Not too long ago I would make the case that you can do perfectly without rain boots in your wardrobe, but not having at least one pair of them standing ready for foul weather in this day and age seems like a missed opportunity to combine a perfectly practical fashion item with a great look. If that pair should be of the Hunter brand is completely up to your style and budget, as there are many other brands available offering different types of boots at different prices.
From your decision to go with Hunter boots to finding the perfect rain boot for you only takes a few steps. Picture above comes from Blair Eadie on Instagram.
Tall boats, low boots, or technical boots?
Nowadays Hunter has a wide range of shoes and boots, but why choose the Hunter brand if you are not looking for their most iconic item: the tall rain boot?
This tall rain boot comes in 3 main types: the technical boot, the refined rain boot, and the original rain boot.
From a fashion stand point the technical rain boot is not recommended as the design is much better suited for forests and muddy hills. Forget combining these boots with designer jeans and fashionable sweaters.
The refined boot looks similar to the original tall wellington, but misses the rough and tough look that makes combining rubber rain boots with a pair of slim fit jeans such a great combination. In my view the whole point of wearing Hunter boots is to break a feminine outfit with a pair of bulky rain boots which are not only practical but still result in a cute look.
Matt or gloss, and what color
The easiest color to pick would be black, as you can combine it with about any outfit you want. Both matt and gloss give a great overall look, so pick whichever you prefer. If you do tend to sway to another color, keep in mind that brighter colors will stand out much more giving the impression you wear similar outfits regularly. A black boot will attract less attention and can more easily be combined with other clothing items to a completely new total outfit.
I would recommend keeping away from buying a pair of boots in the same color as your (rain-) coat, unless it is black, as this will quickly dominate your outfit. See the promotional picture from Raincoat Adventures below to prove my point:
Sizing
For your first purchase it is recommended to try on the pair of boots before buying, or order several sizes online and return all but the ones fitting you the best. The Hunter rain boots are true to their size, but you might want to keep a bit of slack in the boots in case you live in a colder climate and want to wear them with an extra pair of socks.
The feet and calf size are related meaning a boot with a larger foot size will be wider around the calf. As there is no difference between the design of men and women boots, you can always buy a larger pair of boots from the men’s range if needed. Also, in case you have relatively small feet you might be able to wear children’s size with the added benefit that these boots are priced much lower giving you a nice saving on your purchase. Consider buying the “adjustable” boots in case the calf size is too tight for you.
How to wear Hunter rain boots
Rain boots are supposed to stand out and you best accomplish this by combining them with slim fitting jeans or pants. The boots will be more bulky which will draw some attention to them. Avoid wearing them in combination with wider pants as the buildup of fabric just above the boots will give a sloppy impression. Only exception is in case of really bad weather and you combine them with rain pants, but in that case general rules for fashion need to make way for the priority of staying dry. Wearing the boots under a dress is acceptable, but not a look I would promote. A summer dress goes much better with flats, so hold those rain boots in the closet for when weather changes.
Keep your boots clean as you wear them in an urban setting, walking around with boots covered in dried up mud is not a good look. Exception here is when you wear them on a muddy festival terrain in which case you should not worry about getting your rain boots dirty. After all, they still have practical use and are supposed to get dirty in such cases.
While it has been popular to wear rain boots in every type of weather, I would not suggest you put them on unless there is a serious chance of rain or when there are puddles in the street. While an outfit combined with rain boots does look fashionable, you have to keep in mind that the boots are only fashionable if worn in a practical setting. Just as you won’t wear a cocktail dress to a sports event or show up at a gala dinner in your newest summer dress.
