Weather-predicting apps have the worst job in Alabama.
Where their performance lacks, our unpreparedness begins. As college students, we run from one meeting to another all day, susceptible to every random shower or heat flash Mother Nature’s wrath has to offer.
Making clothing mistakes freshman year is fine, but once you’ve hit the later years of campus craziness and the business professional life, you must learn the tricks to always looking top notch despite the rain storm you ran through.
Layers are smart and stylish. Despite the season, it doesn’t hurt to carry a cardigan or light jacket around with you. You never know when your next meeting will be held in an icebox or, as many refer to it, Haley. Living in Alabama, we are usually begging for more clothes or stripping down as much as socially acceptable. Wearing multiple layers and figuring out cute ways to take them off is wise. Cardigans can be tied around the waist, hats can be hung on the straps of your bag, and scarves are easy to stuff in a bag.
White is daring but doable. Take it from my experience, if you plan to wear white, bring a cover or jacket of some sort. Getting stuck in the rain exposed to the world in your favorite white dress isn’t as fun as it sounds. Who knows, you might run straight into a boss or professor. Not ideal. Make sure to be wearing all nude undergarments. If you want to be extra safe, bring a replacement piece.
Shoes can be cute and reliable. Waterproof or water resistant shoes have come back into style. Gellies, rain boots and faux leather flats will survive the occasional rain and keep you looking slick without feeling too slippery.
When wearing heels, make sure you stuff a light, foldable pair of flats in your bag for the unexpected tornado or sleet storm. Consider keeping an extra pair of socks in the bottom of your go-to bag as well.
Umbrellas and roll-up rain jackets aren’t optional. Living in the work-centered world we do, we are given the never ending list of companies that produce packable rain-resisting clothing and equipment. Investing in such items will help you avoid catastrophe. Assuming it won’t rain is almost always a mistake, so try to always be prepared.
Avoid sweat-stain prone clothing at all costs. The Alabama sun is guilty of mortifying young ladies everywhere.
If you know what you laid out to wear for the day is guilty of spots, consider slipping a different top into your bag or saving it for later in the day. Another element that goes right along with this is having deodorant with you for those extra sweaty, stressful days.
Hair, hair and more messed up hair. Dry shampoo and a tiny brush should be old-timers in your bag of daily necessities.
Refreshing your hair through the day will add to your confidence and keep you from messing with it. Dry shampoo helps in rain and heat. The brush is pretty self-explanatory.
Don’t wait until you have to walk into a meeting drenched to get prepared for Alabama’s tricky weather.
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