Floods Vs footwear

If you've seen your BBC news updates, or even page 5 of yesterday's Telegraph, you will see the state  of Devon and the flood-ridden towns in which I live. Not only have the last 48 hours been full of evacuations and blue flashing lights, but the ducks seem to be having an unusually good time at Torcross too.

This presents an unforeseen conundrum- when one can not wear suede, nor spend seven days of the week in wellies, what should be worn on your feet? Fashion is not usually functional, but I intend to find a solution to this problem.

I have tried to persevere and continue to wear my favourite cognac suede wedge ankle boots, but have managed to destroy them- all thanks to trudging through the rain-soaked streets. So, too, have things taken a turn for the worst when the water line rose above the brim of my wellies. It seems I am fast running out of luck.

If you are looking for wet weather gear to see you through the far from exotic climate, you will need military precision planning- and an army of rubber.

To brave the rain-streaked streets, try these short wellies by Hunter X Rag & Bone (available here)...

...Or these rubber boots by Melissa (check out the neon flash of yellow, a key colour for the pre-spring collections), available from Shopstyle.

And, if you are looking for style and substance, look no further than my very favourite rainwear brand from the genius people behind Ilse Jacobsen. These boots (available here) come in varying heights and more colours than you can shake a soggy stick at. I have a pair in cream with black laces and I cannot begin to tell you how much I adore them. Pretty soon, you'll be praying for the wet stuff. Looks like it's not just good weather for ducks after all.

Photo credits: Hunter, Shopstyle, Polyvore

On a serious note, my thoughts are with everyone affected by the flooding. With my brother working tirelessly for HM Coastguard this past week, I have seen the damage and the knock-on effects this run of bad weather has done. 

Jeans dreams

My latest denim crush is the genius jeanius of Rag & Bone, the NYC-based duo who are making tidal waves across the denim industry with their everyday luxe collection, Rag & Bone JEAN.

Now, I wasn't gifted with the ultimate denim clothes-horse legs. My body is longer than my legs, and I'm somewhere in between a petite and regular length. This doesn't help the already mammoth task of jeans shopping which, on the scale of 0 - 10 ranks at about 20 for difficulty and its ability to demoralise even the most confident of shoppers. Yes, denim is right up there with swimwear and underwear in it's nightmare notoriety.

When I began noticing Rag & Bone popping up on the 'Best Dressed' lists last year, I didn't hold out much hope when thinking about the place it could potentially hold in my own denim drawer. I am no Miranda Kerr or Karolina Kurkova (who, among others, took the helm of the Rag & Bone DIY 2012 campaign), after all. However, with all this in mind, I merrily trotted over to my nearest Harvey Nichols and dared to enter the changing room clutching a myriad of styles, sizes and colours- everything from distressed skinny to boyfriend cut. It's funny what determination will do to a girl. It seems perseverance won, as moments later I wiggled into what would then become my first pair of dream jeans, and from that moment on- I never looked back.

Since that moment I have reignited my love affair with denim which, until recently, I have been trapped in the mindset which closely resembles that of a troubled marriage. But, I am very glad to announce that it's nothing but calm seas and a balmy breeze ahead for this love boat, as I take my Rag & Bones off into the sunset. My personal favourite is the Jodhpur mid-rise style, which look oh-so-chic with a white cami, black sandals and tuxedo jacket, and are (luckily) on sale- available here.

Photo credits: Rag & Bone, Matchesfashion.com