Stylish, even in the baarish

The monsoon is here and umpteen stories or memories of having to wade through waterlogged roads getting splashed wishyth water or dealishyng with an umbrella reshyndered useless due to the gale might have you worried But dont let it rain on your style parade The bustling street markets of Mushymbai are prepared with effishycshyishyent spunky and rainproof clothes and accessories for all age groups in styles you would want to wear after the monsoon is over and done with We take a walk around Colaba Causeway Fashion Street in Marine Lines Linking Road and Hill Road in Bandra to bring you the top picks of the seasonUmbrella evolutionThe markets are flooded with umbrellas of all sishyzshyes and prints but a new lacey entry on Hill Road cashyught my eye A delicate black lace around the edges of an inshyterestingly shaped green umbrella takes it a notch above the basic There are options in red and offwhite too If you want something practical inshyvshyest in a layered one with a fairly large surface area that we spotted on Colaba Causeway The layering breaks the surface of the umbrella in a way that it makes it wobblefreeAT Shop no 1amp2 Sarkar Plaza Hill Road and opposite Bank of Baroda Colaba CausewayCOSTRs 675 lace and Rs 950 layeredDresses and coordsYour best bet in the rains is to wear something that dries quickly Assuring us of a maximum of 15minute exposure to wind till it dries completely a shopkeeper in Colaba hands us a rather swanky chiffon coord set The elastic element in it makes it a freesize outfit And if you want to slip into a dress those available in rayoncotton material should be your pick The one we spot at Fashion Street comes with a belt that canalso be used to shorten the lengthAT Opposite Colaba Police Station Colaba Causeway Shop no 37 Fashion Street COSTRs 450 and Rs 550Get your basics rightNothing is as basic as a pair of shorts and a Tshirt But who says that means you will end up looking tardy Take your OOTD up a notch by going for these denim and cotton shorts which are available in every colour imaginable They might not dry as quickly but are quite practical thanks to their length and also have deep enough pockets Pair these with freesized rayon tops which look much better than their cotton counterparts and dry up within 10 minutes of a windy autorickshaw rideAT Outside Cafe Mondegar Colaba CausewayCOSTRs 300 shorts and Rs 450 topRaincoat diariesWant to keep it handsfree This polyester raincoat is ideal for you It even has room for your backpack and we like the fact that its transparent It falls below your knees making your movement easier leaving enough room for you to slip into long boots The hoodie comes with a string that you need to tug to cover your head and protect your face just about enough without hindering your line of view But you have to prepared to deal with the heat that your body will generate Gufran Ali Siddiqui whos been selling these raincoats for the last 13 years tells us that it is one of his hottestselling items alreadyAT Shop no 68 Fashion Street opposite Bombay Gymkhana GateCOSTRs 680Cute and usefulDitch your purses and clutches and grab these adorable backpacks They are practical and completely waterproof thanks to the nylon material used Even the zips are covered under a nylon flap which is crucial to ensure they dont give way with all the tugging I love the bunny option which even has ears drawn on And while the shopkeeper tells me that its a hit among college kids I spot some ladies in their 30s eyeing it too For those who want something more sober they have variants in solid colours and flamingo printsAT Outside Leopold Cafe Colaba Causeway COSTRs 950Comfort comes firstOn this recce I was aiming to get my hands on a pair of long boots which dont look tacky and help me power through pools of water And even though no one will be checking out my footwear as I try to not trip over the unknown it would be nice to have an option that doesnt look off when one isnt battling watshyerlogged roads Theres only one shop on Hill Road that has these rubber boots in stock As I slip into them they seshyem sturdy and the sole isnt slshyishyppery which is crucial They have cuter options for kidsThe kiddie boots include ones with peppa pig on themAT Opposite Bandra Medical Stores Hill Road COSTRs 500Happy feetThe best part about these shoes is that they dont squeak when they are wetIf you dont want to trap your feet in boots dont worry These pretty silicon porous optishyons are worth wearing even after the season is over The more exshypensive ones include a pair thshyat are almost like sports shshyoshyes with a netlike design on the front which lets your feet brshyeathe and a pair of silicon spshyorts shoes We buy a pair of the former and are pleasantly sushyrprised to find that theres no scope for shoe bites Theres a netted option with an open back which are comfortable for daily wear Wear them without socks and you are good to go even if you have smelly feet Just wash them once a weekAT 27 Crescent House Colaba Causeway COSTRs 450 onwardsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates