In Louisiana, when it rains, it pours.
Puddles take up entire parts of sidewalks and umbrellas parade around campus trying to protect from the buckets of water dropping onto students. Another useful item is the rain boot, owned by many LSU students and a lifesaver on rainy days.
Local Baton Rouge fashion bloggers know this as well. Posting outfits of their daily lives onto their blogs means, in Louisiana, occasionally a rain boots post or two.
Leslie Presnall, University alumna and fashion blogger for the blog “Southern Flair,” shares her own personal outfits along with posts about the latest trends and the Louisiana fashion scene.
“My personal style is practical and affordable. I’m always open to trying the latest trends, but I like to find ways to do that on a budget while creating realistic, everyday outfits,” Presnall said.
Presnall is a fan of rain boots and finds them to be useful walking around on campus. She suggests getting a pair to keep in the closet or even the car.
Presnall said rain boots can be styled with many items in a typical closet like pants, dresses and shorts.
“When it’s raining, it’s more about being practical. If you buy a neutral color, they’re more likely to match more outfits. However, colorful patterned boots are a fun way to incorporate a quirky touch into your rainy day outfit,” Presnall said.
Sarah Barnett from “Think Twice Style” uses her blog as a personal account of her daily outfits.
“I like mixing vintage pieces in with modern pieces, blending genres, medias and time periods,” Barnett said.
Barnett tends to stray away from the typical rain boots and chooses other styles. She owns a pair of the Chelsea-style Hunter boots as a lighter option from the original Hunter boot.
“Rain rubbers are heavy, so the ankle length [of the Hunter Chelsea-style boot doesn’t] give me as much of a leg work-out,” Barnett said.
However, Barnett suggests the brighter shades, like coral, yellow and red, are good options for brightening up a gloomy day.
Jenn Palpallatoc from “Haute Off the Rack” also likes rain boots in bright colors, including her own pair of red Hunter boots.
Palpallatoc describes her style on her blog as “engaging and ever evolving”. She always tries to wear a conversation starter like eye-catching jewelry and she never keeps her style the same. Palpallatoc loves trying new trends and incorporating them into her wardrobe.
Palpallatoc finds rain boots to be important for Louisiana weather and much better than flip-flops or tennis shoes on a rainy day. She owns two pairs, the bright red pair and a shorter, edgier pair that look less like rain boots.
“They’re both good for different occasions,” Palpallatoc said.
Crystal Taylor from the blog “Billie Jean” is also a mother of a 2-year-old daughter so she incorporates style with comfort into her everyday look.
“My personal style is very eclectic. I don’t have one specific look that I stick with, I like to mix and play around with different looks and styles. Although, I do have a sweet spot for vintage clothing and style. So I would say that I am an eclectic type with a retro twist. Also, since I am a mom, I dress a lot more comfortable than I ever did before I had a child,” Taylor said.
Owning a pair of plum-colored Hunter boots, Taylor says she’d incorporate them into an outfit with skinny jeans or a knee-length dress.
“I also think that if I bought another pair, they would probably be a neutral color like an army green or black, something very simple,” Taylor said.
The local bloggers of Baton Rouge are not the only ones who find rain boots to be a useful items, students on campus also think of them as useful addition to their closets.
“I have always wanted a pair of rain boots because some that I have seen are so stylish and seem comfortable,” said Lucy Oprea, film and advertising freshman. “They are convenient to have on campus, especially with April showers fast approaching.”

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Kaela Rodehorst