The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Dressing up for the rains

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 07, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dressing up for the rains

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The rains are here again, and it is time to pull out the raincoats and umbrellas and everything else waterproof.

With the weather being as unpredictable as it is these days, pouring heavily one minute and bright and sunny the next, it makes more sense to carry a raincoat in your bike, or a more trendy and handy pocket umbrella.

Then again, for those who just want to sit outside in their gardens and enjoy the showers with a hot cup of coffee in hand, the new designer garden umbrellas are a big rage.

While most two-wheeler riders choose to wear either single or two-piece raincoats, Farhan, owner of Eastern Store on Commercial Street, says that bikers prefer waterproof jackets as they are "semi-formal and more fashionable."

He adds that transparent raincoats, which at one point made a fashion statement, are quite out of style right now.

However, they are still preferred by young girls. Moreover, there is a wide range of printed raincoats with Disney and other cartoon prints that school-going children like to flaunt.

In the corporate world, windcheaters are the choice of rain apparel for the season, and companies are sending in large orders for waterproof jackets with their company's logo embroidered on them.

Floral prints

Most women are opting for umbrellas with floral prints as they look trendy and can be used come rain or bright sunshine.

Men, on the other hand, are sticking to single-coloured, mostly black, conventional ones.

Besides the regular folding and double-folding varieties, the triple-folding variety is the most hunted for, as they are small and can be carried around anywhere.

These are available mostly in single colours with the denim ones being the most sought after.

Even the "out-of-style" wooden-handled umbrellas seem to have a market.

While umbrellas cost between Rs. 75 and Rs. 500, depending on the size, style and quality, raincoats are available for as little as Rs. 75 to something as exorbitant as Rs. 1,200.

Where one chooses to buy rainwear is also as important as the product itself, as it determines how much one pays for it.

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