Rainy Day Style Essentials for the Pinoy Commuter

The Pinoy commuter is the immortal embodiment of resilience.  We Pinoys have to deal with unpredictable weather almost all year long. We have to be ready for anything, from a heat wave to a thunderstorm that turns up faster than the time it takes to cook your instant pancit canton. It’s a headache most of the time, but not if you’re ready.  

Here are some budget-friendly essentials that will more or less handle your weather woes, but won’t compromise your style and keep you and your stuff dry (mostly, anyway).  The bottom line here is, you’ll still look good through the bad weather.

1. BAG

You need an all-purpose weather-proof bag. You can’t go around commuting with a bad bag. Anello’s travel bag from their Ness collection has a mat-coated water-repellent surface with thermal sealed zips. This should last you a good year or two of everyday use, with more than enough space for a good volume of your stuff.

2. OUTERWEAR and CLOTHES

You definitely need a jacket that can stay true to your style, be it for the office or school, but still hold its own when you decide to fight through raging habagat rains. My go-to would be Uniqlo’s field parka.  Not too sporty, it has enough pockets for your gear. More importantly, it adds that a pop of style to whatever you’ve got on. 

But of course, you also need to stay dry underneath, and not get doubly wet from rain and sweat.  Keep cool with Uniqlo’s Dry-Ex Shirts and Pants. These clothes are made of a fabric designed originally for sportswear. It wicks moisture and keeps your sweat in check even as you move. Because rainy days in the Philippines doesn’t always translate to cool weather.

3. SHOES

You can’t prevent shoes from getting soaked. In fact, let’s make it clear: you should still avoid getting your feet soaked, no matter what you end up wearing. Also, you need something that won’t slip, won’t fall apart immediately, and has a sole high enough to keep your feet dry from those small puddles. And of course, it shouldn’t deviate from your look, the way a pair of rain boots would.  

With this, I’m going with the Nike Air Force 1. High enough for those small puddles, it comes in mono and it’s easy to style.  You can find them in almost every local Nike retailer.  

4. UMBRELLA

The foldable umbrella is your secret weapon for worst case scenarios. You need something small enough to fit your bag, but opens large enough when you need to bring your date along for a rainy walk. Fibrella has the best portable umbrellas that will outlast every storm you, unless you decide to lose it somewhere.  Shop the best foldable models available at your nearest department store.  

5. TIMEPIECE

Yes, watches are still cool. I would suggest the Casio G-Shock from the 5600 series. They’re not too big on your wrist, not too pricey, and can handle enough splash without getting problematic. Plus most of these come in black, for a little tactical appeal.

6. TRANSPORTATION

We all have our woes when it comes to the long lines when Filipinos commute on rainy days. Things have gotten worse with the loss of Uber, the outrageous surge rates of GRAB and the limits of taking ANGKAS in bad weather. This leads us to your local private carpool.  Why brave the storm in unreliable public transportation? Instead, you can have a carpool arranged via your local Viber, Line or Telegram private groups.