Even though I’m not a fan of winter, there are days that I’d prefer over to others. A dry and cold day would be my ultimate dream (although the chill can sometimes sting my sinuses) since it means that my curls won’t fall out, and that my belongings inside of my bag won’t be pummelled with ice pellets. Ain’t nobody got time to dry off their DSLR or leather wallet after a 5 minute walk from the front door to the bus stop. And the same way that I use water repellent materials to keep my feet dry through piles of snow already on the ground, I’d like to keep my investment of a bag as well as its innards free from winter’s cruel clutches.
One of my absolute go to pair of boots for the winter is my trusty pair of Hunters. And by go to, I mean that I love Hunters so much that this isn’t my first pair. I’d originally hunted (no pun intended) down an aubergine pair in the original style a couple years back when I fell in love with the color over the functionality of the boot. At the time I hadn’t owned any rainboots and felt that the addition of one would be much appreciated into my shoe collection. A classic sunny yellow would be much too Paddington Bear for my taste, so I figured that I’d go with a darker yet different color that would be fun to play with.
At the time I didn’t mind much about the calf circumference and didn’t realize until it was too late (I purchased them online not knowing that they can come in different circumferences) that the boots were much to wide for my legs. No regrets though, because at the time I compensated for the extra space by being able to comfortably fit my pants into the boots without struggling to put the shoes on. Looking back, I realized that I was due for a slimmer fit that would seamlessly work with my tights and skinny jeans without running the risk of looking like I was falling into a pair of boots. I purchased a new pair with an equestrian cut top and haven’t regretted them since. From then on, my feet have been happily dry for as long as I can remember.
But after tackling my wet feet and small calf problem, I realized the next pet peeve to remedy was the wet belongings inside of my bags. I usually prefer bags with zips at the top but since my life has recently transitioned from routine to constant change (I’ll be leaving for LA in a couple of weeks!), I’ve found that even zippered bags often go unzipped due to my constant reaching into them. Zippers have lost their purpose to me. But what do you do with a bag that doesn’t even have a zipper for the times that you need one? You get it a rain jacket of course.
But how do you protect your bag without compromising its state? I bought the bag because I liked how it looks. Why cover it up and not be able to see its aesthetic appeal? Enter Es-Cubed. I found that their translucent material was durable enough to withstand cold Canadian temperatures (without cracking because you know how our headphones end up in the winter) and be water repellent at the same time without exuding a grannyish feel. My Madeline cover even came with a cute little print on the top near my handles to add some life back into an otherwise simple piece of plastic that warded off the harsh elements.
What I loved most about my cover is the fact that it has buttons on the side that help seal down the plastic so as to prevent it from flying up in the wind. Ingenius if I do say so myself. And there’s even a miniature buttoned-down flap over the top near your hands which helps to completely seal off your bag from the environment except for the handles peeping out. Without a doubt, not only myself, but my belongings are now weather proofed against the harsh Canadian winter.
Top – OAK + FORT | Vest – J. Crew | Cardigan – GAP | Jacket – Aritzia | Scarf – Alexander Wang | Boots – Hunter | Mittens – Aritzia | Bag Cover – Es-Cubed
