PurseBlog Asks

PurseBlog Asks: Would You Wear a Purse Rain Coat?

April showers bring purse rain coats...

I love bags more than the average individual and I’ve certainly had my fair share of obsessive handbag behavior, but every now and then I see something that makes me pause and question “who the heck would use that”? The most prominent example that comes to mind is the purse rain coat. If you’re unfamiliar with a purse rain coat, it is exactly what it sounds like. The best way to describe it is a literal plastic poncho that you hang over your bag to repel rain. Sounds like a great idea in theory, but I’m puzzled by who would actually use one of these. Don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate for protecting my beloved bags even at the expense of social normalcy, but a purse rain coat seems unnecessary. Wouldn’t a traditional umbrella do the same trick?

When I lived in Ireland a few years ago, I was walking home from work one day with my brand new Gerard Darel 24 Heures bag. I had just purchased it earlier in the week during a long weekend in Paris, and I was so excited to use it on an unusually sunny winter day in Cork. The sun was shining one moment and the next thing I knew the skies opened up and dumped what seemed like a lifetime of rain onto me and my precious bag. The road home had no shops or places to seek shelter, so I had to suck it up and walk 15 minutes in the torrential rain. Literally every inch of my bag was drenched, to the point where droplets of water were forming off the bottom of it. I have never had a bag soak up water like that before, and I hesitate to use that bag even today due to fear of damaging it beyond repair. Luckily it dried evenly and has minimal water spots after such a dramatic event, but sadly the leather was never the same after that incident.

It’s the memory of my 24 Heures bag getting soaked to the core that opens my mind up to the idea of a purse rain coat. I’m not sure it suits my lifestyle or needs, but I can see the benefit of covering your bag in a total rain emergency, especially if you’re partial to suede bags. A rain poncho is lightweight enough that you could throw one into the depths of your bag, only to bring it out in the event of a torrential downpour. I suppose it could also come in handy when there is sideways rain, when even an umbrella can’t protect you from getting wet. Honestly I doubt I will be using one of these unless I ever become the lucky owner of a Birkin or Kelly, but to each their own. You won’t get any judgment from me for using one!

I’m curious to know, would you use a rain coat for your bag? If so, you can shop the Handbag Raincoat via Shopbop.

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