While August should be 31 days filled with sun, sea, and shores, before America’s youth go back to essays and mathematic equations, this year we aren’t so fortunate. Instead of picnicking on gingham blankets and snacking on smelly cheese and quince, instead of trotting around town in our new fedoras (not to be mistaken with the similarly spelled feathers, a trend I am particularly tired of seeing clamped to people’s fake extensions) looking for the quintessential fall item that will hold together our entire wardrobe in the upcoming crunchy leaf months, and finally, instead of hearing our brightly colored TKEES slap against the burning cement on our sunny summer home streets, pretty much the entire east coast is scrambling to get out of their homes with their most valuable possessions, just in case their home-or rather, their life-floods. It’s pretty sad to think porch swings where so many sunset, tea sipping, moments took place, will be ripped from their hinges and thrown into a storm of wind and water.
Even though a mandatory evacuation is currently underway, that doesn’t mean you can’t escape in style. Unfortunately, being thrown together carelessly, while looking extremely cool, isn’t really so careless. It takes a lot of effort to look effortless. That’s where I can help. Here’s some items to throw on to create a storm of your own (of course I realize if your evacuating your home, you can’t order items online unless you want them to get destroyed, but you can certainly try to find items like these in your existing wardrobe, or prepare for future disasters):
1. Rain boots are essential. A classic, do no wrong pair, is the Burberry Haymarket Check Rain Boot $225.00 or the Ralph Lauren Odette Rain Boot in black, red, yellow, or navy. $395.00.
2. A coat, I’d say, is pretty necessary. Check out one of the Burberry Brit Down Puffer Coats or one of their Quilted Jackets. They range in price and color. Another choice is Gryphon’s Convertible Coat in Oatmeal and Black. It’s convertible because it can either be a vest or a cropped nubuck jacket. You can also combine the cropped and the sleeveless to make a full coat. Easily transitioned from one type of bad weather, to another, $795.00.
3. A warm and cozy cardigan, perfect for long car rides, in traffic, out of the city, to snuggle up with. The perfect choice is the Ralph Lauren Cashmere Cable Circle Cardigan. It’s big enough to serve as a blanket, and comes in many colors, including olive, deep sand, black, dark khaki, chocolate, navy, pink, cream, etc. $1098.00 or the Free People Maple Leaf Wrap Cardigan in a natural rust combo. It’s Fair Isle pattern, fringe, and hook and eye closure just add to that comfy cool look, $188.00.
4. Leggings is the right way to go for bottom wear. Sure you can go for a Juicy sweat suit, but why not amp it up a little? The option to go for is the Plush Fleece Lined Leggings in Black or Charcoal. These ultra comfy leggings are lined with actual fleece, so they are warm too, $74.00.
5. No one likes stinky boots (or feet for that matter), that’s why it’s important to put some socks on with your rain boots. Missoni’s Stripe Mid Calf Socks in Purple or Brown feature one of their signature patterns, to keep your the feet inside your boots, just as stylish as the actual boots, $48.00. Not into covering your toes? (Ew). Rag & Bone’s Shoreditch Legwarmers in Charcoal/Ash or Grey/Oatmeal aren’t even meant to be covered by your boots, so if you decide on that day your gonna go for ankle boots, you automatically have that careless look going on, $150.00.
6. A carry with you at all times bag is a must especially when you might not be going home for a few days. Practicality is also important when the main issue is bad weather. Combining practicality and cuteness is the Prada plaid nylon backpack, formally titled Tessuto Scozzese. It’s part of the 2011 fall winter collection and comes in 4 different colors, Blackwatch (navy and dark green), Eildon (blue, green, and yellow), Macrae (red, white, blue, and green), and Brownwatch (brown and green). Not only can you stuff anything you want into it, but you can even use it for back to school. Two uses, $830.00.
7. Since we live in modern day, it would probably be hard for a lot of people to lose their laptop in a storm, since a lot of people keep their life on it. Stash away your laptop (in your Prada backpack), in a Vivienne Westwood Derby Tartan Leather Laptop Case. This patterned 15 inch case is great carrying case to keep your “life” safe, $260.00. Not into tartan? Juicy Couture’s Aztec Laptop Sleeve in bright rose is a great option too. Detailed with a stitched and leather owl, you’ll have a second pair of eyes against the storm, and a little extra shine from the sequins. This option is definitely for a girly girl with a 15 inch laptop, $88.00. Want something a little more classic, go for the Graphic Image Personalized Croco Leather Laptop Case. The best part about this, is that you can get it monogrammed. Now your laptop showcases you on the outside as well as inside the thousands of folders on your desktop. Choose between brown and pink and keep your 15 inch life (in a machine) inside this crocodile skin, $210.00.
Now that you have everything needed to fashionably survive a storm, above all, be safe!
Unfortunately, it’s not raining shoes and bags (not that that would be safe either, but it would definitely have more advantages), which means there is no reason to endanger your life, so escape please, in style of course.
XX,
The Cashmere Cueen
