Brollies fiddly, go! There's a better way to stay dry in style | Jess CartnerMorley

Every morning, after making tea and feeding the dog, I reach for my phone in search of wardrobe inspiration. Ignoring Instagram and Vogue Runway, I open Dark Sky, the weather app, which tells you exactly if, when, and how much it will rain on your street. Then, and only then, do I think about what to wear.

When it comes to fashion, whether it's sunny or not doesn't matter. Even the temperature isn't a determining factor - at this time of year you wear warm socks and grab your coat every time you leave the house. If it's colder than you thought when you go out, it'll be when you run back and grab your gloves.

But it's raining? Rain can ruin everything. You can wear the fanciest, comfiest, and warmest outfit in the world, but if it's not waterproof and you get caught in a downpour, your look is ruined.

I know what you're thinking, but no, an umbrella isn't always the answer. Not only is it the most anti-social object there is - one person's protective canopy, everyone at the bus stop at risk of serious eye injury - it's also a practical no-no, since this light and attractive telescopic umbrella will undoubtedly buckle and turn upside down at the first gust of wind. The mini umbrella is the winter equivalent of the disposable barbecue.

There is another breed of umbrella, of course, strong enough to last for years. But these are bigger, and now that wallets have shrunk to cardholders, our purses have mostly shrunk accordingly. Maybe you are able to carry an umbrella that won't fit in your bag or your coat pocket and get home at the end of the day without having left it on the train or at the self-service checkout in the supermarket. If so, hats off, but I know my limits.

Rainwear - just like that other pressing matter of practicality in fashion, pockets - tend to discriminate against women. Rain is more of a problem the longer you have hair, to begin with. Also, men's coats are more likely to have useful hoods, whereas women's coats rarely do - and if they do, they're either childishly huge (Paddington Bear is definitely not a cute look for a grown woman) or mean little things that barely reach your forehead, leaving you with a damp hairline and dripping mascara on your cheeks.

A beanie looks great on some people and fits in a coat pocket. But the way people cross the street to avoid me when I'm wearing one suggests it's not a good vibe for me. Plus, they get soggy.

I've had modestly successful experiences with these standalone hoods that you tuck into your coat collar. The idea is that it's like having a hoodie layered under smarter outerwear – much more contemporary streetstyle influencer vibe than an umbrella or anorak – without the essentials of wearing the sweatshirt hooded. (Cos makes a Mock Hood for £59 in navy, pink or black padded polyester.) These are useful, but there's something a little wrong about them, like an old-fashioned Dickie collar, that keeps them from feeling entirely classy. /p>

So I have high hopes for The Hood, the brainchild of hairstylist Elliot Taylor, who has come up with a contemporary take on the plastic beanie your grand- mother could have worn her perm on the way home from the salon to protect herself.

The Ritza style (£49.99) has an elongated profile (hard to describe, but imagine if Cristóbal Balenciaga had makes bobs) and wraps into a band that you can wear around your wrist like a scrunchie.

Imagine if, like a pair of sunglasses on a day sunny, there was a practical solution for a rainy day that made your look more stylish, not less. I can dream, right? Don't rain on my runway.

Model: Shazeeda at Body London. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Ouai and Dior Forever Foundation. Rider: puzzle. Rain hood: l-’hood