Travel Essentials: rainproof jackets

A rainproof jacket is relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and looks great. Such practicality makes taking one with you on holiday a sensible choice, but not always a flattering one. Adriaane Pielou suggests some of the best.

DAY Birger et Mikkelsen Day Utility oversized cotton-blend cape. Courtesy Net-a-Porter
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Cape by Day Birger et Mikkelsen

Flatteringly oversized (it makes you look thin), this taupe, cotton-blend lightweight rain-proof jacket is 65-per-cent cotton and 35-per-cent nylon. Machine-washable, it comes with tab-fastening cuffs, pouch pockets and curved side splits, and has that timeless but cool look of a basic that could be worn forever. Well, until you see a worthy successor, anyway. It costs £290 (Dh1,708) from Net-a-Porter. Arabic speakers are available at customer service (net-a-porter.com; 00 44 203 471 4510).

'Sarah' mac by Monsoon

The trench coat - named after the heavy-duty, belted uniform raincoats worn by soldiers in the trenches in the First World War - deserves a hanger in every wardrobe. Short ones work better than the traditional knee-length ones, though, which can look a touch too military. The "Sarah" mac is 75cm long, machine washable, unbulky and as good over a skirt as jeans. It costs £75 (Dh443) from Monsoon branches (www.monsoon.co.uk; 00 44 203 372 3000).

Admiral trench coat by Vivienne Westwood

Which country is most famous for rain? Exactly. Appropriate, then, to wear a shower-proof coat from Anglomania, the diffusion label launched by the quintessential English designer Vivienne Westwood. Buttoning asymmetrically, uniform-style, this has a single-slit, side pocket and measures 182cm in length. It costs £417 (Dh2,463), plus p&p, at My Wardrobe (www.mywardrobe.com).