included them because they are waterproof and perfect if you want the wet weather protection without the look of traditional rain boots! I would caution wearing them on slick surfaces since the sole isn’t as grippy as a typical pair of rain boots. That said, I’ve worn them multiple times while it was precipitating and they still look the exact same! I sized up a half size and would recommend a full size up if you plan to wear them with thick socks.
Umbrella
I’ve owned a few umbrellas over the years, but my favorite is my clear umbrella! Clear goes with anything you wear, and it also allows you to see through it. Clear umbrellas are so fun for weddings, too! The downside is that if you live anywhere that gets mud rain (like here in Boise, when the rain gets mixed with dust that was lifted into the storm), it’ll get dirty.
What to Wear in the Rain
1. Cozy Favorites
Often when I put together rainy day outfits, I don’t put a ton of thought into them. There are a few items I reach for again and again depending on the season, and I tend to reach for them when I just want to be lazy at home because rain gives me that excuse. This is one of those outfits!
2. Shorts for Summer
When it’s raining on a hot summer day, layer your rain jacket over a lightweight sweater and shorts! I would typically not recommend sandals if it’s raining (mostly so you don’t get wet feet), but if you do opt for open toe shoes, be sure to wear sandals that have an ankle strap so they don’t slip off.
3. Flannel Shirt and Beanie
You’ll see flannel shirts represented in a lot of the outfits in this post! They’re one of my favorite tops to wear in the cooler months. I’m also wearing a beanie in this outfit, and while it’s keeping my head cozy, I wouldn’t recommend wearing faux fur in the rain so it doesn’t get ruined!
4. Sweater Blazer and Stripes
I like incorporating my rain boots into my work outfits instead of just throwing them on after the fact. To make your rainy day outfit feel more intentional, add a pair of socks that coordinates with your top (or blazer, in this case). The contrasting stripes also tie into the color of the boots.
5. Autumnal Color Palette
If you’re dressing for a rainy day in the fall (or in January, which is when I wore this outfit), go all-in on the autumn colors. Just wear them all, like I did in this outfit. LOL. I’m wearing a pair of olive green jeans, a cozy fleece sweatshirt, and topped it all off with a spicy dark orange puffer!
6. Shiny Boots and Fun Socks
Life is short, wear fun socks with your rain boots! Find a pair of short rain boots you love and add some personality with your socks of choice. I prefer merino wool socks for the warmth, moisture-wicking abilities, and comfort. Go for a calf-length sock; you can scrunch them down if needed.
7. Match the Weather
Sometimes, all you can do is match the weather with your rainy day outfit. Start with a pair of jeans (these dark indigo jeans match the navy in my boots) and top it off with a grey sweater to match the overcast sky above. Add an umbrella for some whimsy!
8. Light and Bright
Sometimes, it doesn’t rain until later in the day (or at all!) and you feel like a fool in your boots. Just me? Haha! Instead of wearing a dark outfit for a rainy day (or fake rainy day), go light and bright. Try an ivory sweater, light wash jeans, socks to match the sweater, and a vest if needed for warmth.
9. Burgundy and Blush
This is one of my classic outfit uniforms during the cooler months: a cashmere sweater and dark indigo jeans. Top off a blush-colored sweater with a burgundy floppy hat (and add a rain coat or trench coat to stay dry!). This is the perfect outfit to wear when out and about shopping.
10. Mini Skirt with Yellow Boots
Hunter boots are definitely better to wear in the rain and not in the cold snow (brr!), so just imagine that I’m wearing this on a rainy hill, haha. I love the look of tall rain boots with a mini skirt. If needed, you can layer underneath with a pair of tights (or fleece-lined tights in my case).
11. A Classic Color Combination
A red, white, and blue color combination is a long-time classic. Make the combo more fall-forward by opting for a dark red cardigan and navy gingham shirt to go with your duck boots (cuff the sleeves to show off the gingham). Then, you’re set to go foraging in the woods or along the river!
12. Clear Umbrella and Trench Coat
This will always be one of my favorite rainy day looks, and not just because it was actually raining when we shot the photos! It’s a classic outfit combination—a sweater and jeans—made lighter with my trench coat. My Sperry duck boots were the workhorse. And isn’t the umbrella so fun?!
13. A Colorful Top
Instead of grabbing a trusty grey or black top, grab a colorful top for your rainy day outfit. Notice how most of these outfits feature skinny jeans… I don’t know how to wear wide leg jeans with rain boots. Maybe they’d work best with a pair of short rain boots like these chelsea boots?
14. Neutral Colors
Neutral colors are my favorites to wear, and yes, I consider olive green to be a neutral! I love pairing olive green with ivory, and a navy vest like this one ties into the navy rain boots. The navy on the top and on the bottom of the look “bookend” it and make it feel complete.
15. Wubby Pullover and Leggings
Somehow, this is the only rainy day outfit featuring my Blondo waterproof ankle boots (though perhaps it was snowing at this exact moment instead of raining!). They are the perfect “rain” boots to wear to the office because they don’t look like rain boots. They still look great after years of wear!
16. Floppy Hat and Glossy Boots
This outfit features so many of my favorite things in rainy day outfits—a cozy sweater (grey, naturally), comfy jeans (I still wear skinnies with rain boots, sue me), wool socks, glossy rain boots, and a fun floppy hat to add a bit of color. I got a lot of wear out of these navy rain boots!
17. Flannel Shirt Dress Over Pants
This outfit was one of my more unique style sudoku capsule wardrobe outfits. To get more wear out of this dress in the cooler months, I decided to layer a pair of ponte pants and a sweater underneath it. Did it work? Yes… but it was on the bulky side and probably something I wouldn’t do again.
18. Grey on Top, Black on Bottom
This outfit is similar to the “match the weather” outfit above, except moodier because of the black jeans and boots. It’s nice to liven up a rainy day by wearing color, but sometimes you just need to embrace the low light and moody vibes and stick with a simple, almost boring color palette.
19. Sweater Blazer and Button Down Shirt
Dress up your Hunter boots for the office by pairing them with a button-down shirt and layering a sweater blazer over the top! To make the shirt cuffs work over the sweater blazer, make sure the shirt has some “grip”—this top’s fabric was a bit too slippery for them to stay in place all day.
20. Add a Pop of Color
I’m not the biggest fan of the phrase “pop of color”, but in the case of this rainy day outfit, I’m not sure of a better way to describe it! Liven up a simple sweater-and-jeans look by adding a pop of color in your outfit. Try a bright-colored tank top under your sweater for something more subtle.
21. Trench Coat with Light Layers
Any of your rainy day outfits could theoretically also be worn on a Pacific Northwest beach! Enjoy the sea air (or smell of petrichor) while wearing a trench coat with light-colored layers underneath. I really loved the nautical look of the multicolor stripes under the ivory sweatshirt.
22. Simple Flannel and Jeans
When in doubt, throw on the easiest rainy day outfit uniform possible: a flannel shirt and jeans! For this outfit, I wanted something super comfortable, so I wore a more oversized flannel shirt versus something fitted. Play around with shirt silhouettes to find the one you like the most.
23. Peek-a-boo Patterned Socks
Instead of tucking your jeans into your boots, try rolling them up and exposing your fun socks that way! I found that it was difficult to keep my jeans tucked into the slim top of the Hunter chelsea boots, so rolling them worked better. You could also cuff your jeans or wear cropped jeans.
24. Canadian Tuxedo
I wore this rainy day outfit when I was a grad student! I started with a double denim base—chambray shirt and dark jeans. Like with earlier outfits, I matched my cardigan (third piece) to my socks. This might be very millennial of me and very uncool now, but if you like it, wear it!
25. Coordinating Layers
Start with a solid base on the bottom—I chose black ponte pants—and add layers on top that coordinate with the color of your rain boots. Since my Hunter boots are navy, I chose a flannel shirt with a blue plaid and a navy puffer vest. This is the perfect outfit to run errands on the weekends.
26. Dark Layers and Yellow Boots
It’s funny that my favorite outfits with my yellow Hunter rain boots are in the snow, but hey—you could also wear this outfit in the rain! I would recommend not hiking in rubber boots, though, haha. (This outing was really just a casual stroll through the forest.) No coat needed!