Whether it’s Pfas-free tote bags or wash-in waterproofing, here’s how women can stay dry in style – and with less waste

• The best umbrellas – tested

After the hottest UK summer on record, autumn 2026 could be wetter and stormier than usual, partly because of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is predicted to be the strongest of its kind in living memory. But a lot of wet-weather gear – from flimsy umbrellas that blow inside out within seconds to single-use ponchos that will sit in landfill long after this winter has blown over – often isn’t very sustainable.

While waterproofed polyester can keep us dry, there’s no excuse for it not to be made from recycled materials. Look instead for products that are designed to last and, better still, part of a circular system where the brand offers repairs and takes responsibility for reusing or recycling worn-out items. Besides, choosing well-made, thoughtfully designed products means you can use them for years to come.

From pillboxes and boaters to bicornes and buckets, characterful hats are making their way from the catwalk to the high street

“Here goes – an order for a million hats,” wrote Jackie Kennedy to Bergdorf Goodman before moving into the White House in the early 1960s. It’s a line that could have been uttered by any number of people working in fashion today, because the hat – and not just the ubiquitous baseball cap – has been enjoying a very characterful resurgence.

This season at the turbo-high-end brand Loro Piana, whose clothes are beloved by tech bros and Kendall Roy, almost every model was wearing a hat. At Thom Browne, straw boaters came shrouded in colourful mesh. At Chloé there were see-through hats to match see-through trenchcoats and white sailor hats atop all-white outfits. Courrège’s hats were space-age, Burberry had big buckets, Bottega Veneta had hats brimming with charisma.