Rain boots in the summer

Even though Oregon is The Rainy State (our unofficial title), I rarely have an opportunity to wear shorts and rain boots together, since it's also The State That Doesn't Get Warmer Than 70 Degrees Until July. But the other evening when Josh and I went out to dinner, it was muggy and pouring, so I finally had a legitimate excuse to wear shorts and rain boots.

I love the moody sky in these photos. Normally I like my outfit photos to be bright and cheerful-looking, but there's something appealing about the miserable weather in these pictures.

Floral shirt: thrifted from House of Vintage

Pink shorts: Loft

Hunter rain boots: Nordstrom

Pink earrings: Simply Jo Designs

Black necklace: Urban Outfitters

Sequins and rain boots

Josh and I went downtown for lunch on Saturday, and since it was rainy and I knew we'd be walking the whole way, I made sure to build my outfit around my rain boots. This outfit probably would have looked cooler with my space age wedges, but sometimes you just have to go with practical footwear. This was only the second time I've worn this black dress (the other time was here). It's so short that it doesn't lend itself easily to styling - I think I'll always need to layer a skirt or leggings underneath it.

Black turtleneck: Old Navy

Black dress: ModCloth

Black leggings: Target

Gray rain boots: Hunter from Nordstrom

Spider necklace: Bauble Bar

White stone bracelet: In Pink

Belt: thrifted from Rerun

Rain boots

Monday was a nice holiday. I got to lounge around and read magazines, Josh got to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing video games, and we went out for a late lunch that involved gigantic bowls of macaroni and cheese. It's been raining like crazy here, so I busted out my rain boots for our trip out to lunch. I think I've only worn these once on the blog (here, back in my third post ever!), but I actually wear them every time it rains. (Which is a lot. This is Oregon, after all.) Even though they were crazy expensive, I feel that the cost was justified by the quality. The pair of rain boots I had before these cost $30, and started falling apart after a few weeks. These cost $125, but I've had them for a year and a half, have probably worn them close to a hundred times, and they're still in great condition. In case you didn't know, Hunter boots have been around since 1856, and they're the boots that were mass-produced for the British Army in World Wars I and II - so they have definitely passed the test of time and hardship.

Pink swan sweater: Urban Outfitters

Floral blouse: thrifted from Village Merchants

Jeans: Levi's from Urban Outfitters

Gray rain boots: Hunter from Nordstrom

Gray hat: Fred Meyer

Green earrings: B. Lee Designs, gift from my parents

Gold necklace: Evidence Jewelry, won in a giveaway

Athletic calves

Last fall I earned a little extra cash one weekend, so I went to Nordstrom right after work to get a pair of Hunter boots. I had been wanting them for years, but had always been reluctant to spend $125 on rain boots. After reading rave reviews about them, though, I decided to take the plunge. So I went to the shoe department, and a salesman brought out a pair of black Hunter boots in size ten. I pulled them on, walked around, thought they felt pretty good, and tried to pull them off. I couldn't. They were suctioned on to my calves. After watching me tug at them hopelessly for a minute, the salesman got down on the floor, and had to pull with all his might to yank them off. Then he said, "Do you know about our Huntress boots? They're for people with athletic calves." So I got a pair of Huntress boots instead (that thankfully still say "Hunter" on the logo). It's a tight fit, though, getting my calves and my jeans into these rain boots. But if you're thinking about getting a pair I highly recommend them. They're incredibly comfortable and durable, and well worth the cost. Maybe try them on in the store first though!

 I thought about wearing heels for these pictures. But I actually wore the boots today and not the heels, because it has been raining like mad here lately. So you get a taste of reality today - even though my jeans look bunchy stuck into my boots, and even though heels would have looked more polished, this is my real outfit.

I really love this flowy tee. Normally I go for more fitted tops - I'm so curvy that most of my clothes need to have definition around the waist. But I couldn't resist this top. It's striped and cost $9 - that alone sold me on it. But it turns out it looks good too.

Tee: Target

Jeans: Gap

Belt: Gap

Rain boots: Hunter via Nordstrom

Earrings: gift from a friend in China