Despite Liz’s optimism in the previous post, I’m afraid that the rain is here to stay…..But, no worries, us hectic mum’s have learnt to cope with whatever life throws at us, and so we know we are probably going to have to kit the whole family out with rainwear to get us through the school holidays. But can we do it stylishly? Of course we can!

For us ladies, the most obvious choice is a Mac - smart enough for us to wear to work, but looks equally as good thrown over a pair of jeans to go out with the kids, or over a sparkly dress on our girl’s night out. The other option, that has been seen a lot at the festivals this year, is the Parka - and the advantage of this is that it is so lightweight it can be rolled up and stashed in your handbag or car boot if the sun does actually appear!! Of course, for the very active amongst you - you could go for a high performance jacket like this one:
which will keep you dry on the inside and outside whilst you’re hiking up those hills with the kids!

For the man in your life, the choice of rainwear is now equally as wide as yours. The most popular style in men’s jackets at the moment seems to be the Bomber Jacket - which is great either work with jeans when out with the kids, or over his shirt at the weekend when you both escape for the night! Another option is the Bomber with hood - great for blokes like my husband who don’t do umbrellas!! With this coat he can look cool and keep dry at the same time - perfect! Parkas are also in for men as well - just make sure you don’t get one that’s too similar too yours or you’ll look like you’re trying to be David and Victoria Beckham!! Go for one like this one from Northface:
- with its pale patterned material you’ll be easily able to spot him in the crowded theme park or zoo!

And not forgetting the kids! Soggy distressed children is never a good way to end the day!! For girls its usually all about the colour pink so why not go for a lightly padded parka with hood which will keep her warm and dry at the same time, or if she really does feel the chills easily what about a padded bomber jacket? For those older girls who still want to look trendy - try the Helly Hanson Aden Jacket :
which is just pink enough to please you but not too pink for her to feel childish!! Boys are usually slightly easier -  unless they’re like my nephew who has to look cool all the time!!! fear not though - there are coats out there to satisfy you that he’s warm and dry, but keep him happy too. The black version of the Helly Hanson Jacket is a good option for older boys and tends to be well received! and they also do a bomber version also in black which is very trendy. But for those really fashion conscious kids you can’t go wrong with the Penn padded jacket:

- their mates will be green with envy and you’ll be reassured that he’s not going to catch pneumonia!!

And last but not least - the most important accessory is the Umbrella - I have such little faith in the weather that I have two!! One in my handbag and one in the car so that wherever I am I know I’m covered!!!

So, go forth and enjoy the great British summer - and don’t forget your coat!!!