Colorful and chic rain boots, platforms and macs from Peter Jensen, Coco Chanel, Fendi among others. Photos: CFP and courtesy of the brands

The plum rains may be upon us early this year, but there is no sign that they are going to finish any sooner than usual. And meteorologists have warned that this year's downpours are likely to be among the worst ever recorded. For the city's fashionistas, anxiously awaiting the arrival of summer and clear skies, this presents something of a sartorial dilemma in how exactly to get through these wet few weeks. "What's the point of getting dressed up and grooming myself only to end up as a soggy shambles!" is an often overheard complaint in some of the city's hippest spots. The Global Times has sought out some chic choices for surviving this year's rains.     

Macs appeal

A lightweight summer mac is a must-have item of clothing combining functionality, practicality and an impeccable aesthetic sense. Rubber and nylon are two of the more popular materials for these summer macs. And smooth fabrics make the color of the summer macs look especially eye-catching.

Sportmax's vivid red raincoat with a shiny silver zipper adds a touch of vitality to these gray, rainy days. While Peter Jensen's color block raincoat in yellow, with red, grey, blue and black touches on the shoulders and elbows looks especially nifty.

If you want an elegant looking rain coat that is ideal for matching with other chic items, then Lavin's long brown raincoat or Roberta Furlanetto's light khaki raincoat are excellent choices. Their exquisite cutting and practical fabrics ensure they suit all kinds of bodyshapes.

A pair of rain boots are a practical choice for keeping your feet dry on particularly rainy days. However, there's no reason for rain boots to be boring.

See by Chloe is a range of cute, designer lace rain boots for young women. Rubber, leopard-print rain boots with black laces, or purple rubber boots with red laces or just simple black rain boots with black laces are among the eclectic range of footwear to be had. Short dresses or shorts look good with these rain boots.

Burberry has launched a line of rock-styled black rain boots this year with pointed rivets around the upper part of the boots.

And if you are visiting any of the famous Japanese shoe brands in Shanghai's department stores such as Raffles City and Yueda 889, you can see all kinds of rain boots with flower prints, animal prints and cartoon prints. They also have ankle boots with bows on the boots' tops. (Where is this??)

If you don't like rain boots, flats or high heels with platforms are other choices for the rainy season.

Platforms designed by Camilla Skovgard are very popular this year, not only for their chic appearance, but also because of their comfort, noticeable even after a day on your feet.

A signature motif in her designs is a serrated sole, most noticeably on her platforms. The rubber serrated soles not only look chic but are also an important guard against slipping on wet surfaces.

As soon as the Danish footwear designer Skovgard launched her eponymous shoe label in 2006, she became a go-to shoemaker. Saks Fifth Avenue commissioned many Skovgard designs even before the Dane had graduated from London's Royal College of Art.

Fendi's black lace sandals with thick platforms are also hot footwear items for the rainy season. These sandals go with almost anything, be it casual wear or elegant dresses.